10 Wrestling Road Stories That Defy Reality
They're equal parts comedic anecdote and eye-opening cautionary tale, and damn it, they're all so compelling...
8. Ashes To Ashes
Not all crazy wrestling road stories involve men behaving badly. Sometimes the circumstances go beyond the control of the unhinged entertainers themselves, and blame for what happens can be laid upon a natural disaster, and we don't mean John Tenta or Fred Ottman. Take for instance the eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington state in the spring of 1980, a major volcanic event that killed 57 people, caused over a billion dollars in damage, and dropped ash across 11 different US states.
What does this have to do with wrestling? It just so happens that as Mount St. Helens was blowing its stack, Rowdy Roddy Piper and Rick Martel were travelling in Martel's Pontiac Firebird from Portland up to an event in Tacoma when the ash particles in the air greatly reduced their visibility. As the pair came over a hill, they ended up careening right into a jackknifed 18-wheeler, going up to the windshield in the truck's underside, as Martel recalls. Other vehicles joined in the sudden pile-up, and the wrestlers were miraculously unharmed. After assisting other motorists, Piper and Martel hitched a ride in another truck, arriving late to that night's card.
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.
