Back in the 60s living in Arcadia California on El Dorado Street when I was 7 - 8 years old i can remember watching 👀 wrestling @ the Olympic every wensday night @8:pm on ch#5 ktla Los Angeles
These photos were taken after I quit attending wrestling at the Olympic. I used to sit in the first row, center seat, for Wednesday and Friday nights from 1966 thru 1970. I see my friend, Larry Korn, was shown in one photo when they were helping Victor Rivera after he was hit over the head with a chair and the add board by John Tolos during locker room interviews. He was heavy set wearing glasses on the far left. He used to play baseball with a bunch of us on Sunday morning in 1969 & 1970 at Hamilton H.S. in West L.A. Rocky Johnson used to play with us every so often. Tolos and I had a thing going for several years as I would yell insults at him and he would jump out of the ring and threatened me. He would wink at me after our little "disagreements." It was all tongue-n-cheek. That went for years, 1967 thru 1970. Great memories.
@@daveburzynski8207 Larry was heavy but he hustled. He had to play 1st base so he didn't have to run so much. He brought wrestlers to play with us when we were short-handed. Jack Garfono (The Invader), Lew Whitson, Lou Anthony (The Mysterious X) and Rocky Johnson would show up and play. Check me out. Search Shohei Baba vs. Fritz von Erich, 12-19-1969 from the Olympic. It was a Japanese telecast. I'm sitting in the first row wearing a light blue dress shirt with a dark blue turtle neck, wearing black rim glasses and had light brown / dark blond hair. Jimmy Lennon and I are seen talking together. Future Olympic photographer, Dan Westbrook, is sitting to my right. We let him sit there as he wanted to take photos of Baba for the Japanese wrestling magazines. About half way thru the match Doc Schwartz comes and sits right in front of me. He always seemed to do that.
These are all great pics and bring back wonderful memories. And just the other day I was wondering, "What ever happened to wrestling manager Dave Drason?" I remember an interview with him in the Ring Wrestling Magazine, and the next issue, they published a letter from him where he said the interviewer, John Arezzi, left pizza crumbs all over his floor! Great times.
Freddie Blassie, the Diamond Ring and Cadillac Man, King Of Men, Ladies Pet and the Man's Regret, America's Champeen, Brass Knucks Champ, and one of the Greatest Stick Men ever, you Pencil Neck Geeks.
Many thanks for posting these pictures. Great memories of watching wrestling from the Olympic auditorium once a week in new York. John tolos, victor rivera, fred blassie
Thanks so much for posting this Dave. Really brings back memories. I'd almost forgotten the angle where Tolos smacked Rivera with a board. The doctor stitched up Rivera right there on live TV! Nice to see Luis Magana in some of the pics. He doesn't get mentioned too much, but he was great on the Wednesday shows on channel 34 doing interviews/commentary in both English and Spanish. Really enjoy your photos and your interview shows. Thanks again.
@@daveburzynski8207There was a similar situation with Rivera and The Sheik where Victor was being interviewed and Sheik attacked him and left him laying. They had a cover story on that incident in one of the Apter mags in 1973.
I was born in Santa Ana in 1959 and I attended many Friday nights with Dad at the Olympic and boy it was a blast, I think the last time I went with my Dad was probably in 1973, I got to see great wrestling and have many memories with my Dad as a kid going to the Olympic, and yes Freddie Blassie had a convertible Cadillac and he would park in the general parking lot and people would wait for him, that’s how much heat he had🤣🤣
Now this is the wrestling I grew up watching! Thanks for the memories!
Back in the 60s living in Arcadia California on El Dorado Street when I was 7 - 8 years old i can remember watching 👀 wrestling @ the Olympic every wensday night @8:pm on ch#5 ktla Los Angeles
These photos were taken after I quit attending wrestling at the Olympic. I used to sit in the first row, center seat, for Wednesday and Friday nights from 1966 thru 1970. I see my friend, Larry Korn, was shown in one photo when they were helping Victor Rivera after he was hit over the head with a chair and the add board by John Tolos during locker room interviews. He was heavy set wearing glasses on the far left. He used to play baseball with a bunch of us on Sunday morning in 1969 & 1970 at Hamilton H.S. in West L.A. Rocky Johnson used to play with us every so often. Tolos and I had a thing going for several years as I would yell insults at him and he would jump out of the ring and threatened me. He would wink at me after our little "disagreements." It was all tongue-n-cheek. That went for years, 1967 thru 1970. Great memories.
When I worked for the office in 1973, Larry took me to play ball on Sunday mornings also. Great fun.
@@daveburzynski8207 Larry was heavy but he hustled. He had to play 1st base so he didn't have to run so much. He brought wrestlers to play with us when we were short-handed. Jack Garfono (The Invader), Lew Whitson, Lou Anthony (The Mysterious X) and Rocky Johnson would show up and play. Check me out. Search Shohei Baba vs. Fritz von Erich, 12-19-1969 from the Olympic. It was a Japanese telecast. I'm sitting in the first row wearing a light blue dress shirt with a dark blue turtle neck, wearing black rim glasses and had light brown / dark blond hair. Jimmy Lennon and I are seen talking together. Future Olympic photographer, Dan Westbrook, is sitting to my right. We let him sit there as he wanted to take photos of Baba for the Japanese wrestling magazines. About half way thru the match Doc Schwartz comes and sits right in front of me. He always seemed to do that.
These are all great pics and bring back wonderful memories. And just the other day I was wondering, "What ever happened to wrestling manager Dave Drason?" I remember an interview with him in the Ring Wrestling Magazine, and the next issue, they published a letter from him where he said the interviewer, John Arezzi, left pizza crumbs all over his floor! Great times.
Freddie Blassie, the Diamond Ring and Cadillac Man, King Of Men, Ladies Pet and the Man's Regret, America's Champeen, Brass Knucks Champ, and one of the Greatest Stick Men ever, you Pencil Neck Geeks.
He's the only guy Chuck Norris fears!💪🤠❤
You forgot The Fashion Plate of professional wrestling
That’s my dad, Mando Lopez❤️
@@lorielopez2864I remember Mando Lopez. I used to go the Olympic when I was a kid back in the 70’s.
Went to the Olympic auditorium when I was about 9 years old. Saw Freddie blassie Wrestle Rocky Johnson.
Great stuff, Dave! Amazing photos. Thanks for sharing.
Many thanks for posting these pictures. Great memories of watching wrestling from the Olympic auditorium once a week in new York. John tolos, victor rivera, fred blassie
Thanks so much for posting this Dave. Really brings back memories. I'd almost forgotten the angle where Tolos smacked Rivera with a board. The doctor stitched up Rivera right there on live TV! Nice to see Luis Magana in some of the pics. He doesn't get mentioned too much, but he was great on the Wednesday shows on channel 34 doing interviews/commentary in both English and Spanish.
Really enjoy your photos and your interview shows. Thanks again.
The board saw sawn nearly completely through, didn't take much for it to break. Yes, Dr. Schwartz stitched him up live on TV.
@@daveburzynski8207There was a similar situation with Rivera and The Sheik where Victor was being interviewed and Sheik attacked him and left him laying. They had a cover story on that incident in one of the Apter mags in 1973.
The Olympic Auditorium in L.A. was a "Mecca" for wrestling on the West Coast!!!
I was born in Santa Ana in 1959 and I attended many Friday nights with Dad at the Olympic and boy it was a blast, I think the last time I went with my Dad was probably in 1973, I got to see great wrestling and have many memories with my Dad as a kid going to the Olympic, and yes Freddie Blassie had a convertible Cadillac and he would park in the general parking lot and people would wait for him, that’s how much heat he had🤣🤣
Wow I used to go the Olympic Auditorium back in the 70’s great memories 😢
Jimmy Lennon!!!! No more need be said EVER
Being from the east coast really want to video stuff from the la territory
Little Buckcherry in the background? Nice
Tremendous, Blassie vs Tolos is what hooked me as a kid and stayed this 50+year love affair.
Blassie was a vicious heel, before TV really took off in wrestling. He was terrific as a manager, but his in ring career can not be ignored.
This was Mike LeBelle's wrestling promoter.
Gene Labelle.
We always loved to watch blassie
Pretty cool 😎
Good Pro Wrestling