CAC 2002 Part One

The morning of February 7, 2002 started off as every day would for me. I rose at 5 a.m. and proceeded to get ready for my regular day. This, however, would be a special day for me, as it meant almost six months of waiting and preparing for my trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.

After a day at work, I came home and got ready for my 7 p.m. departure on Delta Airlines. The sky was clear and the weather was cold as I approached the aircraft that would take me on the first leg of my journey to Cincinnati. I waited with baited breath as the moments ticked away to take me to the skies.

We were all seated and buckled in when the Captain came on the intercom and stated that the airport was now closed due to a military aircraft blowing a tire on arrival. My connections to Las Vegas were very tight, as they were not allowing too much time to travel from the ComAir terminal to the Delta Terminal in the Queen City Airport. As 7:30 approached, the Captain came back on and stated that we were ready now to take off, as the runway had been cleared of debris.

The small jet carrying nearly 50 passengers to Cincinnati was now airborne and headed south. It seemed like the plane was going a lot faster then it should when the Captain stated that the plane was now at 17,000 feet and cruising at nearly 440 miles per hour. We landed at 8:10 and were told that the connecting flights to our destinations were, in fact, waiting for us.

I ran nearly the whole length of the terminal to get to the transfer bus that took us to the Delta Terminal. Arriving at the terminal at 8:20, I ran again to the gate where they were loading the passengers for Las Vegas Flight 337. It was scheduled to leave at 8:35, and, as I sat down in seat 40 C, I glanced at my watch; it was, in fact, 8:32. That experience was like the old days of being on the road and just making it between flights or driving from town to town and just getting to an arena a few minutes before the scheduled time to be in the dressing room.

I fell into a state of relaxation and started to pencil in my speech to be given at the Banquet on Saturday night. My mind began to automatically think back to just six months before, when I first met Juan Hernandez during a trip to Newton, Iowa. He first struck me as being a man that I could confide in.

He later assured that fact, as we have had a wonderful friendship since that day. He showed me why he was a professional like myself. We had a lot of similar experiences and knew a lot of the same people in the business. We shared a lot of the same thoughts about business ethics and performance. He showed me we were from the same old school of wrestling.

Chief of Police Paul Farber had also been a friend for nearly a year before I met him at last year's event in Las Vegas. He, like Juan, showed me a lot of meaning to the word Friend as we went around the Ballroom in the Riviera Hotel meeting people and just being one of the boys. He had not been in the ring as of yet, he had not carried any of the bags for the main event fellows, and he had not been down the road on many lonely evenings away from his family and friends. But, he showed me the same charisma as any veteran would have meeting with each other.

My train of thought was shaken, as I had fallen asleep for about an hour. I was nudged by the in-flight attendants to ready myself for landing in Las Vegas. I gathered my things from the table in front of my seat and proceeded to ready myself for the time of my life. We landed at McCarran Airport at roughly 10 p.m., and I took a shuttle to the Riviera. It was only my luck as of late that the shuttle would make 20 stops with just 46 people on board. Mine was stop number 20 at nearly 11 p.m.

Entering the splendiferous edifice known as the Riviera, I stopped at the front desk and checked in. Hurrying to the room and quickly unpacking, I soon headed to the reception room just outside of the main ballroom of the conference center. Many fans came over to greet me and have pictures taken. As I began to make my rounds and renew friendships, I suddenly had my eyes covered by a pair of very smooth hands. The words "Guess Who?" were uttered, and, to my amazement, I turned, and there stood Sharon Valentine, widow of Johnny, shaking my hand and welcoming me to the big room.

We spoke for a few minutes when David Ring came forward and gave me a huge handshake. The year 2001 had been very taxing on him, as he had been through a very serious operation. He has undergone a serious reclamation of his thoughts and opted to retire from active work and devote his life to the second thing he loves, going to wrestling events and meeting the superstars that made this business the success that it is today.

Many top stars were coming into the room, and you can bet that I took my turn at speaking to them and shaking hands with them. Stu Hart, with his sons Ross and Bruce, Walter "Killer" Kowalski, Paul "Butcher" Vachon, Penny Banner, Cowboy Bob Kelly, Tim "Mr. Wrestling" Woods, Johnny "Mr. Wrestling 2", Ox Baker, B. Brian Blair and a host of others filled the room and made it very comfortable to travel within.

Other friends, like J. Michael Kenyon, wrestling historian, and his wife came forward, as did Mike Chapman, director of the Newton Wrestling. Super fan Mike Miller of Kansas City came forward and gave me the best present I have gotten yet … a beautiful book about Ghost Towns. Mark Nulty of Wrestling Classics came forward, as did Joyce Paustian, a beautiful lady that takes wonderful pictures. Minutes turned into hours as I was having the time of my life.

At roughly 2 a.m. (5 a.m. EST), I retired to my suite, very exhausted and with a big smile on my face. I assured myself, as I looked into the mirror, that this was going to be the best trip I was to ever encounter.

To be continued....

Percival A. Friend, Retired
The Epitome of Wrestling Managers