I have a lot of stories to tell. Not just stories wrestlers shared with me, but stories of my interactions with them.
When I started work on Eat Sleep Wrestle Tonight, I suddenly had an excuse to tell many of them.
The latest book from ESW is not simply a re-print of stories first published here and at Slam! Wrestling. Every show recap includes an introduction with my own memories of the people, places, and events that were not recorded at the time.
The book gave me a chance to talk about working with Dr. D David Schultz, meeting Scott Romer, and taking Princess Victoria to Girl Fight.
It also allowed me to remember friends now gone: Tracy Smothers and JJ Maguire.
There’s a brief mention of JJ in my interview with Barnabas the Bizarre and The Outbreak. JJ had a huge impact on Barnabas’s career, and both of us were part of the wrestling faction (if you will) who celebrated his life with the Maguire family. He was more than just the subject of a book, or even a client. He was a friend and a father figure to both of us.
Tracy Smothers made an impact on far too many wrestlers to count. Every locker room he entered, he made himself available to the young talent. He gave out his number. He got theirs. He’d text and check up on them, encourage them in tough times. “Family ain’t always blood, and blood ain’t always family.” That wasn’t just a platitude. It’s how he lived his life.
The photo above is the only one I have with Tracy and just one of a few with JJ. JJ and I were leaving Heroes and Legends in Fort Wayne, Indiana, when we came across Tracy and the Boogeyman. Tracy was in awe of the Boogeyman, quizzing him on his workout routines. The Boogeyman was clearly excited to be speaking with Tracy.
I’m glad I suggested we take that photo.
There are dozens of great stories in the book, but honoring Tracy and JJ was one of the great joys. Both men gave so much to the wrestling business, and to me. They are greatly missed.
