He had his moments, just like any wrestler, but personally I got along with him very well. He was drawing big time at the gates, which made every one of us a lot of money

What are your memories of the Don Owen 60th Anniversary show? Everybody was on the card -- Flair, Martel, Road Warriors, Slaughter and many more. And you wrestled Roddy Piper, who was the top heel in the business at the time. (I still have my program, in mint condition!) This was about the biggest event in the Northwest in the 1980s.

Just another day at the office for most of us, really, only with bigger stars. By the way, Roddy got a standing ovation and was cheered for over 5 minutes upon his entrance into the ring for our match. Roddy was the biggest heel in the business at that time, but who was the biggest heel that night? Yours truly.

How would you rate Jim Brunzell as a worker? Did he have the potential to be AWA World Heavyweight champion, in your mind?

Jim was a very strong, believable wrestler and a pleasure to work with. Of course we were trained by the same teachers and went through the same schools, but I must say he could do it all, and still looks great to this day.

How much time did the heels and faces spend together back in the old days?
-- Matt Noe

We were together everyday, practically. We just kayfabed it from the public. (At least I did.)

Are you related to Pete Rose?
-- Rob

No, I am not related to Pete Rose, and I never gambled on wrestling, either.

When you had those "loser eats dog food" matches, what did you actually eat? I hope it wasn't real dog food!
-- Tim Russell

I had one match in which the public thought it was dog food, but it was spinach that I heated up at home in the microwave and put into a Tupperware container until match time. I love spinach, so the “throwing up” part didn’t bother me at all, and the effect of it coming out is like the Exorcist all over again.

I just finished viewing the videotape of the Q&A session from the "FanSlam" convention that you appeared at. Maybe it was just me, but I sensed that there may have been some legitimate heat/bad feelings between you and Lou Albano. Is this true, and if so, what is the reason for it?
-- Rich Williams

Lou and I have been great friends ever since we met each other back in 1982. Lou was ribbing Heenan and all of us during Q&A. That's Lou’s style, and we love him very dearly

What's your take on UFC?
-- Jason from Portland

Don't follow it, plus much of it is a work too.

You are mentioned in Ric Flair's book, and I know you had many great matches together (none on tape that I know of. What a shame!). My question to you is this: did Ric Flair wrestle you differently from the average wrestler because of you both being graduates of Billy Robinson and Verne Gagne's camp? I ask because Flair seemed to have a certain match for a certain type of wrestler, and you didn't really fit the mold of any of them.
-- Barney Ross

Flair was a night off. We both called spots and had respect for each other’s style. Because of this we were able to give the fans something special. I believe you need variety in your matches, and we did not do the usual Flair match. We first wrestled back in 1973 when we started in the business, then faced again on many occasions over the years, for the NWA World Heavyweight title.

Was Johnny Boyd as tough in real life as he appeared on TV?

No, he wasn't. Great worker and a great interview – those abilities got you to believe he was more than he appeared, and that it to his credit.

Do you think the death of kayfabe is a good thing? I know some wrestlers who say it's the best thing that could have ever happened, and others who think it helped to kill the business. I know you spent most of your career protecting the secrets, only to have them become public knowledge just a few years later.
-- Arim Jaffe

The bottom line is the fans always believed or they didn't believe. And even after telling them it's a work they still go crazy during a wrestling match. Wrestling may not hold the mystique it once had, but the business will never die.

I know you were big into softball, but as I remember when I was a kid growing up in Beaverton, you used to be quite the bowler, a lefty as I recall. I think it was either a league, pro-am or celebrity thing at Valley Lanes, and I saw you there. I have to say I didn't root for you much in the ring, but I was impressed with your skill on the lanes. What was your average?
-- Jim in Nampa, Idaho

My average was around 180. I played in a league when I was a kid. Jesse Ventura and I used to play late at night after shows for 3-4 hour hours, and sometimes before matches at the Portland Sports Arena. We both entered the Pro-Am tournament – we didn’t win, but we had a lot of fun.

When you were in the WWF did you ever have the desire of becoming the WWF Champion? I think you would of made a great champion. Are there any regrets of not becoming the WWF champion? Any is there any chance of you returning to the WWE and competing for the belt?! I would love to see you doing the Bombs Away for the 1-2-3!

Sure, everybody wants to win the belt, but it’s just a prop. The bottom line is the big payday, and I was handsomely compensated by the WWF.

I’m still wrestling, and will be in a 6-man match in Tampa, Florida in January teaming with Col. De Beers and Bob Orton, Jr. against Rocky Johnson, Roddy Piper and Jimmy Valiant. Here's the link for the event: http://www.WrestleReunion.com