Fan
Chapter One: Dan Thomas - Dreams Can Come True
#PWHS #Interview #DreamsCanComeTrue #MACW #JCP #Crockett
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Question 1
Dan, it is my pleasure to interview you today. I know you have been a long time wrestling fan that was raised in the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling area in Greensboro, North Carolina. Recently, you told me about a very special day in your life that you will never forget. I think it would be a good story that everyone would like to hear, and re-live through your memories. How about it Dan?
Answer
Terry, it would be my pleasure to let everyone know that dreams CAN come true, no matter what your age. It was one of those unseasonably chilly wet rainy days; North Carolina weather for a day in May. The day was Wednesday, May 16, 1973 (thanks to Carroll Hall for narrowing it down). I was 14 and I had stayed home with a sore throat. The phone rang, Mom answered and came into my room smiling. "Your dad is coming by with a special guest, but won't say who it is." I put on a robe and came into the living room wondering who in the world Dad’s special guest was, and why was Mom smiling the way she was.
Dad worked only a mile away at Black Cadillac-Olds; in fact, it’s still there today at 601 Bessmer Ave! It only took a few actual minutes, but of course it seemed like hours; but boy was the wait well worth it! I was awestruck when to my shock I saw THE manager of Rip Hawk and Swede Hansen get out of the passenger’s side of the Cadillac! It was Homer O’Dell-walking up my sidewalk, and coming into MY living room. I felt myself getting nervous and my mouth growing dryer by the second; it was SURREAL; Homer O’ Dell was in Dan Thomas’s living room, right in front of me!
Question 2
Dan, my that would be a moment I’d never forget! So tell me, what did y’all talk about-did he dare break kayfabe in those days?
Answer
I remember Mom saying, “You’re even bigger and stronger than you appear on TV” as his frame filled up Dad’s fave chair. I’ll never forget how he was dressed immaculately like you see outside the ring on TV, but without his cane . That smirk of confidence was undeniably there too the entire time. I was thinking how big and strong he looked up close and personal, when Dad spoke up and said, “Well Margaret, Homer used to be a wrestler himself”.
Dad went on to say, “Mr O’Dell can’t stand Art Nelson” as he looked at me with a twinkle in his eye. Don Jardine, Super Destroyer, was Dad’s favorite but he did like Art Nelson a lot also. In fact, we were there in Greensboro the night Art turned face. With Dad’s statement, it was the lead-in to Dad and O’Dell retelling the past few months of storyline in the Carolinas.
A few months before, Mr O’Dell was managing Brute Bernard and the Missouri Mauler. They were trying to entice Art Nelson to join their army and rule the Mid-Atlantic region.
Totally in character, Mr O’Dell recalled how he had offered Art $500 1 week, then $1000, and even $1500 the following 2 weeks but he refused them. When he refused the $1500, he promptly got the beat-down by the Brute, the Mauler and Homer’s cane. Then recently, Playboy Gary Hart said his mother needed him to come home. So, in a special taped interview Playboy Gary Hart formally turned his tag team of Rip Hawk and Swede Hansen over to the one man he could trust, Mr Homer O’Dell.
I sat there awestruck listening to the bigger than life manager and my Dad go back and forth over the past few months of storylines. I did get over my nervousness to ask about the match the night before in Raleigh. It was a singles match between Rip Hawk and Thunderbolt Patterson with the special stipulation that Homer would be locked up in a cage so as not to interfere. I asked him what happened last night at the Dorton Arena. “We threw Thunderbolt in the cage”, was about all I could get out of Mr O’Dell. But he did keep saying in my direction, “Your Pop needs to cut me a good deal on a new Cad”.
It was all because of my Dad that I was getting to meet the famous Manager Homer O’Dell. Dad loved wrestling and sold Cadillac’s; a good combination to meet Professional Wrestlers. He had met Mike Padousis, Ton Ton Harris and others. Rip had visited earlier, then Homer O’Dell came by because of Rip, and then Mr O’Dell actually came back and bought a Caddy accompanied by Swede Hansen. I can never say enough of what this day meant to me and making a great memory of my Dad, who has now passed on.
Question 3
Dan, that is a touching story. Every teenage son needs a Dad like you had. One of my few good memories about my Dad revolved around the first time I attended the matches-and even ringside seats at that-by myself. My Dad came back to pick me up early and got to talk to Joe Murnick, the promoter, while waiting for the main event to end. I got to tell him about the matches, and he got to tell me about his talk to the promoter. It was one of the few times we ever had a real conversation. But Dan, how about my kayfabe question? Anything to add in closing?
Answer
Mr O’Dell was all business at my house. He spoke about the storylines like it was life and death. I would never had guessed anything different. The closest remark that broke kayfabe was when he was telling us about his travels. He mentioned in passing how he took vitamins, like popcorn! The only other thing else I can remember didn’t happen that day, but when Rip Hawk visited Dad’s business one day. Dad told me how a mechanic asked him, “Why are you so mean?” Rip replied with a smile, “That’s just wrestling, otherwise I’m a nice guy”. So overall, I think they guarded the business pretty close.
Mr O’Dell was there for about a half hour and I tried to memorize every word, every gesture so I could replay it in my memories over and over. Mr O’Dell said how he had to get back to Raleigh for the TV tapings-a 70 mile trip or so. I got up the nerve to ask him to autograph a Greensboro Program book I had close by (I’d give anything if I could find it today). I watched Dad drive off with a big smile on my face and in my heart. In closing,
I’d like to say to everyone, “YOUR WILDEST DREAMS CAN COME TRUE; IT MAY JUST BE TODAY”. Thank you Terry for allowing me to share this personal memory.
Terry Kent
Dan, it was truly my pleasure. I have always said there is more to Pro Wrestling History than title belts, stats, feuds. Today’s article about your personal memory helps to prove it. I knew growing up that good would triumph over evil sooner or later. Thanks Dan.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Interview with Dan Thomas.
Interviewer: Terry Kent.
Published: 2014.
Fan Interview: #1.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Updated: March 25, 2019.
Interview with Dan Thomas.
Interviewer: Terry Kent.
Published: 2014.
Fan Interview: #1.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Updated: March 25, 2019.
An interview with NJPW Gaijin Eric by Terry Kent - Read Here.
Other interviews on the #PWHS website can be Read Here.