A EULOGY FOR DON JARDINE “THE SPOILER”
- 12/19/2006 (9:58:47 am)
- Bill Watts
……
A EULOGY FOR DON JARDINE BY "COWBOY" BILL WATTS
We lost another wrestling great.
Got word that Don Jardine, aka 'The Spoiler' died. I called Gary Hart to confirm it.
Don was a year younger than me, and died from complications of leukemia and Type II Diabetes -- that's adult onset diabetes. Diabetes is a horrible disease, as it attacks one's body so many ways. (The horrible thing is -- adult onset diabetes is generally lifestyle generated, and 'can be reversed' or at least managed with special nutritional supplementation and proper diet, which includes eating foods that are low glycemic. But with the leukemia, the combination must have been devastating -- and Gary said he had fought it for the last 4 years.)
I first met Don, a Canadian, in 1962, the year I broke into pro-wrestling -- in the Indianapolis area. He 'potatoed me right on the chin' so hard, 'it would have killed an ordinary man.' :>)
I couldn't shut my jaw right for weeks. (But of course, I never told him how hard his punch was -- but it did not even knock me off my feet. It was as hard as Stan the Lariat Hansen hit me in New Orleans -- an accident -- but those were the two hardest times I got hit -- and that's another story. Down deep, I always thought Don had potatoed me on purpose because I was 'just breaking in.' But it was never an issue between us.)
He was a person that 'the mask' transformed. Without it, he was 'deadpanned' and actually had a 'little smirk' that just 'did not capture the crowd' -- so he was 'just another guy on the card' -- but with it, and the way he could move -- and his athletic ability -- it worked great!
And the great catalyst that really completed it was when he teamed with Gary Hart as his manager -- and Dallas for Fritz is where they perfected it.
In fact, and Gary will also validate this -- that was that special situation that 'allowed Gary Hart to grow' to 'that next level' in this business. It was a very special relationship that benefited this business. Gary contributed in so many ways.
When next I had personal contact with Don, was in 1970 when I first bought into Leroy McGuirk Championship Wrestling -- and both Verne Gagne and Fritz Von Erick also became partners and were supposed to supply us with top talent.
I began my involvement in the promotion with Dutch Savage, who was an awesome heel -- and who gave his all for me -- but horrible weather in a 'territory' that was in a horrible slump -- and I was the 'new ingredient' that was supposed to transform it -- and it was my first of becoming 'a part owner' and a 'booker.' Trips were horrible and the weather was horrible and it was really tough! What a way to start my new career as an owner and booker! Finally, Dutch gave me his notice -- but with him -- we had just shot our first TV angle, and, we 'popped the territory' and sold out the last 5 weeks as he left.
And Fritz had given us The Spoiler and Gary Hart! And they 'exceeded even the expectations predicted!'
We got The Spoiler over with his claw hold and Gary Hart's managing and talking on TV -- plus Gary Hart wore really classy business suits -- even had 'alligator shoes' -- really dressed he image of the Chicago playboy. He furnished the 'pizzaz' to make 'their gimmick' awesome.
Don was a relentless worker. He was 'in shape,' big, and could move. Tremendous agility for a big guy.
And one thing a 'baby-face' appreciates, that 'if you are selling for a heel' that 'he stays on you.' Well, with Don Jardine, you did not have to worry -- he was all over you. In fact, if you 'weren't a strong baby-face' he would literally 'eat you up.'
I'll never forget my friend Jack Briscoe saying, "Bill, you told me he was a heel that would stay on you -- but you forgot to add -- if you don't fight for your comeback -- Don will just keep hammering you!"
You earned your comebacks with Don -- he was awesome -- he was so intense! Thus, a match with Don was a 'contest to the fans' and sometimes it was for his opponent too!
We took McGuirk's promotion to the 'next level' with Hart and Spoiler.
In fact, that is how we 'exploded Jackson, Miss.' George Culkin, who was the promoter in Mississippi kept after me saying Mississippi was truly a wrestling area if I would just 'give it some top talent' -- and we first sent Klondike Bill in for George in Greenville and Jackson, with an 'undercard angle' and watched as it reacted very favorably -- in fact, we may have used Klondike to get The Spoiler over. So, George had my attention.
Thus when we booked the Spoiler and Hart to wrestle me there -- and finally followed our hot TV angle -- I flew into Jackson to wrestle Spoiler there the first time. But fate intervened. The weather was so bad that the commercial flights were canceling in that area due to Tornado watches and intense thunderstorms.
I tried to get a flight through Shreveport, but Braniff was canceling. So, I got to Memphis, and no more flights into Jackson. I called George Culkin. He said, "Bill, you've got to get here -- its sold out! The fans are standing room only!" So, I chartered a single engine Beechcraft Bonanza and that pilot flew me into Jackson -- when we landed at the airport, the police met us, and took me to the arena -- they had wrestled all the matches booked -- and had 'remixed them another way' and 'wrestled them again' and it was almost midnight when I finally got there.
I had changed into my wrestling gear in the police car -- and told George to have Gary Hart make me a 'gaff' so I could 'get juice' and we'd do a 2 out of 3 fall bout disqualifying Spoiler on the last fall.
When I was helping Vince at WWF -- I remember a TV production where two of his top stars got there late, and could not get ready to do a 10 minute match in just 45 minutes of 'talking it over.' I could not believe it -- the business is now 'so choreographed' that they 'must talk over every move' or they are lost! That is not the way it was 'in our era'..........
In Jackson, we were in 'separate dressing rooms' and could not talk -- but George told Gary Hart what I wanted to do -- and for him to make me a 'gaff' I could use -- and we went into the ring and did a 2 out of 3 fall match with 'double blood' a torn hood and all the excitement we could muster -- and the crowd went wild -- and that 'exploded Jackson, Miss. for years to come' -- in fact, with that crowd, George Culkin decided to 'try renting the Fairgrounds Coliseum' -- which was a 'huge gamble back then' -- and the rest is history as Jackson became a true wrestling hot spot!
That is where I became a 'fan' of Gary Hart, and his mind -- of his being very 'flexible' to 'fit his ideas to the direction we were going.' Gary and I also worked very closely in Florida in 1974 when he managed Pak Son Nam -- and we created "Hart's Army" -- and in that we turned Dusty Rhodes babyface -- and created the American Dream. It was so hot, we even had billboards of Hart's Army all over Tampa........with them placing a bounty on Dusty or Jack Briscoe. (Gary was a huge help to me there as we took the Florida office to the biggest 'bottom line profit' it had ever made. Eddie Graham was one of the most awesome mentors I ever had. And Gary Hart was a huge part of that too -- as was Dusty Rhodes -- and of course Jack Briscoe was a huge star there -- but became the NWA world's champion then, so was not always available for us.)
Gary almost lost his life in the fatal plane crash of Buddy Colt's single engine Cessna in Florida -- the one that ended Buddy's career and killed Bobby Shane. Gary too was badly injured.
So, memories living in the minds of 'us old timers' -- of great moments -- of this business -- and what it used to be.
Spoiler -- you were awesome!
I did not even know he was ill. That is the sad thing about our business............we lose track of each other........and only at a time like this........remember them in an eulogy.
Thank goodness, Gary Hart had finally tracked him down and got to speak with him before he died! Today, I reminisced about how grateful I was that Dick Murdock came to Tulsa to see me before he died. Gary and I got to 'share our hearts'...........and we both 'promised to stay in touch'.........
I was so lucky and so blessed to have gotten to be on the pro-wrestling stage with some of the greatest!
I hope somewhere the ring bell tolls ten for the Spoiler!
Cowboy Bill Watts
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