10-Falls with the Legendary
BARON VON RASCHKE
BARON VON RASCHKE
"66 years old and going strong, Baron Von Rashke's career reads like a who's who of professional wrestling. He's wrestled with, for and against almost every name imaginable in the last 40 years of professional wrestling from Dick the Bruiser to Hulk Hogan....held tag titles with Dusty Rhodes....has wrestled against Ric Flair, the Road Warriors, Austin Idol, Vern Gagne, the list is endless. It was a true honor to have the Baron answer my 10-Falls interview. As a child I have seen him wrestle in person a number of times and I hope to get to see him again...he is a TRUE legend in our sport....."--Randy Klemme
1) How long have you been associated with the wrestling business and where did you receive your wrestling training? What organizations have you worked for and are their any you are currently associated with?
BVR: Since 1966. From Vern Gagne-AWA, NWA, WWA, Montreal Organization, Michigan-Farhat Organization, Dallas-Von Erich Organization, New York-WWWF, Charlotte, NC-Crockett Organization. Also German, Austrian and Japanese Organizations, and many others.
2) Who was the toughest person you ever faced in the ring and why?
BVR: The next opponent! Never look back.
3) What are some of your fondest memories of working for Dick the Bruiser in WWA around the Indianapolis area?
BVR: Our son, Karl, was born in Indianapolis, and meeting Bobby Heenan, Mitsui Arakawa, and several other life long friends.
4) Looking back, any regret on things you didn't get to do during your wrestling career?
BVR: I wish I had gone to South Africa, Australia and the Middle East to wrestle, to explore the different cultures.
5) Do you watch any wrestling today in-person or on TV? and what are your thoughts of todays wrestlers and wrestling product in general?
BVR: I try to avoid watching the WWE on TV--I also avoid x-rated movies. I catch some matches when I'm asked to appear on a card to sign autographs. Some of these kids put on a great show. Some of them still know how to tell a story with wrestling. The WWE does not.
6) One thing I remember about the Baron was when he did promo's on TV for his upcoming matches with Sam Menneker.....how difficult was working on TV in those days of early wrestling on TV?
BVR: It was not difficult at all for me. The interviews were one of my specialties, and Sam made it easy.
7) Any good road stories that you can pass along (keep it clean LOL)?
BVR: I'm not a good story teller.
8) You have worked for many if not all of the larger wrestling organizations....who was the best promoter to work for and why?
BVR: Hopefully, some day, the next one.
9) What was the BEST thing and the WORST thing about being a professional wrestler, maybe something that you didn't realize would be that way when you started?
BVR: The best thing was "meeting" The Baron, my alter-ego. The worst things were the money and the miles.
10) If you had to tell someone what it's like being a professional wrestler, what are the three most important things you would tell them?
BVR: Stay in High School. Graduate from college. And if you have to try pro wrestling, don't quit your day job right away.
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The play "The Baron" will open on April 14 at the History Theatre in St. Paul and run to May 20. The email address is www.historytheatre.com and the phone number is 651-292-4323 for tickets. It's a comedy about The Baron's life.
The Baron can be found at his web site www.baronvonraschke.com It has a gift shop, history, photo gallery, and if you click on bookings there is also a link to the History Theatre and some recent interviews with the Baron on UTube.
