The very first independent wrestling show I went to, Nick Bockwinkel was on the card as a special guest. The crowd was incredibly small (less than 20 people), yet he seemed happy to be there, sharing old memories of his time in the ring. The audio sucked, it was hard to hear his promo, but it was still cool to see a former top guy in person. He was the first pro wrestler I ever talked to. Years earlier, I was at a funeral. I was maybe five years old, and Bockwinkel was there. He was a friend of my distant family. A group of kids went up to him at the post-funeral lunch and approached him for autographs. That was my first time seeing a wrestler up close. Far beyond any brief, personal encounters, Nick was a legend in the AWA. Hes a WWE Hall of Famer and one of the greatest heels to ever step foot in a wrestling ring. He was influential, charismatic and a fantastic worker. In a fictional world full of oddballs, and over the top characters, Bockwinkel played the role of a more normal, classy guy with an air of self-importance that you just wanted to see get beat up. While he wasn't evil in real life, the class did transfer over. Only a select few have ever done it better. Job well done Nick.
As Rust Cohle from True Detective said "Life's barely long enough to get good at one thing. So be careful what you're good at."
Sadly, I can't solve a murder like Rust...or change a tire, or even tie a tie. But I do know all the lyrics to Hulk Hogan's "Real American" theme song and can easily name every Natural Born Thriller from the dying days of WCW. I was once ranked 21st in the United States in Tetris...on the Playstation 3 version...for about a week.
Follow along @AndrewSoucek and check out my podcast at wrestlingwithfriends.com
