15 Things We Learned From Dark Side Of The Ring: Tony Atlas
12. The Crocketts Paid Him $150 To Train
Pro wrestling headhunted Tony Atlas; Tony Atlas didn't go looking for pro wrestling.
David Crockett said his family spotted something in Tony due to his bodybuilding exploits, and they were keen to tie him down to a contract as soon as possible. Amazingly, the Crocketts actually paid Atlas $150 per week in the mid-1970s just so he'd agree to train to become a wrestler. Think about that, and then think about the era this was all happening in.
Wrestling people were fiercely protective of the biz back then. Kayfabe was the law, so it was uncommon for somebody to forgo training expenses and make money whilst learning to bump or run the ropes at the time. Crockett admitted to VICE that this created a lot of jealousy amongst other wrestlers. No wonder! They'd had to pay their dues, and now here was some bodybuilder coming in as an untouchable star getting special treatment from the off.
Showing his lack of knowledge about how the industry works, Atlas told George Scott (when the veteran told him they'd show him how to work): "I don't want to work - I wanna be a wrestler". Tony didn't understand what "work" meant, and he figured the Crockett family wanted him to come in and fight for real.
That's when Tony had to check his ego. He was used to scrapping for everything he had, and now people were asking him to take a dive or let somebody else beat him up within the framework of a pro wrestling match. The fact he was one of the only guys paid to train might've softened the blow.