Boogie:
Yes, yes…this is going on
our 17th year here at Boogie’s Wrestling Camp and Hall of
Fame Museum. My wife Angel and myself broke ground here in September
of 1992, and our first graduating class was in September of 1993.
September 14th,
will be our sixteenth graduating class!
Chappell:
How time flies!
Boogie:
We’re really proud of
this, and it’s something we put together ourselves. You know, people
came all throughout my career asking me, ‘How do you get into
professional wrestling…how do you do this?’
Chappell:
Yep, I bet you’ve gotten
hit with that question a time or two!
Boogie:
When I started out, Dave,
it was a very close knit fraternity of wrestlers. It was almost
impossible to get in.
The only way you
could get in was if one of the pros, the old-timers, would bring you
in. And introduce you, and then they would accept you and take you
under their wing. They’d accept you if you weren’t a wise-guy, you
know!
Chappell:
Being a wise-guy wouldn’t
get you too far, I wouldn’t think…
Boogie:
If you were a hard guy
and, you know, real cocky, that didn’t go over. Hey, be cocky in the
ring when you go out there…but not cocky when you’re in the dressing
room and believing your own publicity!
But if they
accepted you brother, then they brought you in…you were in. But if
they didn’t, believe me brother, you wouldn’t have a chance!
Chappell:
I believe it!
Boogie:
Because for one thing the
old-timers, brother, they had the cauliflower ears and the twenty
inch necks, and man, they’d actually hurt you!
Chappell:
Stretching the newbies!
Boogie:
They’d break your arm;
break your leg; break your neck. Man, you know, you would leave our
business running out the door with your tail between your legs…
Chappell:
You were either broken
in…or left broken!
Boogie:
You bet! Either broke in,
or you were gonna be broken, right! If you didn’t make it, you were
gonna be running with your tail between your legs like a scalded
dog!
Chappell:
So, against that backdrop,
you and Angel started BWC…
Boogie:
Yes, Angel and I started
this for the kids, because I had a great career over forty years. I
wrestled over 10,000 matches, drove four million miles over U.S.
highways getting to the matches.
So, man, now I’m
here…and all I want to be is a goodwill ambassador for professional
wrestling. Helping my kids live out their dreams! Making their
dreams come true…and you can make it happen right here at BWC!
Chappell:
You sure had a storybook
career, Boogie…
Boogie:
I’m here for the
kids…everything is for the kids. I call them kids, but I’ve got guys
starting out thirty, forty, fifty years old wanting to do something
in our business!
Chappell:
Your kids are all ages!
Boogie:
Hey, if it’s a referee,
announcer, timekeeper, put up the ring, take the jackets back,
valet, manager and of course a wrestler…you can learn everything
right here at BWC.
Chappell:
Tell us about the BWC
facilities…they’re very impressive!
Boogie:
We have a number of
different buildings as you can see Dave. We have the Hall of Fame,
the Auto Museum and it’s all right here. We’ve done this, as
something to give back to professional wrestling. Professional
wrestling has been so good to me, Dave. Angel and I put this
together. It’s my dream, our dream, together to do this…not only for
the kids that want to break in and train and be in the professional
wrestling business, but for FANS, all over the world!
Chappell:
This is really a must see
for any professional wrestling fan, that’s for sure!
Boogie:
We’re only open on
Sundays, 52 Sundays a year from 12 noon to 4:00. We’re only open at
that time. The big gates open then.
I want to invite
everyone on your site, who is reading this now, to come and be our
guest. And the good part about this, Dave, is when you come Sunday
as a fan, you have full access to every building.
Chappell:
And there are LOTS of
buildings.
Boogie:
You can come in and enjoy
everything the whole day, and watch the kids train. We have matches
you can see. And the good part about this…it’s free!
Chappell:
Sure as heck can’t beat
that price!
Boogie:
Everything’s free! So you
come to Boogie’s Wrestling Camp/Hall of Fame Museum any Sunday…
Chappell:
And you’re very easy to
find. Exit 118 off Interstate 81 in Virginia towards Shawsville.
About 8 miles to Alleghany Springs Road…hang a right and go six
miles. The Camp is on the left. Those directions
good?
Boogie:
Oh yes, brother. Please come, be
our guest, and it won’t cost you a dime. Spend the day with us!
Chappell:
If someone wants to be
trained by the legendary Jimmy Valiant, what’s the process?
Boogie:
Okay, you just show up,
and we’ll give you a tryout. And if you like it, then you can join.
You can go to www.jimmyvaliant.com or you can email me at
boogie@usit.net. And you can find me on MySpace at
www.myspace.com/boogiemanjimmyvaliant.
Everything is at
www.jimmyvaliant.com including a map, and Dave you used that,
and had no problem getting here, right?
Chappell:
No problems at all!
Boogie:
So…please everybody come,
and be part of this!
THE HALL OF
FAME MUSEUM: CONTINUED IN PART 2
BUY BOOGIE'S
BOOK | MID-ATLANTIC
GATEWAY
©
2008 Mid-Atlantic Gateway |