Post by CW .org .info .net on May 14, 2019 11:14:45 GMT -6
Randy Ricci on Percy Pringle
After a 9 month run in USWA for Jerry Jarrett, I was home for a stint. After being home [ for ] a week, I was going bat sh** because I was really addicted to the wrestling industry. We worked every night of the week and did TV [ tapings ] Saturday mornings in Memphis totaling 8 matches per week and then one Sunday off every 6 weeks.
This was the life I wanted!
I began to literally harass Jerry Jarrett via phone looking for any way possible to go back down to the Mid South and wrestle. I had some "mild" heat as Jerry Lawler used to ride me pretty hard down there, which was very common for a new, young talent that came from somewhere else.
My last night in, I was in a 6 man tag match. Myself, Dirty White Boy, and Ronnie P. Gossett versus Jeff Jarrett, Steve Doll, and Rex King.
During the match, I slammed Steve in the corner and called "Lawler Fist!!" and through his laughter, Steve said "No, man PLEASE!!" I uttered "Dude! Be cool!!" and Steve agreed!!
Rex King was in the corner laughing his ass off as he and everyone knew what was coming as I looked toward the babyface locker room (where Jerry was watching) and signaled the move.
Jeff was on the outside screaming "No! No!! Steve move!!!!" as I executed the move beautifully!!!
Lawler was pissed but, the then-booker Bill Dundee was literally on the floor laughing as it was no secret to him or anyone in the company how Lawler f###ed with me back then! SIDENOTE: Years later I got over with Jerry Lawler in the Memphis territory and we became very good friends. His mother and my grandmother had slipped into dementia at the same time and these women were very important to both of us.
That "mild" heat kept me from going back to work for the company for a while, even though it did garner me some respect with even Jerry Lawler himself.
I was floundering around doing what few independent shots I could get and doing WWF tv shots during this time but, I was literally "jonesing" to get back on the road and the USWA was the last full time company.
Then one day, I got a call from Bill Dundee. I kinda thought it was a "rib" at first because Bill asked me to go to Dallas (which was then a partnership between Jerry Jarrett and Fritz and Kevin Von Erich) and he told me that Jeff would be the top singles babyface and he and I would be the top tag team babyfaces!!
I was so eager at the time, with a day or two notice. I left Chicago for Dallas, Texas and was lucky enough to be able to stay with my good friend Sweet Daddy Falcone.
I had NO idea what to expect and even though it almost sounded like a "push" it was just beyond my thinking at the time that a company would think that much of me.
I picked up where I left off in Memphis as being the first one to the building that Friday. Even though I introduced myself to the people in the locker room that I didn't know (one was a young Steve Austin, by the way), I remained humble and quiet.
All Bill Dundee told me was "here's who we're working tonight" as he introduced me to Mike Davis and Kevin Dillenger, The Rock n Roll RPM'S, and "get ready to sell a lot, mate" which I really had no problem with.
Then it hit me, "HOLY S***! I'm wrestling in the Sportatorium and my referee is Bronco Lubich!!"
Long story short, we worked our match (without talking about anything, even a finish) and Bill and I went over on the RPM's with a finish I can't quite remember that set up an angle between the two teams!
And, the people "bought" me and Bill as a tag team!! Now I had met Percival Pringle that night but, if memory serves, he wasn't working.
I believe that Percy at that point was part of "the office." I couldn't really "sell" the fact that I was ECSTATIC that it looked like I was finally getting a "push" which was a really cool thing as, at the time, the tv from Dallas was on ESPN, which was really good exposure at the time! The next day, the company ran a taping in the Sportatorium again and I was the first to [ arrive at ] the building with Skandor Akbar, Percy Pringle, Bronco, and Tony Falk.
Talent began to file in except for Jerry Jarrett, Bill Dundee, and Jeff Jarrett. I said hello to everyone but there was a real strange vibe when anyone looked at me.
I got dressed and waited to see what was going on. And thats when Percy Pringle gave me the news that Kevin and Fritz had locked Jerry Jarrett out of the building and were taking the company back over.
There goes my push!!!! And I was probably headed back to Chicago already!! F!
Percy told me that the he and the Von Erichs thought [ that ] I would go back to Memphis with the Jarretts and Bill and they were surprised I was there.
He left the room I was in (trying not to have a breakdown, haha) only to return to tell me I was working a tv match with Louie Spicolli and Timmy Tall Tree (Tim Renesto) and my partner would take the finish.
It was a really good match and we worked very well together. After the match, Percy handed me a check for the two nights and a booking sheet with next weeks dates on it!!
This was when he first began to look out for me! Percy told me that I was a good looking kid and my look was perfect for the demographic down there as I was similar looking to the Simpsons who really got over for the company. He also stated that I was a much better worker then they were, so he believed I could really help the company!! What a f###### wonderful thing to hear from someone like him at that point in my career!!
Percy and Mike Davis thought that eventually the Jarretts and Von Erichs would work things out.
And in the meantime, we were going to find a way to have me feud with the RPM's managed by Percy and random partners that they would beat while trying to keep me strong until Bill would return.
LET THE LEARNING BEGIN, MAN!!!!
Mike was an awesome, bitter, vet! I mean, my first night in he was a total ####! But I went with it, as that's how it was when you were green! I knew I could learn from him, so I just shut the f### up!
Kevin Dillenger was a vet but younger and loved to work. I asked Mike the second time we worked if we could do a few things and he told me "f--- you! See this knee motherf#####? I aint doing s### with your green ass! You wanna work with someone? Go to Kevin and don't talk to me!"
"Thank you, sir."
Kevin and I DID SOME S###! And you could see the "angry vet" persona just wash away from Mike on the apron as Kevin and I were having a blast. Mike was on the outside like a little kid telling Kevin to tag him in!
F###### awesome is what it was!! From that moment on, me and Mike Davis had a literal "Bro mance" and he was going to take me under his wing and make me a solid, money drawing, baby face.
Next week, The RPMs were going to be managed by Percy and, at Mike's request, he called a spot where I was going to do a "suicide dive" on them on the outside, then I was to put my "junk" in Percy's face on the outside and do my best "Boogie Woogie Man" impression and "DON'T tell Percy its coming!"
Bronco Lubich was OLD then and these type of moves weren't common back then and, when the heels were outside, his job was to keep me back and he wouldn't get out of my way to do the spot!
I'm in the ring borderline panicking and Mike's out there going "hurry up hurry up!! We can't wait all day out here!!!" So, I hit the ropes and prayed I could clear Bronco and the ropes and hit Kevin and Mike on the outside without killing Mike!
Somehow I did it!!! And then went to Percy and finished the spot!! Percy f###### LOST IT!! He was laughing so hard he had to go to the back to get his composure!!
He came to me after the match and looked pissed! And then he told me in all his years in the business he had NEVER broke character and actually laughed so hard and had to leave ringside! And that he would never forget it!!
I remember we went from running twice a week to once a week and going to see Percy for my payoffs and booking sheet. He, Bronco, and Matt Bourne would be gathered around Percy's desk with a bottle of whiskey trying to figure out what they were going to do now as it was over for WCCW. We were all making the same $75 per week now.
Fast forward to hearing the news that Percy was signed to work for WWF.
I was so happy to hear this as this was a really deserving soul for the job! I knew Percy was a licensed mortician and every year he would renew his license just in case.
I tell you this now and I'm POSITIVE that Mark Callous (Mark Callaway / The Undertaker) will confirm that if it weren't for Percival Pringle III, The Undertaker persona would never have gotten over like it did. Those early promos and vignettes were ALL Percy as Vince wasn't sure himself where to go with the storyline. I mean, he gave Percy free reign and look what he did with those early promos, which was the onset of building one of the hottest characters in the history of the business.
Here's the type of person Percy was: he didn't even know I was there and could hear him, but he had Vince, Patterson, and J.J. Dillon watching my match and telling them the stories from Dallas and that he believed I could be a hot babyface wrestler for the company.
Nobody does this when they are on top like Percy was! NO ONE!!
I remember going to work for WWE and Percy would tease me about sleeping with Joann from Dallas, who made gear for just about everyone in the industry at one point, and the joke even going so far as Undertaker, me, and Percy saying that Joann's panties were in the "URN" and that's what gave the "URN" its power!!
I was on Honky Tonk Man's radio show last year sometime and I was going on after Percy and I called in early to listen to him. To me, he didn't sound good. He sounded sick and his magnificent sense of humor really sounded labored and I was concerned.
I knew how much he loved his wife and had the feeling that her death would hit him hard and had thoughts of him kind of giving up a little bit on life in general.
That really stuck in my head and when I saw that he was coming to Chicago, I knew I had to get there to see my friend for probably the last time. I got to make my friend laugh one last time and embrace him.
I truly, truly loved Percy as I haven't had many people in the business nor in life that believed in me as my friend did.
There's many more times that Percy tried to get me hired by WWE, but I've gone on long enough.
In wrestling, people refer to each other as "brother" and most of the time there's nothing behind it. Percival Pringle III was my brother! And I will always be eternally grateful that I had him in my life.
Love you Percy! Please hug Billy Joe Travis, and Mike Davis, Ronnie Gossett, Chris Adams, Tojo [ Yamamoto ], Louie Spicolli, Timmy Renesto, and all the rest of them for me.
I'll see you again my friend!! And kiss that lovely wife of yours for me!! (on the cheek!)
After a 9 month run in USWA for Jerry Jarrett, I was home for a stint. After being home [ for ] a week, I was going bat sh** because I was really addicted to the wrestling industry. We worked every night of the week and did TV [ tapings ] Saturday mornings in Memphis totaling 8 matches per week and then one Sunday off every 6 weeks.
This was the life I wanted!
I began to literally harass Jerry Jarrett via phone looking for any way possible to go back down to the Mid South and wrestle. I had some "mild" heat as Jerry Lawler used to ride me pretty hard down there, which was very common for a new, young talent that came from somewhere else.
My last night in, I was in a 6 man tag match. Myself, Dirty White Boy, and Ronnie P. Gossett versus Jeff Jarrett, Steve Doll, and Rex King.
During the match, I slammed Steve in the corner and called "Lawler Fist!!" and through his laughter, Steve said "No, man PLEASE!!" I uttered "Dude! Be cool!!" and Steve agreed!!
Rex King was in the corner laughing his ass off as he and everyone knew what was coming as I looked toward the babyface locker room (where Jerry was watching) and signaled the move.
Jeff was on the outside screaming "No! No!! Steve move!!!!" as I executed the move beautifully!!!
Lawler was pissed but, the then-booker Bill Dundee was literally on the floor laughing as it was no secret to him or anyone in the company how Lawler f###ed with me back then! SIDENOTE: Years later I got over with Jerry Lawler in the Memphis territory and we became very good friends. His mother and my grandmother had slipped into dementia at the same time and these women were very important to both of us.
That "mild" heat kept me from going back to work for the company for a while, even though it did garner me some respect with even Jerry Lawler himself.
I was floundering around doing what few independent shots I could get and doing WWF tv shots during this time but, I was literally "jonesing" to get back on the road and the USWA was the last full time company.
Then one day, I got a call from Bill Dundee. I kinda thought it was a "rib" at first because Bill asked me to go to Dallas (which was then a partnership between Jerry Jarrett and Fritz and Kevin Von Erich) and he told me that Jeff would be the top singles babyface and he and I would be the top tag team babyfaces!!
I was so eager at the time, with a day or two notice. I left Chicago for Dallas, Texas and was lucky enough to be able to stay with my good friend Sweet Daddy Falcone.
I had NO idea what to expect and even though it almost sounded like a "push" it was just beyond my thinking at the time that a company would think that much of me.
I picked up where I left off in Memphis as being the first one to the building that Friday. Even though I introduced myself to the people in the locker room that I didn't know (one was a young Steve Austin, by the way), I remained humble and quiet.
All Bill Dundee told me was "here's who we're working tonight" as he introduced me to Mike Davis and Kevin Dillenger, The Rock n Roll RPM'S, and "get ready to sell a lot, mate" which I really had no problem with.
Then it hit me, "HOLY S***! I'm wrestling in the Sportatorium and my referee is Bronco Lubich!!"
Long story short, we worked our match (without talking about anything, even a finish) and Bill and I went over on the RPM's with a finish I can't quite remember that set up an angle between the two teams!
And, the people "bought" me and Bill as a tag team!! Now I had met Percival Pringle that night but, if memory serves, he wasn't working.
I believe that Percy at that point was part of "the office." I couldn't really "sell" the fact that I was ECSTATIC that it looked like I was finally getting a "push" which was a really cool thing as, at the time, the tv from Dallas was on ESPN, which was really good exposure at the time! The next day, the company ran a taping in the Sportatorium again and I was the first to [ arrive at ] the building with Skandor Akbar, Percy Pringle, Bronco, and Tony Falk.
Talent began to file in except for Jerry Jarrett, Bill Dundee, and Jeff Jarrett. I said hello to everyone but there was a real strange vibe when anyone looked at me.
I got dressed and waited to see what was going on. And thats when Percy Pringle gave me the news that Kevin and Fritz had locked Jerry Jarrett out of the building and were taking the company back over.
There goes my push!!!! And I was probably headed back to Chicago already!! F!
Percy told me that the he and the Von Erichs thought [ that ] I would go back to Memphis with the Jarretts and Bill and they were surprised I was there.
He left the room I was in (trying not to have a breakdown, haha) only to return to tell me I was working a tv match with Louie Spicolli and Timmy Tall Tree (Tim Renesto) and my partner would take the finish.
It was a really good match and we worked very well together. After the match, Percy handed me a check for the two nights and a booking sheet with next weeks dates on it!!
This was when he first began to look out for me! Percy told me that I was a good looking kid and my look was perfect for the demographic down there as I was similar looking to the Simpsons who really got over for the company. He also stated that I was a much better worker then they were, so he believed I could really help the company!! What a f###### wonderful thing to hear from someone like him at that point in my career!!
Percy and Mike Davis thought that eventually the Jarretts and Von Erichs would work things out.
And in the meantime, we were going to find a way to have me feud with the RPM's managed by Percy and random partners that they would beat while trying to keep me strong until Bill would return.
LET THE LEARNING BEGIN, MAN!!!!
Mike was an awesome, bitter, vet! I mean, my first night in he was a total ####! But I went with it, as that's how it was when you were green! I knew I could learn from him, so I just shut the f### up!
Kevin Dillenger was a vet but younger and loved to work. I asked Mike the second time we worked if we could do a few things and he told me "f--- you! See this knee motherf#####? I aint doing s### with your green ass! You wanna work with someone? Go to Kevin and don't talk to me!"
"Thank you, sir."
Kevin and I DID SOME S###! And you could see the "angry vet" persona just wash away from Mike on the apron as Kevin and I were having a blast. Mike was on the outside like a little kid telling Kevin to tag him in!
F###### awesome is what it was!! From that moment on, me and Mike Davis had a literal "Bro mance" and he was going to take me under his wing and make me a solid, money drawing, baby face.
Next week, The RPMs were going to be managed by Percy and, at Mike's request, he called a spot where I was going to do a "suicide dive" on them on the outside, then I was to put my "junk" in Percy's face on the outside and do my best "Boogie Woogie Man" impression and "DON'T tell Percy its coming!"
Bronco Lubich was OLD then and these type of moves weren't common back then and, when the heels were outside, his job was to keep me back and he wouldn't get out of my way to do the spot!
I'm in the ring borderline panicking and Mike's out there going "hurry up hurry up!! We can't wait all day out here!!!" So, I hit the ropes and prayed I could clear Bronco and the ropes and hit Kevin and Mike on the outside without killing Mike!
Somehow I did it!!! And then went to Percy and finished the spot!! Percy f###### LOST IT!! He was laughing so hard he had to go to the back to get his composure!!
He came to me after the match and looked pissed! And then he told me in all his years in the business he had NEVER broke character and actually laughed so hard and had to leave ringside! And that he would never forget it!!
I remember we went from running twice a week to once a week and going to see Percy for my payoffs and booking sheet. He, Bronco, and Matt Bourne would be gathered around Percy's desk with a bottle of whiskey trying to figure out what they were going to do now as it was over for WCCW. We were all making the same $75 per week now.
Fast forward to hearing the news that Percy was signed to work for WWF.
I was so happy to hear this as this was a really deserving soul for the job! I knew Percy was a licensed mortician and every year he would renew his license just in case.
I tell you this now and I'm POSITIVE that Mark Callous (Mark Callaway / The Undertaker) will confirm that if it weren't for Percival Pringle III, The Undertaker persona would never have gotten over like it did. Those early promos and vignettes were ALL Percy as Vince wasn't sure himself where to go with the storyline. I mean, he gave Percy free reign and look what he did with those early promos, which was the onset of building one of the hottest characters in the history of the business.
Here's the type of person Percy was: he didn't even know I was there and could hear him, but he had Vince, Patterson, and J.J. Dillon watching my match and telling them the stories from Dallas and that he believed I could be a hot babyface wrestler for the company.
Nobody does this when they are on top like Percy was! NO ONE!!
I remember going to work for WWE and Percy would tease me about sleeping with Joann from Dallas, who made gear for just about everyone in the industry at one point, and the joke even going so far as Undertaker, me, and Percy saying that Joann's panties were in the "URN" and that's what gave the "URN" its power!!
I was on Honky Tonk Man's radio show last year sometime and I was going on after Percy and I called in early to listen to him. To me, he didn't sound good. He sounded sick and his magnificent sense of humor really sounded labored and I was concerned.
I knew how much he loved his wife and had the feeling that her death would hit him hard and had thoughts of him kind of giving up a little bit on life in general.
That really stuck in my head and when I saw that he was coming to Chicago, I knew I had to get there to see my friend for probably the last time. I got to make my friend laugh one last time and embrace him.
I truly, truly loved Percy as I haven't had many people in the business nor in life that believed in me as my friend did.
There's many more times that Percy tried to get me hired by WWE, but I've gone on long enough.
In wrestling, people refer to each other as "brother" and most of the time there's nothing behind it. Percival Pringle III was my brother! And I will always be eternally grateful that I had him in my life.
Love you Percy! Please hug Billy Joe Travis, and Mike Davis, Ronnie Gossett, Chris Adams, Tojo [ Yamamoto ], Louie Spicolli, Timmy Renesto, and all the rest of them for me.
I'll see you again my friend!! And kiss that lovely wife of yours for me!! (on the cheek!)