By that time it came natural and it was a cake walk, to be honest with you. So many wrestlers do not know how to work their gimmick or use psychology when entering a ring. It’s really a combination of knowing how to read the audience, but most importantly understanding how to control them. YOU control the audience, they do not control you. Judging by your reaction, I’d say I wasn’t doing too badly.

I was wondering if you could mention who, in your opinion, were some of the toughest wrestlers in terms of a real street fight. Where would you rank Andre the Giant?
-- Andy

Andre, of course, was potentially one of the most dangerous men I have ever encountered, but he was a puppy dog with me in the ring and a pleasure to work with (thank God!). I have no doubt he could have beaten about any man without even trying. In a street fight, Bad News Allen could definitely take care of himself. Kevin Kelly was also extremely tough, in real fights, not in the wrestling ring.

Since you got a chance to wrestle both of them, how would you say Tony and Matt Borne differed in their in-ring approach? Would you say they were similar workers, or were they cut from a different fabric?

I believe that they sported the same style in many ways. The only difference was that Tony never got "HIGH.”

Do you remember "Ringside Rosie," the older lady who never missed a match and always gave you a piece of her mind at the Portland Sports Arena? What happened to her, and did you ever meet her?
-- David Lefner

Everyone remembers her. I would work with her and get her juices flowing many times. She helped bring the fans to a fever pitch, and made it more fun for the wrestlers, too. She is gone now and truly missed, but a legendary fan without question.

I really enjoy Frank Bonnema’s commentary and interview style. Outside of broadcasting, what exactly was his role in the Portland Wrestling organization? Was he a KPTV employee, or did he work for the Owen family? Would he be present when all the angles and such were given to the wrestlers? It all seemed so seamless. He must have been a true pro. I miss him to this day.
-- Marc Covert

Frank had a cushy job. He wasn't in on any of the programs because Don Owen said he wasn't smart. Well, he was smart alright, because I would smarten him up to many of the things that I needed him to help get over. You need the announcer to be smart so that he can make all the points and help further storylines, match psychology, what have you. An announcer can make or break you, and I credit a great deal of my success in the Northwest to Frank Bonnema’s talents.

He was a true friend, and I do miss him very much. He was always making the wrestlers and the region look strong. He was, simply put, the best announcer the Northwest ever had.

Wrestlers seem so much sloppier today, and more and more performers end up getting hurt in matches. I have heard in interviews that some of the most notorious punchers and kickers from your era (yourself included) were actually quite light – it was all in the appearance that they seemed devastating. Why is it that when the sport is so heavy in brawlers, few know how to throw out convincing offense without actually attacking their opponent? And who would you say threw the best punch in the business?
-- Tim in Nebraska

I never hurt or intentionally hit my opponents in the thousands of matches I had. I would lay a chop in because it sounds great but it doesn't hurt, and the fans really react to it. It all comes down to knowing how to perform.

Is it a lost art? I believe so. Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair can still work without hurting or hitting their opponents with stiff shots, and they are over like a million bucks. Many of the wrestlers today legitimately hit one another and get zero reaction. Go figure. If Terry Funk, Pat Patterson, Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes, Ray Stevens and so many more can work for decades and never hurt other wrestlers and are still believable, then I rest my case.

Didn't you at one time stab Roddy Piper with a pair of scissors or was it the other way around?
-- Scott

Roddy was going to have eye surgery for a sty, which required him to be out for a few weeks, and he asked me to stab him with the scissors so that we could build up some heat to keep our program strong. We just took advantage of his time off and turned it into a big chapter of the Buddy Rose vs. Roddy Piper saga. We had one of the most famous and profitable feuds in the history of the Pacific Northwest.

I am reading the book Chokehold and the author talks about wrestlers that were told to hurt or stretch other wrestlers who were not cooperating in the ring. Was this prevalent in the industry, and do you know of some famous incidents?

No, it wasn't our M.O. Maybe before our time, but we had pretty much passed that era and we needed to work every night of the week. I’m not saying it didn’t happen, here and there, but I did not see any evidence of it. We tried to take care of one another because the health of your opponent had a direct effect on your pocketbook.

Who would you say had the worst temper of all the wrestlers you faced? Did this temper cause problems for you during the matches?

David Shultz probably did, but when we got in the ring he was putty in my hands. He was great to work with and we made lots of money together. We faced one another at one point where we were both heels, and David bet me money that I would be the one getting cheered. He lost that bet and was forced to work babyface for the first time in his career. David really hated being the babyface, and after that I don’t think he ever worked as anything but a heel ever again after our run.

I always wondered why you called yourself “The Playboy,” but you wore standard ring garb. You wore fancy robs and whatnot, but inside the ring it was the standard boots and trunks. Was this a conscience decision on your part, so your attire did not distract from your work? Just curious.
-- Belle Dixon

Yes and No. I wore elaborate robes and some of my boots were the snake skin look, but I didn't need it to get over because I was able to tell a story and wrestle with the best of them. Sometimes less is more.

Have you ever had a real encounter with a fan at a show? If so, elaborate. Another thing, I was there the night you came over the top rope and caught the steel ring post with your shin, tearing a huge gash from your foot to your knee. It seemed that Don Owen made you wait around to cut a promo, showing off your wound before letting you go to the hospital. Was this by choice, and did he pay the doctor bill?
--JOEL from Albany.

I had quite a few encounters over the years, but I never got hurt. Usually the other person came out on the short end.

The gash was in my shinbone. Hack Sawyer threw me out of a battle royal accidentally. Don Owen asked me to go to the hospital, but I thought the cut (which exposed my bone) would add credibility to the business – that’s why I insisted on doing the interview. Don was mad at me, but he did pay for my hospital bill because it happened on the job. Funny thing was I got stitched up and was playing softball the next day, at 7:30am. I hit a few home runs, and we won the tournament. Later that night I was in the ring again, wrestling.