I would like to welcome Eric Wayne to The Golden Circle. Eric a legit third generation wrestler that can give us all a new look at the business. From the eyes of three seperate generations.
When it comes to professional wrestling, everyone has their theory. Some hate it while others live for it. Of course, there are a plethora of people in the middle too. Even though some might call themselves wrestlers- there are not many that say it with confidence and truth. That being said, two men can lay claim to not only being wrestlers but promoters, announcers, referees and more. Those two men would be Buddy Wayne and Ken Wayne. First and second generation wrestlers as well as my grandfather and father. My name is Eric Wayne and I am a third generation wrestler.
This is not about me but rather the men that preceded me. My grandfather, Buddy, started as a wrestler and eventually moved on to promoting his own events. I'm still surprised at the wide range of people that have a "Buddy Wayne" story. Then I realize the man they're talking about has been involved with wrestling for over half a century! From Tojo to the Rock, Buddy was there. When so many people found themselves involved in a business they were yet to understand, Buddy was there. Whether he was giving advice, telling jokes or saying how stupid it is to wear kneepads, Buddy was there. It wasn't until the Memphis Heat documentary came out that more people realized how instrumental he was in the Memphis territory. Everyone mentions the Harts, Gilberts, Guerreros, etc when wrestling families are brought up. However, not many know of the Wayne family and people like Ken Wayne.
Just like Buddy, everyone has a "Ken Wayne" story too. It could be about Canada and wrestling Dynamite Kid or the unimportance of elbow pads...but there's a Ken Wayne story for every occasion. For the last 30+ years my father travelled all over the country and learned different styles...setting him apart from the category of small wrestlers he was often thrown into. He's remembered by fans as one of the first to introduce the high flying style to the southern territories and other US promotions. Being shorter than 6' in a big man's world usually meant a career in wrestling was easier as a manager. But both Buddy and my dad forged careers as wrestlers and promoters. Both were lucky enough to be around legends such as Lou Thesz and Danny Hodge as well as SOOO many others. But nowadays almost NO ONE in this business know those names.
In a business severely lacking in class and general knowledge, the generations preceding me were overflowing with it. It shows how much the industry has changed when men that can be considered stuck in their ways at times STILL know more than others who lay claim to being wrestlers and have never made significant money for anyone. A lot of times the goal of this business has been forgotten but you can bet two men will never forget a business that has given them so much.
