Thoughts by NWA New Jersey/New York on Abe Coleman

I remember watching Abe “Kangaroo” Coleman referee many bouts in the Metropolitan New York area. Back in those days (early 1960s), referees were assigned by the NY State Athletic Commission. Abe had been a pro wrestler and was short in stature. But what he lacked in physical presence, he more than compensated for in personality.

The refs wore simply gray work clothes with a black bow-tie. Abe was bald and often some of the old grunt-and-groaners made fun of his hairless head. I remember laughing quite hardily when he got back in their faces giving them a stern dressing down. Although in his late fifties at that point in his life, Abe held true to his nickname of “Kangaroo” and moved around the squared circle with great agility.

Back then, Vince McMahon Seniors Capitol Wrestling Corporation (he was still in the NWA in this pre-Bruno era) ran monthly shows at the old Madison Square Garden usually on a Monday night. The minimum age for admission was 14 – but nobody cared unless you were obviously prepubescent.

The shows had nine matches. The main event normally went on eighth. Match #9 was a tag that almost always ended with the sounding of the 11PM curfew bell. There were always three refs. Each did three matches in a row. Unfortunately, Abe rarely got the main event. He was usually the opening ref. When I was writing for Ring Magazine, I once asked Abe why. He joked that he had to get back to the synagogue early and “McMahon the Irisher” respected the Jews.

I last saw Abe in the early 1990s. At that time, he was living in the classic Queens, NY co-op apartment in a tall building at the intersection of Yellowstone and Queens Boulevards in the Forest Hills section of the borough. The powers-that-be at the NY commission had given Abe a slot as a “judge.” The same respect was afforded to my mentor (and Dean of the NY referees) Terry Terranova. It meant that you showed up at a wrestling show, collected a small fee and sat at ringside. When I asked Abe what the real duties of the position were, he poignantly remarked: “I am here to keep things kosher!”

101 years old. Hell, I’d settle for that! Rest in peace, Abe.
FRED RUBENSTEIN, Chief Operating Officer
NWA NJ/NY
NWA SHOCKWAVE
NWA PRO EAST

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