By
Frank Dusek
Once,
when I was working for Bill Watts, there was a discussion
as to how over the Fantastics were over with the
people of Louisiana. Watts contended that it was the music,
Z.Z. Topps' "Sharp Dressed Man," that set the stage in the
fans' minds for Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers'
legendary ring intros.
When
the music left the speakers,suddenly, fans from all over
the arena would rush to the ringside rail. When The Fantastics
came in, they would travel around the ringside shaking (or
touching) as many of the fans' hands as they could before
entering the ring to wrestle.
To
prove his point, one night in a small show in St. Bernard
Parish, Bill had the announcer cut the music just as The
Fantastics entered the ringside area and started their tour
around the ring.
Just
as Watts had predicted, the fans almost immediately sat
down in the chairs in effect, killing The Fantastics' intro.
In
a way that sounds strikingly similar to what happens on
TV today. Once the glamour of the intro is over, the fans
just sit down.
I
don't think Bill Watts ever realized how over The Fantastics
really were. However, one night in Houston, I was returning
to my room. In the hallway, there were a bevy of ladies,
all beautiful and dressed to the nines.
I
was wondering what was going on when a room door opened.
There was one of The Fantastics escorting two smiling girls
to the door. Once they had left, he asked two more to come
in.
Now
that's over!