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BEARCAT WILKERSON
– Dick Steinborn
July 7, 2008
Bearcat Wilkerson came from Statesboro, Georgia. I’m not sure where he learned how to wrestle. He got in touch with Gunkel
Enterprises and somehow joined the roster.
If anybody was a fan of the TV stars, it was this young man. He was so impressed at the ability of the pros he had watched on TV for so
many years. Now he was part of the team. He was so impressed and showed it so well in the dressing room. He believed beyond belief
that we were magical and super human. Just like a wide-eyed fan sitting in the dressing room.
Veteran wrestler Jesse James decided to pull a rib on the newcomer. Jesse was full of ribs and trivial pursuit.
One night, before I arrived in the dressing room in Savannah, Georgia, Jesse convinced Bearcat that I had the most powerful ability to
smell things from a distance, to be able to correctly call each subject through my nose.
Before I got to the dressing room that night, Jesse told Bearcat that I would prove how strong my nose was, by smelling what Bearcat
would only point to, say about six inches away.
Three coins were placed on a bench: a penny, a nickel and a quarter. They were laid in a line about six inches apart. Bearcat was
supposed to walk up to the coins, extend his arm out , and about three inches from any coin, just to point at his selection, without
touching the coin.
Jesse met me outside the dressing room door. He always had a cigar in his mouth. I was told if the cigar was protruding from the middle
of his mouth, that the coin selection was the middle coin, the cigar to the left, left coin, and right for the right.
I entered the dressing room and the rib was on. When I entered the room, still carrying my wrestling bag, Jesse informed me in front of
all the boys that they were going to test my nose that night. Jesse placed the coins on the bench and explained to Bearcat that I was to
leave the room. Then Bearcat was to point at one of the coins. It happened to be the one on the right.
I know this all sound stupid, but there are some gullible people, still wanting to believe.
I grabbed the Bearcats hand, and brought it up to my nose and examined it like a bloodhound. Just the look in Bearcat’s eyes told
me of a young man in wonderment.
I went over to the coins, and drifted my head over all three of the coins slowly. I then dropped to my knees and repeated the drift from left
to right, and kept zeroing in on the 25 cent piece on the right. “It’s the quarter�, I said.
Of course the rib that night had to be repeated two or three more times, at Bearcat’s request.
Then I got a brainstorm. I told Bearcat, “It’s a gift that I have. And, maybe you have that same gift.� He agreed to the challenge.
He left the dressing room, and no one pointed at the coins.
When he returned, he approached the coins and imitated all my moves, while kneeling down on his right knee. He then stood up and
said it was the middle coin. A few choice words from the other boys, such as, “Fantastic!�, “Unbelievable!�, and then there
was that surprised look on my face when I told Bearcat, “Golly, that’s right! You’ve got the gift!�
– Dick Steinborn
July 7, 2008
Bearcat Wilkerson came from Statesboro, Georgia. I’m not sure where he learned how to wrestle. He got in touch with Gunkel
Enterprises and somehow joined the roster.
If anybody was a fan of the TV stars, it was this young man. He was so impressed at the ability of the pros he had watched on TV for so
many years. Now he was part of the team. He was so impressed and showed it so well in the dressing room. He believed beyond belief
that we were magical and super human. Just like a wide-eyed fan sitting in the dressing room.
Veteran wrestler Jesse James decided to pull a rib on the newcomer. Jesse was full of ribs and trivial pursuit.
One night, before I arrived in the dressing room in Savannah, Georgia, Jesse convinced Bearcat that I had the most powerful ability to
smell things from a distance, to be able to correctly call each subject through my nose.
Before I got to the dressing room that night, Jesse told Bearcat that I would prove how strong my nose was, by smelling what Bearcat
would only point to, say about six inches away.
Three coins were placed on a bench: a penny, a nickel and a quarter. They were laid in a line about six inches apart. Bearcat was
supposed to walk up to the coins, extend his arm out , and about three inches from any coin, just to point at his selection, without
touching the coin.
Jesse met me outside the dressing room door. He always had a cigar in his mouth. I was told if the cigar was protruding from the middle
of his mouth, that the coin selection was the middle coin, the cigar to the left, left coin, and right for the right.
I entered the dressing room and the rib was on. When I entered the room, still carrying my wrestling bag, Jesse informed me in front of
all the boys that they were going to test my nose that night. Jesse placed the coins on the bench and explained to Bearcat that I was to
leave the room. Then Bearcat was to point at one of the coins. It happened to be the one on the right.
I know this all sound stupid, but there are some gullible people, still wanting to believe.
I grabbed the Bearcats hand, and brought it up to my nose and examined it like a bloodhound. Just the look in Bearcat’s eyes told
me of a young man in wonderment.
I went over to the coins, and drifted my head over all three of the coins slowly. I then dropped to my knees and repeated the drift from left
to right, and kept zeroing in on the 25 cent piece on the right. “It’s the quarter�, I said.
Of course the rib that night had to be repeated two or three more times, at Bearcat’s request.
Then I got a brainstorm. I told Bearcat, “It’s a gift that I have. And, maybe you have that same gift.� He agreed to the challenge.
He left the dressing room, and no one pointed at the coins.
When he returned, he approached the coins and imitated all my moves, while kneeling down on his right knee. He then stood up and
said it was the middle coin. A few choice words from the other boys, such as, “Fantastic!�, “Unbelievable!�, and then there
was that surprised look on my face when I told Bearcat, “Golly, that’s right! You’ve got the gift!�
