Chappell:
Another well-kept secret, is
that Doug Gilbert was the man
under the hood of Spoiler # 1.
Gilbert had been wrestling in
the area under his own name and
without a mask prior to his
transformation into Spoiler # 1.
What are your thoughts and
opinions on Gilbert as a tag
team partner?
Left:
Doug Gilbert, the man behind the
mask of Spoiler #1
Right:
Spoiler #1 and Spoiler #2 in
Richmond VA
(Bill
Janosik photos)
Vachon:
He was a wonderful partner.
Chappell:
Why was Gilbert chosen for
the role as Spoiler # 1?
Vachon:
He was willing; others were
not.
Chappell:
You were highly involved on
a day that will never be
forgotten by Mid-Atlantic
Wrestling fans…the day of the
October 4, 1975 plane crash in
Wilmington, NC. You and Spoiler
# 1 were scheduled to wrestle
Danny Miller and Bob Bruggers on
that Wilmington card. Bruggers,
of course, was in the crash.
Take us through that roller
coaster of a night in
Wilmington, and how the matches
were conducted that fateful
night.
Vachon:
I traveled from [Richmond],
VA, and arrived late. I wrestled
three times that night.
Chappell:
As could certainly be
expected, the territory was
devastated after the plane
crash. Describe the territory
immediately after the crash.
Vachon:
Johnny Valentine never
wrestled again. Fans and
coworkers were devastated!
Chappell:
With the area’s two top
heels, Valentine and Flair,
going down in the crash, you
certainly were important in
picking up the slack, so to
speak. From October until the
end of the year, you wrestled
all of the territory’s top
babyfaces. Let me ask you about
several. First off, what was it
like wrestling the late Chief
Wahoo McDaniel?
Spoiler
#2 battles Wahoo McDaniel (Bill
Janosik photo)
Vachon:
I managed to escape with my
scalp!!
Chappell:
Both before and after the
plane crash, you wrestled ‘Mr.
Wrestling,’ Tim Woods. At that
time, Woods was wrestling
without a mask. What are your
recollections of the late Tim
Woods?
Vachon:
Mad Dog suggested the mask.
Woods was a great wrestler, but
lacked facial expressions.
Chappell:
Woods was banged up pretty
badly, but he still continued to
wrestle soon after he was
injured in the plane crash. You
were one of his early opponents
after the crash. How badly hurt
was Woods when he got into the
ring so soon after the crash?
Vachon:
The injuries he sustained
were serious, but he was in good
physical shape and recovered
enough to keep going.
Chappell:
You had a number of battles
against the ultra popular Rufus
R. ‘Freight Train’ Jones.
How was it being in the ring
with the unorthodox Rufus Jones?
Vachon:
Wonderful guy, but VERY unorthodox.
Chappell:
Rufus was a large man, but
you were much bigger. You were
introduced in the Mid-Atlantic
area as weighing 345 pounds. Was
that about right?
Vachon:
Yes, this is true.
Chappell:
You certainly used your
weight to your advantage. I
remember you jumping onto your
opponent’s stomach with both
feet to take the air out of him,
and then finishing him off with
the Stomach Claw. Was the
Stomach Claw the favorite
finishing maneuver for Spoiler #
2?
Vachon:
Yes.
Chappell:
The Stomach Claw worked well
for you?
Vachon:
I found it to be quite
effective.
Chappell:
You and Spoiler # 1
continued to wrestle as a team
into the fall of 1975. You two
faced various combinations of
top-flight tag team talent such
as Wahoo, Rufus, Ken Patera,
Woods and Paul Jones. But the
team the Spoilers faced most
often was a young duo that was
getting quite a push at the
time, Steve Keirn and Tiger
Conway, Jr. What do you recall
about the tag matches with those
youngsters?
Vachon:
They were superlative. Tiger
Conway, Sr. and I have remained
good friends.
Chappell:
How would you rate the
Keirn/Conway combination?
Vachon:
Superb.
Chappell:
The Spoiler’s tag team
seemed to be de-emphasized as
the fall of 1975 wore on, and
some new talent came into the
territory on the heel side.
Blackjack Mulligan, Angelo
Mosca, Steve Strong and
Superstar Billy Graham all came
into the area as heels soon
after the plane crash. Why do
you think the tag team of
Spoiler’s # 1 and # 2 petered
out relatively quickly? Was it
due in part to this influx of
new talent that was brought in?
Vachon:
There was an inner circle, a
clique, that we were not part
of.
Chappell:
When the veteran Johnny
Weaver returned to the area
later in the fall of 1975, you
had a number of bouts with him.
What is your opinion of Weaver?
Vachon:
I have no opinion of him.
Not impressed either way.
Chappell:
Your last program as Spoiler
# 2, and probably your biggest,
was in late December 1975 and
early January 1976, when you
wrestled in a series of ‘Mask
versus U.S. Title’ matches
against United States
Heavyweight Champion Paul Jones.
Tell us about wrestling the much
smaller Paul Jones.
Spoiler
#2 and Paul Jones had several
"Mask vs. US Title"
bouts. (R: Bill Janosik photo)
Vachon:
Pound for pound, Paul Jones
was ‘THE BEST’ in his prime.
Paul Jones was an all-time
great.
Chappell:
Jones prevailed in those
‘Mask versus Title’ bouts,
which ended your run in the
Crockett area. Do you recall
anything in particular about the
matches where you had to unmask,
such as in the area’s big
towns of Greensboro, Richmond
and Greenville?
Vachon:
It was something of a relief
to unmask. Definitely a lot
cooler!
Left:
Paul Jones tries to rip the mask
off Spoiler #2.
Right:
Spoiler #2 retaliates by trying
rip the head off Paul Jones!
(Bill
Janosik photos)
Chappell:
After unmasking in several
towns and leaving the territory,
you never returned and wrestled
in the Mid-Atlantic area. Why
not?
Vachon:
The business took me
elsewhere, and I loved to
travel.
Chappell:
What is your most lasting
memory about wrestling in the
Mid-Atlantic area as Spoiler #
2?
Vachon:
I enjoyed my time there.
Good camaraderie and southern
hospitality.
Chappell:
Does it surprise you that so
many people still remember
Spoiler # 2, despite his
relatively brief stay in
Mid-Atlantic Championship
Wrestling….and that people
still speculate about who was
under the hood of Spoiler # 2?
Vachon:
Yes, it is surprising. I’m
glad I touched some lives and
left an impression.
Chappell:
Well, the Gateway really
appreciates your ‘unmasking’
for us almost 29 years after
Spoiler # 2 first appeared in
the Mid-Atlantic area! Thank you
so much for answering some
questions about Spoiler # 2 and
Paul ‘The Butcher’
Vachon’s time in Jim Crockett
Promotions.
Vachon:
Merci, it has been a damn
pleasure!
*
* * * * *
SPECIAL
NOTE:
At Spoiler #
2’s request, this interview
was conducted by written
questions posed in advance, and responded to in
writing in kind by Spoiler # 2.
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