The date was September 22, 1972, and it was the start of another season of All-Star Wrestling in St. Joseph, Missouri, under the guidance of Gust Karras.

For 40 years, he had been bringing the top stars in the world of professional wrestling to the St. Joseph City Auditorium every Friday night. Tonight would be no exception as far as matches were concerned. It would be a night that fans would remember for a long time to come.

The card would have five matches on it that would have been main event status at any arena in the Midwest. Gust Karras had put aside any differences with leading promoters in the Central States area to secure the talents of the men on the card. Gust had a shrewd way of getting talent for the super cards he promoted in towns throughout Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Illinois.

Headliners like Harley Race, Roger Kirby, Black Angus, Danny Littlebear, Omar Atlas, The Viking, and Bob Orton, to name a few, were in constant demand in major markets like Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Milwaukee, and the entire East Coast. With his incredible marketing, Gust could command the very best that the business had to offer by outbidding other promoters for their talents.

The opening match on this, the beginning of the 1972-73 fall season, was Billy Howard vs. Bobby Whitlock. These two men were examples of an experienced mat technician meeting a great new star from Minnesota. Bobby had sold out many arenas in the Deep South before coming to Heart of America Sports. The two men battled to a 15-minute draw and were rewarded by a standing ovation by fans at ringside.

Les Thornton, from England, faced Chatti Yokouchi, from Japan. Chatti was disqualified after 10 minutes for using karate thrusts to the throat. Les had to be carried back to the dressing room, and the ringside doctor attended to him.

Bob Geigel met Yasu Fuji, a fantastic tag team wrestler who had taken on the idea of single competition. He was not at all ready for the onslaught that Bob gave him in the ring. Geigel was an outstanding college wrestler from Iowa, and he carried his knowledge of wrestling holds and his brute strength into the professional rings with him. Bob beat Fuji in a little over 15 minutes with a flying tackle and a body press. Chatti Yokouchi, who was watching from the back of the arena, then attacked him. The end result was Bob ending up on the mat and having to be helped in the battle by former World Heavyweight Champion and tag partner Pat O'Connor.

The Viking met The Destroyer (Stan Pulaski) in a semi-main event match that had three fans in the ring trying to help the Viking out. At the last minute of the 30 minute time limit, The Destroyer pulled a hidden object out of his tights, stuck it in his mask, and head butted The Viking, busting his head open right over his left eye. The men fought to the rear of the building, where four city marshals helped to separate the two grapplers. Gust Karras entered into the battle and stopped the two from fighting in the aisles by offering them a return match with lumberjack rules.

The Main Event was a battle for the North American Tag Belts that Omar Atlas and Danny Littlebear had just won the week before. They were to meet the team of Roger "Nature Boy" Kirby and Black Angus, managed by Percival A. Friend. On St. Joseph television the night after Atlas and Littlebear won the belts, Percival made it a point for the two men to begin shining those title belts up, as they would lose them on the next card.

It took four uniformed officers and four other officers to get Angus and Kirby, along with their manager, to the ring. Action was so hot that one fan was arrested for trying to punch the vociferous manager as he passed the third row. Fans in St. Joseph had a violent way of showing their love for a man. The match was a best two-out-of-three-fall battle that had Littlebear and Kirby start out. By the time the five-minute mark had set in, Littlebear had captured the first fall using the Indian Death Lock.

Angus wanted to start the second fall at my beckoning, but referee Richard Moody would not hear of this. It was the rules of the NWA that the two men that ended the fall had to start the next one. After an exchange of words that lasted about three minutes and gave Roger a chance to regroup, Roger made contact with Littlebear and then ran to the protective corner where Angus was standing and tagged him in.

Angus had been anticipating fighting for the tag team belts since teaming up with Roger. They seemed like they were molded from the same cast as far as ability and strength in the ring. Angus charged at the stunned Littlebear and grabbed him in a huge bear hug. Omar Atlas, from the apron, tried to tag in, but every time he did, the referee did not see the tag and ordered Omar to the apron. After fighting his best, he fell prey to the strength of the huge man from Scotland.

With the match at an even pace now with each team having a fall, I knew that I would have to call on the best of plans that I had for winning the match. I called the two men to my side and told them what I had in mind. Within the blink of an eye, both men returned to the ring and began a systematic breakdown of Danny Littlebear.

Omar continued to try and get into the ring without any success. He even jumped to the floor and went under the ring while I was not looking and grabbed my legs. He then tried to pull me under the ring with him. It was with a huge rush of strength that I was able to pull away from him and jump to the ring apron next to Kirby.

By then, Omar had gone back to his corner and, with the help of an object that he got from under the ring; he hit Angus and was able to tag in. At once, I told both men to get him, and they responded with authority. They began to try and wear down Atlas, but he was too quick to catch.

Atlas ran around the ring punching everything that got in his way.... including me. In the melee that erupted in the ring, my briefcase that I carried my important documents in was dropped onto the mat. I had the referee's attention, Kirby grabbed Atlas by the arms from behind, and Angus hit Omar with the case, dropping him to the mat.

A simple three count from the referee on Atlas was all we needed to win the belts...just like I said that we would. We were destined to hold the belts for a long time. Much to the dismay of the promoter... Gust Karras.

Percival A. Friend, Retired
The Epitome of Wrestling Managers