William and Michael started training for professional wrestling, mostly working out in the backyard ring of mutual friend Lennie Hawkins, whom they befriended at the matches.


We trained to wrestle together, and if you saw one of us, you saw the other. We worked together at a local ambulance service, which eventually lead to my career in the funeral business.


After high school graduation in 1972, I enlisted in the Air Force during the final years of the Vietnam war. I was blessed that I didn’t have to see any of the horrible battles. Staying stateside I was able to begin my professional wrestling training. Believe it or not, I was in the best shape of my life. I was in the gym or the ring almost every day. I was young, and hungry to live my dreams.


I had my first professional match in Greenville, Alabama in 1974. Even though it was a small VFW hall, with only 50 or 60 fans in attendance, that didn’t matter whatsoever. I might has well been in Madison Square Garden. Working under a hood as Mister X, I went against Michael Hendrich.


My debut should have been easy since I was wrestling a friend, and my workout partner. But, I was scared to death. I will never forget those knots in my stomach. I lost, of course. I even got a $20 payoff. But none of that mattered, I was a ‘rassler!


Back in the day, independent organizations were called “outlaw” territories. I wrestled for those promoters all over the Southeast, while continuing to serve in the military. I was discharged from the Air Force in 1976, and immediately went to work as a licensed apprentice funeral director and embalmer, while attending college at night. I continued to wrestle under names like The Embalmer, The Mortician and Dr. Rigor Mortis.





Michael went on to law school, eventually becoming a lawyer. He wrestled during the summer, particularly in the Memphis and the Gulf Coast area. He went on to the assistant principle of a middle school in the Mobile area.


Lennie worked around the Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling territory, selling tickets, setting up the ring, and doing anything he could to live his dream. Eventually, he found his way into professional wrestling, where he had a very long career.