Errrr, Isn't Ron Simmons Still Alive? DAMN!

[Cybersophist]

’81 Draft Trivia: The Browns drafted a future NWA superstar in the fourth round, one more highly-touted coming out of college than Eddie Johnson; the late Ron Simmons, a linebacker from Florida State.

From Wikipedia:

In 2006, during a rebroadcast of FSU vs Oklahoma in the 1981 Orange Bowl on Sun Sports, Ron stated that since that time he has retired from wrestling action, but would like to continue or even improve his role with the WWE. Starting in October 2006, he began making short appearances on RAW just to say his catchphrase "Damn!", and eventually started wearing a shirt with the catchphrase.

On the November 20, 2006 edition of RAW, Simmons was chosen by Ric Flair to replace the injured Roddy Piper at the Survivor Series to take on the Spirit Squad. He was the first to be eliminated, via countout. He was seen in the ring with Chris Masters in the Masterlock Challenge on the January 15, 2007 edition of RAW, a confrontation which ended prematurely after interference from Super Crazy. He has since then been used at the end of backstage segments, saying his trademark "Damn!" catchphrase in many different ways.

He just acted like he was dead for his short stint with the Cleveland Browns.

[hermanfontenot]

DOH!!!!!

That's my bust. Either I'd heard somewhere that Ron Simmons (from Warner-Robins, Georgia) was dead, or I'm so used to pro wrestlers dropping like flies I just kind of assumed it.

Either way, mea fucking culpa and thanks for pointing it out. Shit.

[jfiling]

Heck, when I saw Ron Simmons in that article for some reason in my head I was thinking of Butch Reed instead, but Reed is still alive also. He was a NFL player briefly for the Chiefs, but he's still no Farooq.

[Cybersophist]

Ernie 'The Big Cat' Ladd of the Kansas City Chiefs died recently. He wrestled in Cleveland throughout the early seventies; most notably at the old Cleveland Arena.

Someone was actually crazy enough to list all of his Cleveland matches

http://www.prowrestlingdaily.com/module ... e&sid=6330


His most famous Cleveland match was most likely THIS one...

August 12, 1972 @ Cleveland Municipal Stadium – WRESTLING SUPERBOWL* Brass Knuckles Match: Abdullah the Butcher defeats Ernie Ladd – DQ!

[BruceK]

Was thinking about old time pro wrestling yesterday -- because WMJI played the song "Classical Gas" which is the theme music Channel 43 used back in the 60's for their in-studio wrestling show -- shows where Johnny Powers was almost always hit over the head with a metal folding chair.