Wrestler
Chapter Five: Bobby Bass - The Last Living Bass Family Member
#PWHS #Interview #Wrestling #ProWrestling #GulfCoast #GCCW #BobbyBass #BassFamily #MaeWeston #SamBass #MawBass #RonBass #DonnieBass
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Terry Kent
It is my honor and privilege to interview Bobby “No Class” Bass today, the last living member of the Kayfabe family by the name of Bass. At the best count that I can do, there were at least ten different names that were used as part of the legendary Bass family. There were Ron, Donnie, Sam, Percy, Jim, Roy, Dutch, Bobby, Maw, and the mysterious Pa Bass. All of them have graduated to that great “ring in the sky” except my guest, Bobby Bass.
Bobby, thank you for taking the time to talk to this lifetime wrestling fan interviewer; it is the highest honor for me to talk to you!
Bobby Bass
Terry, it is truly my pleasure for me to talk with you this evening. Wrestling was good to me and I always try to give back when I can. What’s on your heart?
Question 1
Well, I have seen lively discussions about who Maw Bass was. Some say Mae Weston and some swear it was Mae Young; who was it?
Answer
It was definitely Mae Weston. I traveled with her, as miserable as it was, and I can swear to you it was the former wrestler Mae Weston.
Question 2
And it’s a great mystery who Paw Bass was, can you clear up who he was? I am told he only appeared for two months and it was as the manager for the tag-team Ron and Dutch Bass. Rumor has it that it was either Ron’s or Dutch’s father. Can you shine any light on this long debated question?
Answer
The only Basses I ever knew were Ronnie, Donnie and Maw. I never had heard there was even a Paw Bass until you just asked me. In fact, I never knew any of the others. Most people would think it’s logical that Sam Bass and I knew each other, but we never even met. I was a Canadian and not even a Southerner and sorta got kicked out of the Family.
Question 3
Some have said that Maw took her role as being the mother of the boys a little too far. What can you tell us?
Answer
Maw tried to treat us like we were her children. In the ring she would grab us by the ear and try ordering us around. This wasn’t an act, she tried to do this away from the arena. She kept trying to pull this stuff after the matches. I finally had to look her in the face and told her, “Listen, this is a gimmick, we aren’t related, and I’m not your son! STOP IT!” She would then say, “You’re my boy”. I answered, “I’m not your boy. I’m part of a team. I don’t even know you!” I didn’t associate or socialize with her much at all. We traveled in the same car, but I didn’t associate with her.
Question 4
Some say you got to know Maw when she wrestled in Canada, is that true?
Answer
No, this is how it happened: I was wrestling for Bob Geigle in Kansas City area as Percy Pringle. Yes, I was actually the first Percy Pringle before Bill Moody was. I had spent about a year there. Ronnie Bass broke his leg. Pat O’Connor came to me and asked me if I would like to go to Florida for a couple years as a Bass brother. I misunderstood “Bass” and thought he said I would be ‘under the mask’. I said to myself, Kansas City-Florida, hell yeah. He gave me a good financial offer and I headed to Florida.
I got there and there was Maw and Donnie. I knew them from working the gimmick (Basses) in Kentucky. I was what they needed as I was a walker, talker, bulls—tter, instead of Donnie’s "Hiya Maw, how you doin?" I was a great bump taker and could get the crowd stirred up pretty good. They said, "Percy, how ya doing?" I answered "Good, good, I’m working under the mask". They looked as if I had snapped. "No, no- you are going to become a Bass brother". This is where I think me and Maw started off on the wrong foot. They suggested the name Tom or Woodrow. I said no-you have Ronnie and Donnie and now you have Bobby Joe Bass. Maw didn’t like that. And I have been Bobby Bass ever since.
As a team, I really enjoyed working that gimmick. The little ole lady with the cowboy hat and purse. The boys get in trouble and she would nail the opponents with her purse. I’ve heard a couple times, I don’t know if it’s true, that Michael Hayes said he became a wrestler because he liked what I did in the ring. I didn’t do the strut, but I did have lots of fun. We worked with Bob Armstrong in Florida, and Panama City, and in Alabama. We did very well for ourselves.
[Note: There was a Percival Pringle in the late 40’s also]
Question 5
Do you remember who your major feuds were with?
Answer
Yeah, Rocket and Flash Monroe, Eddie Sullivan, Ken Lucas. Bob Kelley was a good promoter. They brought me in to replace Ronnie and I knew the deal was when Ronnie returned, I would move on. We got the titles and all. I told Maw and Donnie I was going home for Christmas as we were scheduled for Oklahoma afterwards as Pat O’Connor got us booked in there. Maw was going to be the first female manager in Oklahoma. A short while later, I got a call from Maw Bass. She said, "We are going to take Ronnie back". I said, "What? I canceled where a lot of people had asked me to work for them cause I was going to Oklahoma". She said, "Too bad". Other than that, she never said, "Kiss my a__, good-bye" or anything. She never contacted me again and I didn’t care. I worked hard in the group. One story was Meridian, Mississippi. It was an outdoor show with Donnie, me, and Maw against Rocket and Flash Monroe, and Judy Grable. I slammed Judy and gave her an elbow drop. That excited the crowd and they started hitting the ring. The police got us out and Donnie and me realized there was no Maw. I looked, and there she was-laid out cold! Someone had hit her in the head with a brick. I just kept on walking, I just thought it was funny. She was ok; Donnie ran to her, “Maw, Maw”.
Question 6
What was it like to travel with the Bass's?
Answer
Donnie would be in front seat sleeping and Maw would be in the back smoking those slim cigarettes. She would say, “I need to go to the washroom”. I’d say, “Sure, soon as I find a gas station; three hours later I still hadn’t found one! I drove her crazy. She was a good girl, but she’s not my mother. I don’t think she missed me when the team broke up. I got my room and her and Donnie got one . I got some write-ups and some good reviews and some people catching my name.
I went back to KC and Pat O’Connor said they need a couple good hands up in Vancouver, BC so Joe Palardy and I went. Al Tomko was the booker. Good guy. He said, “I give you three weeks to get over, or you’re gone”. I was there three-and-a-half to four years. Worked the main events including a program with Jake "the Snake" Roberts, Iron Shiek; won ten tag belts. Chris Colt was there. Had a program where Chris was to hit me with brass knucks and I was to juice. Things went astray and Chris hit me and knocked out my teeth. He jumped on me while whispering, “you ok man, you ok?” He took me to hospital and I was there for three days and got operated on as the teeth went through the gums. I was a heel at the time, but got so many cards wishing me well. Tomko said “y’all got to battle”. We sold out and made a hell a lot of money ourselves.
[Note: There are rumors Donnie and Maw Bass were actually a couple. The fact they shared a room together may seem to confirm that, but maybe they were just saving on money, afterall Bobby and Maw didn't get along]
Question 7
Was Chris clearheaded? I read he was always on drugs and high in the ring.
Answer
I would never go in the ring with anyone super high. We give each other our bodies and never going to hurt each other; I will make the violence look good, but not going allow someone to derail my livelihood. I had no problem with Chris and would not tell you that unless it was true. I was the heel until he knocked my teeth out then Chris had so much heat on him. They built it up good while I was out for several weeks. 1500 people showed up with a turn away crowd the first night back. People were going crazy when I made my entrance. I said “Ssshh”" and it got so quiet. I got out of the ring and picked up a 2 x 4. Janis Joplin theme music played and Chris begins to prance around in the ring. I come up behind him and say, “Hey Chris”; he turns around and I nail him with the 2 x 4. That night they had to get the police to get him out of the ring!
[Check out our Chris Colt collection of merchandise here]
Question 8
Can you tell me about some of the other territories you worked?
Answer
I went home to Canada for Maple Leaf Garden wrestling. Then on to Jim Crockett in the Mid-Atlantic as a jobber. I was part of a 1-2-3 club with a couple of other regular enhancement wrestlers as we lost regularly. It was fun. There was Sam Houston, Ric Flair, Ole Anderson, Ricky Steamboat, Baby Doll. Crockett worked Maple Leaf Gardens also. They pulled me up for Crockett to be a manager. I got to manage Koloff and Kernodle there, and Kabuki. We said it took a good Canadian manager to make a World Champion.
The booker was George Scott. He was a fair man, kept us busy. I’m gonna tell you a story: we used to put over the Crockett guys, and the WWF wrestlers in Toronto. I’d go to Facebook and every time I would read about the stars and how good they were. I got on there and said "Let me tell you guys, I’m sick and tired of hearing about all these stars. It takes guys like us to put them over. And nine times out of ten we have to HOLD BACK and not work these guys. That just pisses me off; you never mention the guys that put them over". I’m pro-Canadian. There are a lot of Canadian guys that worked hard up here and never received the recognition they should have got. One of the best enhancement wrestlers was Barry Horowitz. The guy was great. The stars would be nothing without the enhancement guys. I remember working a TV match with Junkyard Dog. He wouldn’t sell my shots. Right there in the ring I said, "You invisible, can’t hit you or something?" Makes me mad when I give them everything and they give me nothing.
[Note: Bobby was getting quite worked up]
Question 9
Don’t bust a blood vessel there Bobby. We at #PWHS totally agree with you concerning the importance of the enhancement workers. Changing the subject a little, have you ever been in any riots? Ever felt scared of an enraged crowd?
Answer
I was never scared; if you know how to work a crowd, you know? If the crowd would start coming toward us, we would start working our way toward the exit, or tunnel. I never ran from a crowd, I walked through them like I owned them. To be a pro, you can’t run. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a couple of shots to the head, but I never ran. Police said to me once, “You’re a nut. You start a riot, like with Chris or Ronnie Starr, and never ran. We were young and full of piss and vinegar-we loved it! If I could, I’d go back in a heartbeat today.
Question 10
Ever stuck with pins and needles by little ole ladies?
Answer
I beat Ivan Volkoff. I go from the ring, and someone says, “Nice”. I turn my head and I felt a sharp pain in my side. The lady was 82 years old. I punched her right smack in the nose. Bam! She flew backwards, her legs flew up, and her bloomers were showing. I looked after going down the tunnel and found she had hit me with a six or seven inch hatpin through my side. She sued me for $50,000 in 1977; that’s a lot of money in them days. I went to court in a three piece suit with the beard all trimmed up and hair done; looked like a walking, talking gentleman. I looked at her and I couldn’t stop laughing. She looked like a raccoon-big bandage across her nose and two big black eyes. My lawyer kept saying, “Shut up Bass, for Christ’s sake”. I explained that the worst thing we hate to hear in the ring is “a knife”. Someone said knife and I felt a sharp pain and showed the pin in my side to the judge. The judge asked her if she had anything to say. She said, “Judge I hate him, he’s a bad wrestler”. The judge said, “Case dismissed”. The following Monday she threw a whole can of Pepsi at me.
Question 6
What was it like to travel with the Bass's?
Answer
Donnie would be in front seat sleeping and Maw would be in the back smoking those slim cigarettes. She would say, “I need to go to the washroom”. I’d say, “Sure, soon as I find a gas station; three hours later I still hadn’t found one! I drove her crazy. She was a good girl, but she’s not my mother. I don’t think she missed me when the team broke up. I got my room and her and Donnie got one . I got some write-ups and some good reviews and some people catching my name.
I went back to KC and Pat O’Connor said they need a couple good hands up in Vancouver, BC so Joe Palardy and I went. Al Tomko was the booker. Good guy. He said, “I give you three weeks to get over, or you’re gone”. I was there three-and-a-half to four years. Worked the main events including a program with Jake "the Snake" Roberts, Iron Shiek; won ten tag belts. Chris Colt was there. Had a program where Chris was to hit me with brass knucks and I was to juice. Things went astray and Chris hit me and knocked out my teeth. He jumped on me while whispering, “you ok man, you ok?” He took me to hospital and I was there for three days and got operated on as the teeth went through the gums. I was a heel at the time, but got so many cards wishing me well. Tomko said “y’all got to battle”. We sold out and made a hell a lot of money ourselves.
[Note: There are rumors Donnie and Maw Bass were actually a couple. The fact they shared a room together may seem to confirm that, but maybe they were just saving on money, afterall Bobby and Maw didn't get along]
Question 7
Was Chris clearheaded? I read he was always on drugs and high in the ring.
Answer
I would never go in the ring with anyone super high. We give each other our bodies and never going to hurt each other; I will make the violence look good, but not going allow someone to derail my livelihood. I had no problem with Chris and would not tell you that unless it was true. I was the heel until he knocked my teeth out then Chris had so much heat on him. They built it up good while I was out for several weeks. 1500 people showed up with a turn away crowd the first night back. People were going crazy when I made my entrance. I said “Ssshh”" and it got so quiet. I got out of the ring and picked up a 2 x 4. Janis Joplin theme music played and Chris begins to prance around in the ring. I come up behind him and say, “Hey Chris”; he turns around and I nail him with the 2 x 4. That night they had to get the police to get him out of the ring!
[Check out our Chris Colt collection of merchandise here]
Question 8
Can you tell me about some of the other territories you worked?
Answer
I went home to Canada for Maple Leaf Garden wrestling. Then on to Jim Crockett in the Mid-Atlantic as a jobber. I was part of a 1-2-3 club with a couple of other regular enhancement wrestlers as we lost regularly. It was fun. There was Sam Houston, Ric Flair, Ole Anderson, Ricky Steamboat, Baby Doll. Crockett worked Maple Leaf Gardens also. They pulled me up for Crockett to be a manager. I got to manage Koloff and Kernodle there, and Kabuki. We said it took a good Canadian manager to make a World Champion.
The booker was George Scott. He was a fair man, kept us busy. I’m gonna tell you a story: we used to put over the Crockett guys, and the WWF wrestlers in Toronto. I’d go to Facebook and every time I would read about the stars and how good they were. I got on there and said "Let me tell you guys, I’m sick and tired of hearing about all these stars. It takes guys like us to put them over. And nine times out of ten we have to HOLD BACK and not work these guys. That just pisses me off; you never mention the guys that put them over". I’m pro-Canadian. There are a lot of Canadian guys that worked hard up here and never received the recognition they should have got. One of the best enhancement wrestlers was Barry Horowitz. The guy was great. The stars would be nothing without the enhancement guys. I remember working a TV match with Junkyard Dog. He wouldn’t sell my shots. Right there in the ring I said, "You invisible, can’t hit you or something?" Makes me mad when I give them everything and they give me nothing.
[Note: Bobby was getting quite worked up]
Question 9
Don’t bust a blood vessel there Bobby. We at #PWHS totally agree with you concerning the importance of the enhancement workers. Changing the subject a little, have you ever been in any riots? Ever felt scared of an enraged crowd?
Answer
I was never scared; if you know how to work a crowd, you know? If the crowd would start coming toward us, we would start working our way toward the exit, or tunnel. I never ran from a crowd, I walked through them like I owned them. To be a pro, you can’t run. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a couple of shots to the head, but I never ran. Police said to me once, “You’re a nut. You start a riot, like with Chris or Ronnie Starr, and never ran. We were young and full of piss and vinegar-we loved it! If I could, I’d go back in a heartbeat today.
Question 10
Ever stuck with pins and needles by little ole ladies?
Answer
I beat Ivan Volkoff. I go from the ring, and someone says, “Nice”. I turn my head and I felt a sharp pain in my side. The lady was 82 years old. I punched her right smack in the nose. Bam! She flew backwards, her legs flew up, and her bloomers were showing. I looked after going down the tunnel and found she had hit me with a six or seven inch hatpin through my side. She sued me for $50,000 in 1977; that’s a lot of money in them days. I went to court in a three piece suit with the beard all trimmed up and hair done; looked like a walking, talking gentleman. I looked at her and I couldn’t stop laughing. She looked like a raccoon-big bandage across her nose and two big black eyes. My lawyer kept saying, “Shut up Bass, for Christ’s sake”. I explained that the worst thing we hate to hear in the ring is “a knife”. Someone said knife and I felt a sharp pain and showed the pin in my side to the judge. The judge asked her if she had anything to say. She said, “Judge I hate him, he’s a bad wrestler”. The judge said, “Case dismissed”. The following Monday she threw a whole can of Pepsi at me.
Question 11
You mentioned Jake Roberts...
Answer
They brought a young Jake Roberts in. I really believe Ron Morrier, TV host for NWA All-Star Wrestling out of Vancouver, British Columbia, gave him the name, “Jake the Snake”. I got to work with him through the Maritimes and throughout BC in all the small towns every night. Jake was the babyface. We worked well together.
Question 12
Ever see, or participate in a Locker Room Brawl?
Answer
I only remember one, that could have easily become one. It was a match between the Iron Shiek and Don Leo Jonathan. It was a pole match with $10,000 in a boot. I was supposed to do a run-in at a special time during the match. I ran in, but some kid, out of the audience, jumped up and got the boot. I got the boot from him and ran down into the tunnel. The Iron Shiek comes down boiling mad because the match didn’t come off as planned. He smacks me in the mouth. I explained to him what had happened and cooler heads prevailed.
Question 13
Ever get fired by any promoters?
Answer
No, never.
Question 14
How many years did you wrestle?
Answer
Twenty-six years. From 1967 to 1993.
Question 15
Ever work for Stampede Wrestling?
Answer
I worked with Stu Hart with Len Denton. Denton and I teamed up, but they never gave us the belts. I was champion with Ripper Collins (April 9, 1976) and with Duke Myers (November 22, 1980). You know what’s funny, Terry? I mention all these guys and they’re dead…I’m still around. I told my wife that once and she said you probably drank more and you’re pickled. I worked with Bret, Dynamite Kid, and Chris Benoit.
Question 16
Ever visit the Dungeon?
Answer
Stu wanted me to. He grabbed me by the arm and said, [in a Stu Hart imitation voice] “Bobby you look like a specimen of a hell of a man, come to the dungeon”. I said, “Are you kidding?” Bret and Keith were wrestling and Owen was just a kid then. Owen was running in the dressing room and stealing the programs, going out front and selling them. They had the original Cuban Assassin who was Angel Acevedo.
Question 17
Did you use a blade to get juice, or do it the hard way like Donnie Fargo?
Answer
Used a blade. I used to hide it under my tongue.
Question 18
How can you do that?
Answer
I tried it on the finger and could never get the tape off. I popped it into my hand from my mouth and after I used it on myself, then I would drop it down into my opponent’s tights; give him a little zip on the way down. [Bobby Laughs] I never cut my tongue. Leo Burke used to say when I juiced, “You bastard”. After I used the blade I would open his trunks and slice him a couple times. Great guy. Nothing but respect for him and Bobby Kay. Rudy Kay and I didn’t get along too well; he didn’t think I was worth working with.
Question 19
How about “No Class” Bobby Bass?
Answer
I never got more heat than as “No class Bobby Bass” coming out of the dressing room with Al Tomko's promotion. I would walk back into the locker room after hearing the chant and finish my cigarette, and then come back to, “No class Bobby Bass”. Leo Burke asked me how I did it. He said he never saw anyone draw more heat in the Maritimes doing nothing than No Class. I still tell people today I don’t know what I did to get it. Whatever it was, it worked for me. I never swore at the people, never said F this, F that, I never gave them the finger, I never spat, or grabbed myself. I stuck by those rules. Psychology maybe?
The kids today, all they do is bump, bump, bump, bump. They are forgetting one important word: S_E_L_L. They don’t work for the audience; they work for themselves. They take 900 bumps and never get hurt. Isn’t that something? I’m not a big fan of today’s wrestling. I will tell you right up front. This is a rough business. Come in the ring and do what we did seven nights a week and go to the gym at 4AM. Some guys are very bitter because they didn’t get over. Maybe you didn’t have the ability to get over. Maybe the promoter didn’t have enough faith in you. Maybe you don’t know how to work. They blame everyone but themselves.
When I was doing jobs, I didn’t complain and bitch. I went in there and gave 300% to make that guy like he beat somebody. I looked good; I had the proper gear and I worked hard. I am very proud of my career, what I did in this business. I got my 15 minutes of glory. I know where I stand in this business, especially in Canada. I’m not ashamed of nothing.
Question 20
How did you get started?
Answer
I had no intention of being a pro wrestler. My father was reading a newspaper. He said, “Dennis, I think there is something here; you are big and ugly enough to do it”. “What’s that Pop?” “Be a wrestler. Go down to Sully gym and look into it. If you like it, I’ll pay for it”. I think he paid $800 back in ’66. Whipper Watson Jr. (Phil) was running the gym. He told me to take my shirt off and he just nailed me with a chop-WHAM! I staggered back a little. He gave me another one and asked me if it hurt. I said yea, and he told me that he thought I had what it takes. I said, “Ok”. I trained for about six months under Phil every night of the week. He said, “You are ready to go”. I said, “No, no I’m not ready.” I wanted to be a good bump taker, a good enhancement wrestler because there is always work for us guys. After a year Phil and I took a tour to Northern Ontario. He had sold out shows. He gave me an envelope like three inches thick-I was thinking I got the money today. It was less than $200 bucks. “What’s this?” I asked Phil. “Your pay”. I had been working sell-out arenas and main events with Phil too. “You owe me a lot more than this. Shove this up your a__ Phil!” “I can tell you right now, you’re not going anyplace in this business bitchin’ about the payoffs.” “No, I just want what’s fair Phil”. I made him give me $500 and he said to me, “You’ll never ever get anywhere in this business”.
Years and years later, I was at the Canadian Hall of Fame dinner and Phil had no money; couldn’t buy his meals; couldn’t buy anything. I paid for everything. I got put into the Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame. He came over and apologized. I never thought you would be who you are today. I said, “Who am I Phil? I’m just one of the boys having fun”. He was my teacher and I was not going to have him embarrassed by having no money in front of all the other wrestlers.
After training, I went to Paducah, Kentucky with Bill Golden. Then got my call to Kansas City, went there, and here I am. I’ve wrestled in Japan, Germany, New Zealand, and Australia.
Question 21
Who had the worst attitudes among the wrestlers?
Answer
I never paid attention to attitudes. I’d tell them you don’t have to be here; you got the wrong person here-if you have a problem, talk to the promoter. Don’t shoot your mouth off to me. There’s a lot of guys that are nasty in this business, back-stabbing son of b’s, and you know that. I don’t understand guys taking the tires off someone’s cars and putting the car up on bricks. Some put itching powder in the guy’s tights. Jay York used to put honey on the back of the jeans of a wrestler wrestling a bear. I don’t find anything funny about that. I never had many ribs pulled on me. I didn’t pull ribs, and didn’t like them being pulled on me.
Question 17
Did you use a blade to get juice, or do it the hard way like Donnie Fargo?
Answer
Used a blade. I used to hide it under my tongue.
Question 18
How can you do that?
Answer
I tried it on the finger and could never get the tape off. I popped it into my hand from my mouth and after I used it on myself, then I would drop it down into my opponent’s tights; give him a little zip on the way down. [Bobby Laughs] I never cut my tongue. Leo Burke used to say when I juiced, “You bastard”. After I used the blade I would open his trunks and slice him a couple times. Great guy. Nothing but respect for him and Bobby Kay. Rudy Kay and I didn’t get along too well; he didn’t think I was worth working with.
Question 19
How about “No Class” Bobby Bass?
Answer
I never got more heat than as “No class Bobby Bass” coming out of the dressing room with Al Tomko's promotion. I would walk back into the locker room after hearing the chant and finish my cigarette, and then come back to, “No class Bobby Bass”. Leo Burke asked me how I did it. He said he never saw anyone draw more heat in the Maritimes doing nothing than No Class. I still tell people today I don’t know what I did to get it. Whatever it was, it worked for me. I never swore at the people, never said F this, F that, I never gave them the finger, I never spat, or grabbed myself. I stuck by those rules. Psychology maybe?
The kids today, all they do is bump, bump, bump, bump. They are forgetting one important word: S_E_L_L. They don’t work for the audience; they work for themselves. They take 900 bumps and never get hurt. Isn’t that something? I’m not a big fan of today’s wrestling. I will tell you right up front. This is a rough business. Come in the ring and do what we did seven nights a week and go to the gym at 4AM. Some guys are very bitter because they didn’t get over. Maybe you didn’t have the ability to get over. Maybe the promoter didn’t have enough faith in you. Maybe you don’t know how to work. They blame everyone but themselves.
When I was doing jobs, I didn’t complain and bitch. I went in there and gave 300% to make that guy like he beat somebody. I looked good; I had the proper gear and I worked hard. I am very proud of my career, what I did in this business. I got my 15 minutes of glory. I know where I stand in this business, especially in Canada. I’m not ashamed of nothing.
Question 20
How did you get started?
Answer
I had no intention of being a pro wrestler. My father was reading a newspaper. He said, “Dennis, I think there is something here; you are big and ugly enough to do it”. “What’s that Pop?” “Be a wrestler. Go down to Sully gym and look into it. If you like it, I’ll pay for it”. I think he paid $800 back in ’66. Whipper Watson Jr. (Phil) was running the gym. He told me to take my shirt off and he just nailed me with a chop-WHAM! I staggered back a little. He gave me another one and asked me if it hurt. I said yea, and he told me that he thought I had what it takes. I said, “Ok”. I trained for about six months under Phil every night of the week. He said, “You are ready to go”. I said, “No, no I’m not ready.” I wanted to be a good bump taker, a good enhancement wrestler because there is always work for us guys. After a year Phil and I took a tour to Northern Ontario. He had sold out shows. He gave me an envelope like three inches thick-I was thinking I got the money today. It was less than $200 bucks. “What’s this?” I asked Phil. “Your pay”. I had been working sell-out arenas and main events with Phil too. “You owe me a lot more than this. Shove this up your a__ Phil!” “I can tell you right now, you’re not going anyplace in this business bitchin’ about the payoffs.” “No, I just want what’s fair Phil”. I made him give me $500 and he said to me, “You’ll never ever get anywhere in this business”.
Years and years later, I was at the Canadian Hall of Fame dinner and Phil had no money; couldn’t buy his meals; couldn’t buy anything. I paid for everything. I got put into the Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame. He came over and apologized. I never thought you would be who you are today. I said, “Who am I Phil? I’m just one of the boys having fun”. He was my teacher and I was not going to have him embarrassed by having no money in front of all the other wrestlers.
After training, I went to Paducah, Kentucky with Bill Golden. Then got my call to Kansas City, went there, and here I am. I’ve wrestled in Japan, Germany, New Zealand, and Australia.
Question 21
Who had the worst attitudes among the wrestlers?
Answer
I never paid attention to attitudes. I’d tell them you don’t have to be here; you got the wrong person here-if you have a problem, talk to the promoter. Don’t shoot your mouth off to me. There’s a lot of guys that are nasty in this business, back-stabbing son of b’s, and you know that. I don’t understand guys taking the tires off someone’s cars and putting the car up on bricks. Some put itching powder in the guy’s tights. Jay York used to put honey on the back of the jeans of a wrestler wrestling a bear. I don’t find anything funny about that. I never had many ribs pulled on me. I didn’t pull ribs, and didn’t like them being pulled on me.
Question 22
Your favorite wrestlers?
Answer
Roy McClarity out of Winnepeg, Canada. He worked with every star in the 50’s and 60’s. I learned so much from him. He taught me how to conduct myself in the ring and outside. Taught me to never embarrass the business. If we wanted to drink, we did it at the motel. Kayfabe. We had it great up here. You know who ruined that [Vince]. He made wrestling a joke. You don’t think anyone believes in wrestling today, do ya? In our day they did. We had people believin’.
I NEVER drank behind the wheel. Common sense, because we were on the highway all the time. If the guys wanted to drink in the car, fine-but you are not getting behind the wheel. If I’m driving, I’m not drinking. Bobby Bass was not a falling down drunk who never drank behind the wheel and never took a drug in his life. No smoking in the car I told the guys. Goldie Rodgers lit up a joint and he said I do what I want to do. It was raining outside. I pulled under a bridge and said, “Get Out”. I threw him out. A half-hour later Killer Karl Krupp picked him up.
Question 23
How was the money in the business?
Answer
Made good money in Japan. Mid-Atlantic with Steamboat, Flair, Hercules Hernandez, Ole and those guys based on the crowds. Some nights I got $1.500, and that’s not bad for 3-5 minutes of work. I made $7,000 a week guaranteed in Japan. They tried to put me in the cage. I refused because I had not signed for that. They said “you go Cage, or you go home”. I said fine, you pay me my eight week contract and I will. I got a new contract making $2,000 more and they put me in the cage for twenty-two nights in a row. Every night I was a ball of fire; I wouldn’t let them make me look bad. I used butterfly stitches, and invisible skin where I just tap it and it would bleed. I worked with every top shooter in Japan in that company and everyone respected me. One night we were working a carnival and the two of us were on top of the cage. He gave me the big shot and as I was falling I grabbed a top of a tent to break the fall. When I landed, the tent went into the bar-b-que and caught on fire. The tent went up in flames. The paper said, “Bobby Bass tried to burn the carnival down”.
Question 24
Were your matches pre-planned and choreographed, or called in the ring?
Answer
We called it in the ring; the heel almost called everything. We called it to make both wrestlers look good. And for the crowd. There are very few kids I respect today in the business. They don’t know how to work a crowd, how to get heat. I have some ask me, “What am I doing wrong in a match?” I mention a few things and they say, “What do you know, old man?” I’ve been tag team champion seventeen times, had nothing but sell-outs my whole career, but I know nothing. You’ve been in the business three months and you know everything. I can take you in the ring now, and I’m 73, take you down and make you look like an idiot. I lie about that. [Bobby laughs] You got to dress like a pro wrestler, look like a wrestler. I just tell it like it is.
I’m in four Hall of Fames-they must be scraping the bottom of the barrel. I even had to pay for my ring; well, my wife bought it for me. I have no wrestling pictures or plaques on the wall in my home. A lot of family pictures and my wife’s. I don’t need it to remind me of who I was and what I was. You know the word legend? They call me the legendary Bobby Bass. You know what I say? In my eyes, I’m no legend. You can print this: I’m just a guy that loved what he did in the ring and had fun and was one of the boys. I just wish you could have my heart and what it feels like working in that ring and having fun. I just loved what I did. I’m no one special.
Question 25
Ever work for Gulas?
Answer
I worked for Nick Gulas for about three weeks. He wanted me to put over his son George. George was blind. Nick would say, “I’m going to make you rich boy, I’m gonna put silk in your paycheck”-and he did. He would stick a small patch of silk in with your paycheck.
I have so much respect for Bobby Eaton, he was tag team champions with George.
Bobby Eaton. That’s one thing I always wished I could have been, tag team champion with Bobby Eaton. I think we would have made a hell of a team. I always look at his picture and say we would have been a great tag team, along with Cornette managing us.
Questions 26
Ever refuse to wrestle somewhere?
Answer
I refused to wrestle in Mexico and Puerto Rico.
Question 27
What’s life like today?
Answer
I drive movie stars around now for five months and relax the rest of the year.
Terry Kent
Bobby, it has been my sincere pleasure to spend the last couple of hours with you. I love your positive attitude, your sense of humor, and infectious laugh. Thanks for sharing with our readers, especially our younger fans, just a slice of the kayfabe era of professional wrestling. I think you gave a genuine taste of how it was, and gave pertinent advice to any young fans considering pro wrestling as a career. Thank you.
Bobby Bass
Terry, this has been great and the time sure has flown by. I’m just a guy that loved what he did in the ring and had fun and was one of the boys.
Terry Kent
I can’t just close this interview without leaving a personal observation. There is so much to like about Bobby Bass. He comes across to me as not, “No Class”, but as someone I would find “Classy”. I got the distinct impression that Bobby would be the perfect worker for any promoter, in any territory.
Bobby learned to take bumps to keep the fans entertained, and convinced that wrestling was real. He was satisfied and gave 100% whether he was called on to be enhancement or be the star that would put butts in the seats. He accepted the role of being a three-piece suit manager. As a promoter, I knew Bobby and his passengers would show up at the next city in one piece, as Bobby refused to allow anyone get behind the wheel drinking. In short, Bobby was dependable. Dependable to do whatever the promoter needed to be for the promotion, the team, to be successful. I leave this interview with the highest of respect toward “Dependable Classy” Bobby Joe Bass. It is my hope you will also.
This interview would not have been possible without the help of Michael Norris of the Gulf Coast History Facebook Page. He also provides us with recaps of the Gulf Coast years right here on the #PWHS website.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Interview with Bobby Bass.
Interviewer: Terry Kent.
Published: July 27, 2020.
Wrestler Interview: #5.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Interview with Bobby Bass.
Interviewer: Terry Kent.
Published: July 27, 2020.
Wrestler Interview: #5.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.