Posted on by bdamage1
Brian Damage
This is the 482nd installment of the ‘Wrestling with Sin‘ series. A group of stories that delves into the darker, underbelly of pro wrestling. Many of the stories involve such subjects as sex, drugs, greed and in some cases even murder! As with every single story in the Sin series, I do not condone or condemn the alleged participants. We simply retell their stories by researching interviews, newspapers, magazines and various other sources of media.
Peaches and Cream
Wrestler Brickhouse Brown told a story of how he was wrestling down in the Continental territory run by Robert Fuller in the 1980’s. According to Brown…Fuller and his then wife/valet Miss Sylvia had a terrible cocaine habit. Brickhouse served as a liaison between Fuller and his wife and his drug dealer friend/roommate…a large man nicknamed ‘Peaches.’ Brown stated that Peaches was a big wrestling fan and wanted to get into the business himself.
Robert Fuller allegedly promised to train Peaches and secure a spot for him in his promotion in exchange for cocaine. So Peaches allegedly supplied the Fullers with drugs free of charge with the promise they would make him a pro wrestler. As time went on, Brown claims that Robert Fuller began avoiding Peaches and his numerous phone calls without living up to his end of the deal.
One night, after a show, Brickhouse Brown returned to his apartment and discovered Peaches allegedly having sex with Miss Sylvia. Allegedly, Miss Sylvia began sleeping with Peaches, to help pay off the cocaine debts her and her husband amassed over time. Brown and Robert Fuller were good friends and wanted to tell him what his wife was up to…but did not because he didn’t want to break his heart.
Sharkey’s Shakedown
Famed pro wrestler/trainer/promoter Eddie Sharkey found himself in some serious trouble back in 1987. The alleged incident took place in Eau Claire, Wisconsin at the office of a fellow wrestling promoter named David Strecker. According to reports, Sharkey was managing a team called ‘The Terminators’ in which he trained. Sharkey argued with Strecker over how much his team were to be paid for wrestling at an outdoor event in May of ’87.
The argument soon turned to an alleged assault, where Sharkey beat up Strecker using fists, a beer bottle and a metal pipe. Sharkey allegedly assaulted Strecker repeatedly until he met with Sharkey’s demands for compensation. Sharkey was arrested and eventually found guilty of extortion. Two and a half years later, in a civil trial…Sharkey was once again found guilty in the case for assault. He was ordered to pay Strecker a sum of $35,000 for Strecker’s pain and suffering. The key witnesses in that case were from the team that Sharkey managed in the Terminators…who were present when the assault occurred.
Getting Schooled
Bryan Danielson enrolled and trained initially at Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy back in 1999. Danielson recalled how he was primarily trained by Rudy Gonzalez and not Shawn Michaels. Danielson said that while Michaels was at the training facility almost everyday, he wasn’t always there mentally. Michaels showed up and help train the students, especially when news crews or media photographers were in attendance.
Danielson remembers seeing Michaels enter the school in the morning with sunglasses on and just sit down on a chair and few minutes later completely pass out. This became somewhat of a pattern for Michaels at the Academy. A young, naive Danielson just figured that Michaels was out drinking the night before. In reality, Michaels was in the middle of a serious addiction with pain pills. At the time, Danielson had no idea about the horror stories involving painkiller addictions and professional wrestling.
Strike While The Iron Is Not…Home
‘Iron’ Mike Sharpe…the self proclaimed ‘Canada’s Greatest Athlete’…worked for the World Wrestling Federation from 1983 until 1995. In that time frame, while traveling on the road with the company, Iron Mike’s then girlfriend (A woman named Willa) left him with no explanation. That in itself wasn’t the worst part of the story. According to friend and fellow wrestler Mario Mancini….Wilma stole everything from his home while he was away.
Mancini recalled an absolutely devastated Iron Mike calling all of his friends asking for the whereabouts of his girlfriend. Sharpe seemed more concerned that this woman who ripped him off of everything he owned…was missing than the fact she robbed him blind. Mancini said that was the kind of person Sharpe was. He was a very kind individual, that never really had any issues with anybody and was generally well liked.