I was really honored when Jerry Wilson asked me if I would come back and announce for the 10th anniversary show. It made me started to think back.

As a kid growing up, you might say I was raised on Dick The Bruiser. His title was, The World Most Dangerous Wrestler. To be honest, I don't think there will ever be anyone to come close to this grass-roots, ass-kicking man.

When I was around 12 yrs old, I saw him at a show in Kokomo , and he scared the hell out of me when I went up and asked for his autograph. I thought he was going to kill me! He was on his way to the locker room after winning his match. I stuck out a pen and a 20 x 30 Black & White framed poster that I had bought from his table. He looked at me and yelled "I ALREADY SIGNED THAT!" then proceeded to the back.

I stood there for a moment with a dumb look on my face, wondering what I had done wrong to ******** my biggest Idol in the whole world. One of the guys running the event said to me, " I'll get him to sign it" and took it into the locker room. After a few minutes he brought it back and said "Here you go, I had him sign it for you." When I looked at it you could clearly see that the written signature on it, didn't match the one printed on the picture. Someone else signed it, probably the same guy that gave it back to me. That was the last time I ever watched him. It was also when I gave up my dream of wanting to be a professional wrestler just like him.

My next experience with wrestling was watching Georgia Championship Wrestling on TBS. Then the WWF hit the scene with a bigger brighter flashier show. I was an adult by then, but I couldn’t help from wanting to be a part of that. I knew I didn’t have the size to compete in the ring. But it was always a small dream in the back of my mind.

In the early 90’s my job brought me to Columbus , Indiana . I was managing a 1-hour photo lab in the Fair Oaks Mall. One day I was printing some photos for a customer and I was seeing a lot images of guys like Hulk Hogan, Rick Flair, Sean Michaels, Ultimate Warrior. We had rules about printing copywriten material, so I asked him “where did you get these” because they looked like they were from a magazine. He said “I took them. I do work for a few different magazines” Then he said “I go down to the USWA show in Louisville , every Tuesday night. If you want to go sometime, I can get you in the back.”

That was how I met Jerry Wilson. And that was the beginning of a weekly trip I took with him every Tuesday night for the rest of the time I lived in Columbus .

I was surprised my first night there to find out that Jerry wasn’t just some photographer taking pictures, he was also on a friendly basis with a lot of the wrestlers. There were some that he had been friends with for years. People he had met while living in Atlanta , Georgia .

Jerry was also the first guy I ever met that could drink a whole case of beer by himself and not be falling down drunk. He wouldn’t be drunk at all. Did I mention he always drove. He would also get a 12-pack for the drive home? I only mention that to let you to know, if you see him with a beer, he’s not drunk. He’s just drinking.

One night we hung out after one of the shows wit a bunch of the wrestlers, and Wildfire wanted to prove to everyone how much he could drink. The night ended with Tommy Rich passed-out and Jerry driving us back to Columbus as sober as he was when we got there.

I want you to know that Jerry always conducted himself in a professional manner. He was in good with people like Tommy Rich, Doug Gilbert, Brian Christophe, Bill Dunde, The Rock, PG13 and even Jerry(The King) Lawler that ran the show. He was on the inside, hanging with all the big boys.

to be continued

As I was saying we spent a lot of time At Louisville Gardens.

While I was out at the ring taking pictures, he was in the back involving himself in a few matches. The first involvement I remember, was when Tommy (Wildfire) Rich grabbed his camera away from him at ringside and smashed it all over the floor.

Another time was during the days of the Smokey Mountain-USWA feud matches, there was a 12-man cage-match in which Jerry got to hear some “sweet chin music” just before the match started. I was standing right beside him when Brian caught him with a boot as he was entering the cage. I got out of the area because I didn’t want to take an ass-kickin’ too. When I came back I saw Jerry attacking the ring announcer and getting the key to the cage. Then I saw Jerry plow Brian Christopher in the face with a roll of quarters in his hand, as a payback.

With the cage opened all of Jerrys’ friends ran out to the back so the other wrestlers turned their attention to Jerry. This was a Street Fight Match, so they had plenty of items to attack him with. They hit him with chairs, hubcaps, chains and god knows what else. After knocking him out, the guys de-pantsed him.

I felt bad for him laying there in just his underwear. Then to finish him off, one of the guys climbed to the top of the cage and did an elbow-drop that broke Jerry’s collarbone. He laid there until the whole arena cleared out.

Honestly he took one hell of a beat-down and there was nothing I could do to help him. That’s what’s called paying your dues, and he did!!!

Then for a few weeks Jerry stayed in the back during the shows while I took photos out at the ring. I thought it was cool of him to give me such a great opportunity to get some really good shots.

I was taking a picture of Jimmy(The Boogie-Woogie Man) Valiant, on his way to the ring. He stopped and posed for me then when I was done he walked straight up to me, Grabbed me by the head and kissed me on the lips then hit the ring. I was ****** and headed towards the back while the whole crowd laughed. When I got to the back Jerry was smiling real big and said “Did he get ya?” I said “Yeah, did you see that?” He said while laughing “ See it? Hell I told him to do it.” Well I’m not going to repeat what I said back but I guess you could just imagine.

During the next match, I walked out after the wrestlers were already in the ring. It was The Moon Dogs in a tag team match. I walked out and got in position at the ring apron and took an action shot of the match in progress. As soon as my flash when off, both Moon Dogs jumped out of the ring and headed in my direction. This time I ran to the back only to find Jerry standing there laughing again. He said “what’s wrong Jonsey? I then repeated my previous statement that I made during the last match.

Then he said to me in an encouraging manner, “ It’s alright man go on back out there, I won’t mess with you any more.” To which I had to repeat myself a 3rd time.

It wasn’t long before we started hitting a lot of independent shows & WCW Shows in towns like Sellersburg, Bloomington, Jasper and even as far away as Lexington, Ky. And while I was taking photos out at the ring, Jerry was busy talking to the wrestlers and promoters and was learning a lot of the ins and outs of the business.

He had made a lot of friends over the years, and was storing away a lot of information on the do’s and don’ts of wrestling. I don’t have to tell you how uncomfortable it gets in the locker room, when the guys find out the promoter didn’t make enough money to pay all the guys he hired to work that night. Believe me, these aren’t the kind of guys you want to **** off. I’m glad Jerry never had to learn that lesson the hard way.

It wasn’t long after that that my job moved me again, this time it was to the Greenwood Park Mall. I had to move closer to my job and I didn’t get as much time to pal around with Jerry anymore. I quit going to Louisville on Tuesdays and the only time I saw Jerry was when he needed some photo’s printed up that no one local could get right. We kind of lost touch for a while.

to be continued

One day Jerry stopped in with some pictures he had taken in Elwood, In. I asked him, “Who’s doing shows in Elwood?” He said he put it on. I told him that he should have let me know because I would have liked to seen it. Then he told me, “That’s why I came by, I’m going to do one in Columbus , because the first one had done so well.” Then he told me he could use my help in the show.

Heck I would have been happy to take out the trash, if it meant I would get in for free. I was expecting to work the door, sell concessions, or maybe even get to referee. I was completely floored when he asked me to be his ring announcer. I mean WOW! That is like the heart of the show.

I had no experience doing anything like that. I wasn’t a good public speaker. I was also a little dyslexic and would often say things backwards when I got nervous. One thing about me though is that I hate to let people down. Therefore I had to learn how to do a good job, and I had to learn quick.

I watched and listened to what other people were doing. The first thing I saw was that, just like with comedy, you have to be original, not an imitator. You can’t steal what other people are doing. You have to have your own style or you’re just a hack.

My main influences was the guy that did the “Let’s get ready to Rumble.” I liked it and it also reminded me of a friend I had that would come up behind you and say your name, starting out really slow in a real low tone and then bring up the tone as he began talking really fast and loud. It was funny seeing the look on someone’s face when he would do that to them. Jerry and I have a friend in the business. You may know him as Road-Dog or Jesse James Armstrong. He is just one of the many of big name people that Jerry has introduced me to over the years. He did a great job of announcing for himself when he would come to the ring. The main point of what he did was to get everyone‘s undivided attention.

To be honest, I knew it would be hard to compete with those guys. There was nothing I could come up with to even get close to that, let alone top it. The only course I had, in able for me to sound the least bit like a professional, was to take all of that and combine it, into what became my opening line for every HPW show I ever did.

That was how it all started. I wasn’t the best announcer in the beginning, but I always gave it my best. I strived to be the best I could be. Jerry was understanding with me as I grew into the roll.

During my time there, I even got involved in a few matches. One ended with me getting my ponytail cut off in a hair match. Another time ended with me winning control of HPW for a couple of months. That feud ended with me, Diceman and The High Rollers all getting fired at a show at the bowling alley, when we lost to Brian Christopher and Doug Gilbert.

After a short break I came back as a manager for Ox and then for Billy Ray Hickerson.

I’ve never looked back with regrets, only with fond memories. My time with HPW was one of the best times of my life.

Thank You Jerry for all the great memories!

Terry Jones