Long before the glitz and glamor that is “professional wrestling” today, Memphis, Tennessee, was something of a mecca for the… let’s not call it a sport… for the business. Some of the big names of the day would also appear in small town venues, including the VFW in Kennett, Missouri. From here, I’ll let Michael Spooner share his Brush With Near Greatness:
“For those who may not know, Sputnik Monroe was a celebrated Memphis wrestler in the late 1950’s and 60’s. He, along with many other wrestlers, came to Kennett to fight. I recall, at least in Kennett, no one seemed to like Sputnik since he had this ‘bad guy’ reputation. And for a couple of seasons we, too, did our share of booing Sputnik. Until the day, one Saturday afternoon, when he came to our home as a guest for dinner. This wasn’t a complete surprise since we were warned of his visit. Nevertheless, my sisters and I were shaking in our boots, while at the same time, immensely excited that an ‘almost movie star’ was coming to our house.
Well how did this happen, you ask? First of all, Sputnik and my mother never dated. My mother, however, did date a wonderful guy named Skip Pepper from Memphis for a few years in the late 50’s. At the time Skip owned a Dollar Store in Kennett, located on the north west corner of the town square. Skip knew Sputnik as a friend (we didn’t know this until we learned of his coming to dinner). It was Skip who arranged the visit.”
It’s a shame Michael’s mom never dated Sputnik. A guy could do a lot worse than “My Mom Dated Sputnik Monroe” for the title of an autobiography.
From Sputnik’s Wikipedia entry: On May 4, 2007, HBO announced they would make a movie based on Monroe’s life. On September 6, 2007 Julien Nitzberg confirmed the first draft of the Sputnik movie had been completed. A Los Angeles-based rock band is named after him. More on Sputnik Monroe. And I found this tribute to Sputnik following his death.
If you were with me here at the Coffee Zone, I could demonstrate the Man’s signature “Sputnik Strut.”
Thank you for the great memory. This blog does not get a lot of traffic but comments like yours are the reason I keep it up.
Hello my name is Patricia Burell, when I growing up in the sixties and seventies Sputnik Monroe, better known as my Daddy Rock, was a big part of my life, a lifetime of treasured childhood memories. Sputnik was my Daddy’s best friend and often stayed in our home in Doraville Georgia where I grew up. Daddy Rock often took me to the wrestling matches. Most of the time it was just he and I and I would sit backstage with wrestlers wives. I often traveled from town to town with my daddy Rock from Atlanta Augusta ,Athens ,Macon ,Savannah.. It was a childhood that others dream about kind of like having two daddies that would move mountains for you if that’s what you wanted. I often imitated my daddy rocks strut. Daddy Rock was a wonderful wonderful person a big teddy bear. We often had big meals at our home , at Christmas time and other holidays a big handful of other wrestlers would come eat at my home. Daddy Rock had his own room life is grand back then. I sure miss my daddy and my daddy Rock. Not sure if anybody even gets on this website anymore just wanted to share my childhood memories with someone.
Make that three for the Sputnik Strut…
Ummm..don’t you have one of those really cool Casio digital cameras that shoots really cool video? Do you really think those of us who are out-of-towners should be deprived of seeing you demonstrate the “Sputnik Strut?” Come on…do the strut and share with everyone.
I’ll take a rain check on that Sputnik Strut demo. I can’t wait to see you do it. k