The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #106708   Message #2206790
Posted By: bankley
02-Dec-07 - 10:17 AM
Thread Name: BS: Wrestling in the 50/60/early 70ties
Subject: RE: BS: Wrestling in the 50/60/early 70ties
"Nature Boy" Buddy Rodgers and his 'figure 4' leglock
Don Leo Jonathan...
Hans Schmitt, who was a Quebecois by the name of Lemay
Billy Two Rivers.. the Mohawk, trained by Don Eagle's dad

Don Eagle aka Donald Bell was champ for awhile in the 50's, popularized the Mohawk haircut. Later on he suffered severe injuries in the ring, but remarkably made a comeback. He died in the 60's from a gunshot. It was 'officially' a suicide but there were those who suspected that it was a mob hit. One of his two sons is John Kim Bell, a 'tuxedo' musician/composer who founded the "Aboriginal Achievement Awards" in Canada. He's still the CEO of that organization, I think. HQ in Ottawa.. They have their ceremonies yearly, usually broadcast nationally on CBC.... Big Stuff

The reason that I know this is that..... I rented a house for a few years from Don Eagle's father, 'War Eagle' aka John Joseph Bell. He was an old wrestler, boxer, trainer and promoter whose ring prime was in the 1930's and 40's... so he got Don into the business.
Mr. Joe Bell love to tell stories about as much as I liked to hear them. He had a twinkle in his eyes, disarming smile, scars, big ol cauliflower ears and a cane with a sword in it. He had a few tales to go with that walking stick, as well... the real deal..... like the time some robbers pulled a knife on him outside an arena in Frisco after a match. They wanted the cash made that night. Joe feigned a swing a them with his cane. He said. "One of them did just what I wanted and grabbed the end of it. So I pulled the sword out, saying, 'my knife is bigger than yours', and ran him through one of his arm muscles. Down he went. The others gathered him up fast and took off out of there. Joe kept the money, and their blade and waited a bit longer for Don to show up...... a day in the life....