PHOTOS AND REPORT….

44th Annual Cauliflower Alley Club Reunion packs 3 days in Vegas
by Dr Mike Lano

Cauliflower Alley Club is the benevolent, non-profit brotherhood association founded 44 years ago by wrestler/movie and tv star Mike Mazurki.  It's grown and now typically averages 550-800 of the boys in any given year; along with classic refs like Charlie Smith and his NWA/GCW son Scrappy McGowen, historians like George Schire and Diane Devine, fans internationally like Aoki and more.

TNA's Cheerleader Melissa/Raisha Saied brought her friends ODB and Awesome Kong from TNA all three days of Cauliflower Alley and they stole the show in a 4 women tag above and beyond the main event Fatal 4-Way with Paul Demarco trainee Oliver "Old School" John, Chris Hero and Jesse Hernandez two champs.  Robbie Ellis at 67 had the stuff kicked out of him by a 21 yr old Harley Race trainee, until getting a pin and some compliments from Bockwinkel and Billy Graham.  Many of the old school managers like Ken Ramey, Percival A. Friend, JJ Dillon, Rock Riddle, Akio Sato, etc came out with today's new kids in a nice touch.

Female legend, Beverly Shade accepting an award for her best friend, Dick the Bruiser 1969 trainee Princess Jasmin; said Jasmin didn't tell anyone last year when she came to CAC that she has fatal cancer. She was unable to attend this year, as she's in the hospital and doctors have given her days to live. Very sweet woman who kept in touch with Penny Banner(Banner and Weaver's beautiful daughter was back at CAC this year), Betty Nicolli, Ann Casey and others.

CAC is now a full non-stop 3 day annual Vegas affair with all three days having a 24 hour silent auction and dealer tables to purchase items.  Day one had the big wrestling show with indie talent from schools across the U.S.(Harley Race's MLW, APW out of NorCal, Jesse Hernandez' EWF, Killer Tim Brooks Texas school, Vegas locals, etc).  Day two had "bowling with the wrestlers," as well as our annual Baloney Blowout.  Last year I hosted the evening-long Tribute to Lucha Libre and this year Dick Beyer was scheduled to do the same for Japan(the latter was cancelled at the last minute when few Japanese showed up).  Day 3 has the annual Butcher Vachon Cribbage World Championship won this year by Dick "Destroyer" Beyer and our main event, the 44th Annual Awards Banquet.

Awards went to: Canada's famous Cormier family, KC great Art Crews(given by his mentor Ted Debiase), one to the female legend who actually broke the NY state Women's ban: Betty Nicolli and her husband, Akio Sato;  Bill Sky
One award to Luna Vachon plus her entire family
Posthumous awards to George Gordienko and Eddie Sullivan
Future Legend Award was given by Harley Race to his student Trevor Murdoch
Lou Thesz Award went to amateur great Bob Roop
Lifetime Achievement to Reggie "Crowbar" Parks
Iron Mike surprise award went to our CAC president Nick Bockwinkel

Luna, Maurice and Paul Vachon, announcing legend Dr Ken Ramey and his masked original Interns, Don Leo Jonathon, Sgt Slaughter, Jim Duggan, Superstar Billy Graham, a well-behaved Iron Sheik, Ken Patera, Bill Anderson, Terry Funk, and many others made the event a success helping behind the scenes.

Dr. Mike Lano  [email protected]