| VIEW FROM INSIDE THE RING |
HOW GARY HART GOT STARTED
– Dick Steinborn
May 12, 2007
Back in the 1950s-60s, Steve Gob, aka Nicoli Volkoff, and his partner Boris were a formidable heel team in the business. Steve was my
teacher, and he taught me extremely well. He was truly a technician. He was a former Olympic weightlifter for the York, Pennsylvania,
Olympic squad. I turned pro in 1951 and enjoyed my matches with the Volkoffs in a few different territories.
In a far off dressing room one night, someone mentioned Gary Hart. That’s when Steve told this story.
Gary was sitting in the bleachers of an arena somewhere; I believe it was Hammond, Indiana. Steve said that there was a lot of heat in
his tag team finish and that the police had to come to ringside and escort the two Russians back to the dressing room.
Halfway to their destination the three policemen rushed forward to block the fans in front of the dressing room door. That left the back
gate open. Some fan comes running with a chair lifted over his head aiming at Boris from behind. Gary, on his own, sprung into action
and quickly descended the pulled out national guard bleachers and cold-cocked the guy while the chair was in the air.
Steve went on to say that he had just turned to check on his partner when he saw it all go down.
The cops doubled back and grabbed Gary Hart. Steve intervened and brought him to the dressing room for his own safety. When Steve
asked Gary why he did what he did, Gary’s answer was, “It didn’t look fair.� Steve said he asked him if he wanted a job,
and of course Gary agreed. On the next Chicago TV show Gary was sitting at ringside whispering direction to his champion.
Years later I ventured back to Texas after Gary had called me to come in and mingle with the Von Erich family. Mark Lewin was my partner
and Gary was our manager.
We would leave early from Dallas to drive the four-hour trip to Houston. That’s when Gary verified Steve’s story.
I asked Gary if he was smartened up. He told me nobody had told him anything. He kept wanting to pull a leg, but did what he was told
and that was to do nothing. He finally told me when he saw the boys whispering in the ring, he then knew that this business was made
for this street hustler who found his niche in life, on those trips to Houston each week and traveling with the “Dream�.
– Dick Steinborn
May 12, 2007
Back in the 1950s-60s, Steve Gob, aka Nicoli Volkoff, and his partner Boris were a formidable heel team in the business. Steve was my
teacher, and he taught me extremely well. He was truly a technician. He was a former Olympic weightlifter for the York, Pennsylvania,
Olympic squad. I turned pro in 1951 and enjoyed my matches with the Volkoffs in a few different territories.
In a far off dressing room one night, someone mentioned Gary Hart. That’s when Steve told this story.
Gary was sitting in the bleachers of an arena somewhere; I believe it was Hammond, Indiana. Steve said that there was a lot of heat in
his tag team finish and that the police had to come to ringside and escort the two Russians back to the dressing room.
Halfway to their destination the three policemen rushed forward to block the fans in front of the dressing room door. That left the back
gate open. Some fan comes running with a chair lifted over his head aiming at Boris from behind. Gary, on his own, sprung into action
and quickly descended the pulled out national guard bleachers and cold-cocked the guy while the chair was in the air.
Steve went on to say that he had just turned to check on his partner when he saw it all go down.
The cops doubled back and grabbed Gary Hart. Steve intervened and brought him to the dressing room for his own safety. When Steve
asked Gary why he did what he did, Gary’s answer was, “It didn’t look fair.� Steve said he asked him if he wanted a job,
and of course Gary agreed. On the next Chicago TV show Gary was sitting at ringside whispering direction to his champion.
Years later I ventured back to Texas after Gary had called me to come in and mingle with the Von Erich family. Mark Lewin was my partner
and Gary was our manager.
We would leave early from Dallas to drive the four-hour trip to Houston. That’s when Gary verified Steve’s story.
I asked Gary if he was smartened up. He told me nobody had told him anything. He kept wanting to pull a leg, but did what he was told
and that was to do nothing. He finally told me when he saw the boys whispering in the ring, he then knew that this business was made
for this street hustler who found his niche in life, on those trips to Houston each week and traveling with the “Dream�.
| Copyright © Georgia Wrestling History, Inc. All rights reserved. |
