Portland Wrestling Complete Show 9/7/1985 You Tube Video + Program

 This is probably the second or third time I'd gotten to go to the Sports Arena. The S&S Express were my favorite team! Steve Simpson was my favorite wrestler. The first night we went to the Sports Arena, we waited in the parking lot after the matches to get autographs. Steve and Ricky Vaughn were riding together, and after we got their autographs, we went running back to my mom's car. I slipped and fell. Steve Simpson jumped out of the car, ran over to check on me, scooped me up (I was 9), and carried me to the car. After that, he was my favorite!

M- "Diamond" Timothy Flowers v Steve Pardee M- Chris Colt v Scott Doring I- "Miller Steiner Connection" Mike Miller & Karl Steiner M- Fall One "The S&S Express" Steve Simpson & "Jumpin'" Joe Savoldi v "Miller Steiner Connection" Mike Miller & Karl Steiner I- Bobby Jaggers, Ricky Vaughn, Mackenzie King MDA Poster Child M- Fall Two "The S&S Express" Steve Simpson & "Jumpin'" Joe Savoldi v "Miller Steiner Connection" Mike Miller & Karl Steiner T- Ric Flair v Doug Vines (Promoting Upcoming Extravaganza) M- Fall Three "The S&S Express" Steve Simpson & "Jumpin'" Joe Savoldi v "Miller Steiner Connection" Mike Miller & Karl Steiner I- "The S&S Express" Steve Simpson & "Jumpin'" Joe Savoldi

My Portland Wrestling VHS collection was digitized by Rich Patterson. Thanks, Rich! He has an external hard drive of over 500 hours of Portland Wrestling available for sale. For more info, email: portlandwrestlingvideo@yahoo.com Fans of Portland Wrestling group on Facebook:   / 90520880828   Visit Kerby's Classic Portland Wrestling merch shop. https://classicportlandwrestling.bigc... And his Instagram:   / classicportlandwrestling   Matt has the most Portland Wrestling available on YouTube at:    / @ringoffireprowrestling   And a fantastic Facebook Group:   / portlandwrestling  

Magazine Article - "Don't Compare Me To The Von Erichs!" January 1987 Pro Wrestling Illustrated

When Steve Simpson left Portland, he arrived in World Class Championship Wrestling

in Dallas, TX.  The territory was full of Von Erich brothers, and it probably wasn't easy to

get over with the fans, but he did it!

 

My Portland Wrestling Collection Wall

This is my little wall of Portland Wrestling. Mostly 80s era. 

The hat, VHS, Sandy Barr's flea Market bag and sticker, and yellow Tom Peterson coloring book

 are all from Kerby Strom's shop @classicportlandwrestling. 

https://classicportlandwrestling.bigcartel.com/

The Portland Wrestling Encyclopedia, Roddy Piper and Grappler books

 are all available on Amazon and I highly recommend them all. 

Of course, this isn't the entire collection, but what I have room to display. 

Let me know what you think.

 

Portland Wrestling on Ebay! Vintage Photos!

Some really neat vintage photos have come up on ebay today!

They look to be 70s - mid 80s.

 Playboy Buddy Rose Vintage Photo Lot

&

Vintage 8x10 Original Portland Wrestling Photo Lot

Autographs from Portland Wrestling in 1985!

Autograph sessions were a big deal at the Sports Arena.  When they announced them they always seemed to draw a larger crowd, even though there always seemed to be a guy or two out a the table almost every Saturday night. No better way to sell your merch! We started going to the Sports Arena in 1985.  Some of these could have been from my very first event! 
 

Portland Wrestling Program - Portland Sports Arena - September 21, 1985

 

Portland Wrestling Program - Saturday, September 7, 1985

 

1985 Wrestling Buttons ~ Steve Simpson, Ricky Vaughn & The S&S Express

1985 was the first year I ever went to a live wrestling event at the Portland Sports Arena.

Obviously, I had the time of my life and couldn't wait to go back as often as possible!

Throughout 1985 I collected these pins from the biggest stars of the day, Ricky Vaughn(left), Steve Simpson(right), and the S & S Express, which was Steve Simpson and "Jumpin'" Joe Savoldi.

 

WWF Tries to Invade Portland Wrestling! ~ 1985 Program

I don't know the exact date of this program, but I am sure it is 1985.  That is the first year

that I started going to the Sports Arena.  This might even be my first show!  It is interesting that

in 1985, Don Owen was concerned about Vince McMahon invading his territory.  I was guilty of going to some of those WWF shows that came here to Portland.  Sorry, Don!

(To see the images larger, click on them or right-click to save them to your computer.)

Ricky Vaughn later wrestled in World Class as Lance Von Erich.

He wasn't a Von Erich, but he looked like them.

I would NOT have walked around the Sports Arena in bare feet!!!!

RIP Steve Doll December 9, 1960-March 22, 2009

Steve Doll and I in 1991?

     I first saw Steve Doll wrestle on WCCW(World Class Championship Wrestling) when I was 10, in 1986.  I was home sick from school, and we had just gotten cable that morning.  It was a magical day.  There were cartoons on after Rambilin' Rod!  This cable was an amazing new universe.  Having been a wrestling fan for a few years already, but not really having any idea about anything besides Portland Wrestling, and maybe some WWF, I was intrigued by the NWA and WCCW. 
     I was super excited to see my old favorite Steve Simpson.  He had left Portland in 1985, and I figured he would be on WWF the next week, but no luck.  He was tagging with this blond guy with zebra-striped tights and a huge grin.  He just looked happy to be there.  He was high energy and high-flying.  I liked him instantly.  I set my VCR to record WCCW each week so that I could see him lose to one guy after another.  I could tell he was improving, and he even won a few matches in early 1987. 
    Unfortunately, he disappeared from WCCW TV.  I was so disappointed when I hadn't seen him in a few weeks.
    For my 11th birthday, we had planned a trip to the Sports Arena. June 13, 1987,  was the closest Kids Free Night to my birthday. 
     After my mom paid Mark Owen her $6, and got tickets for 11 kids, I went right to the photo stand and bought a Lucky Number program for $1.  On the inside, it said, "We Welcome Newcomer Steve Doll!"  WOW!!!!!  I was so excited.  My favorite wrestler, here for real!
   I got a picture I had purchased signed.  In the photo, he was wearing the first zebra tights I had ever seen him in.  He gave me a wink and a hug, and I fell deep into 11-year-old puppy love! 
     After this night, I was at the Sports Arena EVERY week.  I babysat during the week so that I could afford both my mom's and my ticket plus gas to go.  I rarely missed a night at the Sports Arena until it closed in 1993.

Steve Doll autographed photo from a 1988 autograph session.

     In the following years, my friends had New Kids on the Block or Kirk Cameron on their walls at home.  I had Steve Doll!  Every photo he sold, I bought. And I worked some LONG babysitting hours to afford it!
     Steve was always sweet to me, even though I probably bugged the SH*T out of him.  I waited after the arena, walked by his house; he lived in my neighborhood, hounded him for autographs and photos every week at the arena.
    Thank you, Steve, for making a tough childhood better, for giving me something to look forward to every week, for always being willing to give me a warm hug, for tolerating me for all of those years.  I miss you.

Steve Doll's Obituary in The Tennessean

Good Article about Steve Doll's Career

My First Trip to the Sports Arena 1985

The S & S Express Steve Simpson and Jumpin' Joe Savaldi

     My first trip to the Portland Sports Arena was in 1985.  I wanted to have a sleep over so I was mad about going. Boy do I sound like a whiny kid!  It was kids free night and we were poor so that was our only chance to go.  Mom packed up the kids and little did she know that she would be making this trip so many times in the future. 
     The first thing you see after you walked under the 7Up Sports Arena sign was some wrestler photos in the entry and then a huge painting of Andre the Giant.  We all assumed it was life size and it looked ENORMOUS to little kids.  That's pretty much all it took.  That Andre painting.  I was hooked before I even walked past the ticket counter that was no doubt manned by Mark Owen.
     The smokey haze in the air, the stale popcorn, grouchy security guards that didn't want kids running around, loud music and non-stop action just got to me and after that night I couldn't get enough.
     I spent all of the money I had on this S & S Express button that night.  I also lost my voice screaming things like , "Break It!  Break It!'  and "Whale on the Beach!"