As I sat in my big brown La-Z-Boy recliner recently, watching some old time videos from my library of over 700 tapes, I started to watch a Laurel and Hardy short titled "County Hospital" that showed Oliver Hardy in a hospital bed with a broken leg, and Stan Laurel coming to visit him.

Of course, Stan had everything upset by his visit, including Oliver Hardy. The tape reminded me of Bobo Brazil and his love for comedy.

Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy and Abbott & Costello were some of Bobo Brazil's favorites. He also enjoyed the old Amos 'n' Andy TV shows. It did my heart good to sit and watch him laugh at some of the tapes I would make for him. We traveled a lot together up and down the highways and shared a lot of memories together in his lifetime. He is sadly missed by yours truly; we had been friends for 42 years.

On Labor Day 1969, I had a big day ahead of me. Two days earlier, I had taken delivery of a new Plymouth Fury 3 and was going to use the car for road trips and keep my Cadillac for special events. Since we did TV tapings at Walled Lake, Michigan the morning before and I didn't have to go to Toronto that night, I was well rested. I woke at 8 a.m. and had a big breakfast with my grandmother at her home just north of Flint. She always enjoyed my company ... I was her favorite, and she was a big wrestling fan as well.

I left her home at around 9 a.m. and headed for Lansing, Michigan and picked up Bob Harmon. Some of the old timers would remember him as Beautiful Bobby Harmon from the old WWWF. He and his manager-friend, Abdullah Farook, headlined many great cards at Madison Square Garden in the early 70's. We went to Detroit to get Bobo and Hank James at the Sheraton Cadillac. Bo came out and, as usual, at 11 a.m. he was dragging anchor. Hank wasn't far behind, carrying a huge cup of coffee with him.

Bobo said, "Huntington, West Virginia sure is a long way to go to today ... How are you feeling, Al?" I assured him that I had a good night's sleep and started away from the curb. Bobo then remembered that he had left a 40 oz bottle of Canadian Club in his room and wouldn't have anything to sip on for the trip back home. I reminded him that it was a holiday and that the liquor shops were closed.

I hadn't driven a block, and Bobo said, "Turn right at the next corner and stop at the Ambassador Bridge store going into Windsor, Canada, and I will get me a bottle." As it turned out, Bobo bought four 40-ounce bottles, and we went over the bridge to Canada. I asked how are we going to get these past customs going back into the states. As usual, Bobo had a plan. "Just tell them that we are just coming through from Buffalo, that's all you need to say to them, and NOTHING ELSE."

As we crossed through the Windsor tunnel and approached customs and the states, I thought of Bobo's words. We reached a customs agent, and he asked what country we were born at, of everybody in the car. He then asked how long we had been in Canada. I didn't want to mess things up, so I leaned to the right and said, "Bobo, how long have we been coming from Buffalo?"

The customs agent, who had not leaned down to see anybody while asking the residence question, leaned down and saw Bobo sitting there and said "Oh ... Bobo ... Go right on ahead, boys, and have a safe trip wherever you are going."

Bobo just sat there and didn't say a word until we got on the expressway south towards Toledo, and then he let me have it. "Do you realize that I could have had my FOUR BOTTLES of C.C. taken from me?" not fully realizing what I did until it sunk in. Then, Bobo said, "Oh yeah, kid, they could have taken your car, too, and then I wouldn't have had a ride to West Virginia today ... And I might have been forced to make the trip back without a short drink."

We laughed about the incident and continued southbound. Bobo fell asleep and was snoring so loud that he woke up Bob and Hank. The trip went well, and we wrestled that night before a sold out crowd. Bobo faced Big Ernie Ladd, Hank faced Irish Mickey Doyle, and Bob & I faced the Hell's Angels in a tag team match. We got back to Detroit about 4 the next morning and back to Lansing at 6. I stayed over at Bob's home and slept after 22 hours of being up. We wrestled that night at Saginaw, Michigan and then on to St. Louis.

The guys today don't know just how good they have it.

Bobo never let me live that day down and often reminded me with a bad look on his face about almost losing his four bottles of C.C … and then laughing about me nearly losing my brand new car.

Percival A. Friend, Retired
The Epitome of Wrestling Managers