Brian Damage
This is the 547th installment of the ‘Wrestling with Sin‘ series. A group of stories that delves into the darker, underbelly of pro wrestling. Many of the stories involves such subjects as sex, drugs, greed and in some cases even murder! As with every single story in the Sin series…I do not condone or condemn the alleged participants. We simply retell their stories by researching interviews, newspapers, magazines and various other sources of media.
Nipple in the Bud
During a New Japan show, Scott ‘Flash’ Norton was walking down the entrance aisle towards the ring when he said an overzealous 16 year old fan reached over the railing and grabbed him. Norton said the fan grabbed his nipple and twisted so hard, it actually bled. As a reaction to being assaulted, Norton said he violently backhanded the teen into unconsciousness.
Later that evening, while in his hotel room, there was a knock on his door. Norton said a couple of men dressed all in black suits were at his door with the young fan in question from earlier that night. Norton called over New Japan referee ‘Tiger’ Hattori who also worked as an interpreter for the foreign talent. When Tiger arrived, he immediately recognized the men in suits as being members of the Yakuza. Hattori warned Norton that this was not a good situation and began to translate what the men where asking.
The Yakuza members asked if it was true that Norton assaulted the teenage boy. Norton admitted he did, and then proceeded to show them his nipple which was scarred from the boy’s attack on him. The men then thanked Norton and then began pistol whipping the young man. Hattori called New Japan president Antonio Inoki to let him know of the situation and Inoki apparently got in contact with the Yakuza to see if Norton was in any danger. Inoki was told that the situation was handled and to let Norton know in the future, to keep his hands to himself.
Clark Barred
Christa Clark was a professional wrestler from the 1960’s. She was trained by Billy Wolfe and was a member of his wrestling troupe. In 1967, it was discovered that Clark had a girlfriend and was outed as a lesbian. Her girlfriend, was a fellow wrestler in the same troupe named Adrienne Ames. Once the couple were outed, they were immediately kicked out of Wolfe’s troupe.
Word then spread throughout the various territories of their sexual orientation and were basically blackballed everywhere. Ames career completely ended once the news got out. Christa Clark remained defiant and wrestled sparingly for another year, before she too quit the wrestling business.
And Now A Word From Our Sponsor
‘Bruiser’ Bob Sweetan was a veteran wrestler who competed in various territories, but stayed with Bill Watts’ Mid South the longest. According to several wrestlers who worked with Sweetan, he had a very bad reputation and negative attitude. Jim Ross once recalled a major sponsor for Watts’ television show bring his wife and 10 year old daughter to the TV studio to meet with Watts and the wrestlers. Jim Ross said it was a day he won’t soon forget.
During the meeting and tour with the sponsor and his family, Sweetan looked at the family and allegedly told Ross, “I bet I could make her purr.” Ross naturally assumed he was referring to the sponsor’s wife, but Ross alleged that Sweetan made the comment towards his young daughter. Of course, Sweetan would eventually be accused of sleeping with his underaged stepdaughter which we covered previously.
The Wailing Wall
George ‘the Animal’ Steele once talked about the Junkyard Dog and his violent temper at times…especially when JYD used drugs. Steele said that during a TV taping in Allentown, Pennsylvania, JYD felt that a jobber didn’t properly sell his big finishing move, the powerhouse slam. Steele said once JYD got back to the dressing room, he went immediately to the wrestler in question and grabbed him.
That’s when Steele claimed that JYD slammed the wrestler’s face first into the concrete wall repeatedly. The wrestler had to be taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Steele said there was blood all over the wall and JYD instructed nobody to clean it up. He wanted every enhancement wrestler to see the bloody wall as a warning that if you didn’t sell moves properly, the same fate would happen to them.