Wrestling legend Verne Gagne investigated in death of man, 97

pioneer press ^ | 2-19-09 | staff

[WOBBLY BOB]

Minnesota wrestling legend Verne Gagne is under investigation in the death of a fellow resident at a Bloomington care facility, a local television station is reporting. Police said Gagne, 82, threw his roommate, Helmut R. Gutmann, 97, to the floor on Jan. 26, breaking his leg and injuring his head, according to KMSP-TV. Gutmann was treated for his injuries, but was later rehospitalized, the station said. He died Saturday.

[OneVike]

I was raised in Duluth. I left in "73" when I joined the Thomas Shows. After the carnival season ended I went home until November when I joined the Army. Been back three times since, and the last time was in "82".

I still have two brothers living there. Well one lives in Cloquet.

[gogeo]

D@mn...face burn!

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I was GM of the bunkering operation in Duluth/Superior and three locations on the North Shore. We served 60 American and 60 Canadian boats and about a dozen Salties that came in through the St. Lawrence with a small fueling tanker. Most of our biz was heavy oils.

[Fireone]

Minnesota: Kenny “Sodbuster” Jay, Buck “Rock n Roll” Zumhoff, Stan “killer” Kowalski, Jim “Baron von” Raschke,
Vern, Gregg Gagne, Jim Brunzell, Jesse Ventura, and last, but not least.... The Crusher.

[OneVike]

Are you retired? If so, where do you reside now?

[OneVike]

I noticed you became a member at the beginning like me. In Free Republic terms we are the "Old Timers". LOL.

Interesting that we both have Duluth on our list of old stomping grounds.

I used to enjoy standing at the top of Duluth on Skyline Drive while watching the boats come and go under the Ariel Lift bridge.

Swimming in Lake Superior off Park Point during the summer used to always give me ear aches due to the frigid water. Even in July the water is frigid.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Not retired but I can see it from here.
I live at Lake of the Ozarks in mid-Missouri. Still brokering heavy oil.

[RichInOC]

I may be a bad person, but I read this and started hearing Ric Flair saying “In order to be the man...you’ve got to beat the man!”

[WOBBLY BOB]

WOOOOO!

[reagan_fanatic]

LOL - I wonder how that guy’s face felt right after that.

[Pusterfuss]

I remember The Crusher and the Bruiser going against the hated Soviet brothers, I forgot their names,

Ivan and Karol Kalmikov.

[OneVike]

Ivan and Karol Kalmikov That's the commies! LOL.

Ahhh, the memories come flooding in like the Mississippi overflowing its banks in springtime.

I remember the Crusher had his leg broken by Dr. X. During his supposed rehab he had a picture taken of himself carrying a keg of beer on his shoulder as he jogged around Milwaukee.

He came back and broke Dr X's leg for good measure. Then Dr X went to Japan and learned a new maneuver. It was a devastating knee kick that was supposed to put a guy out for the count.

Yeah, those were the days when I was naive and thought wrestling was real.

I also believed Hubert Humphrey was the new Messiah who was going to make Duluth great again. At least that is what my Social Studies teacher Sam Solon told us in class.

[iowamark]

Sad, sad story. Both men had Alzheimer's disease.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Sad. RIP.

[CounterCounterCulture]

As always, if you'd like ON or OFF my wrasslin' ping list, let me know

[daler]

Uh, you left out an important descriptive phrase...

THE VERY CAPABLE Kenny "Sodbuster" Jay.

He must have had "Mad Dog" Vachone and Nick Bockwinkel down for the two-count at least a dozen times each, before losing every time.

I don't believe the man ever won a match.

Likewise for George "Scrap Iron" Gadaskie.

[daler]

I believe both Curt and Larry “The Axe” Hennig were from Minnesota, as well as “Luscious Lars” Anderson.

[AppyPappy]

Yep. Curt RIP

[WorkingClassFilth]

You forgot the Vashon (SP) brothers - Mad Dog and Butcher. Kenny J still lives in Bloomington - he was great - always getting his head bashed in when they needed a guy to beat to show the bad guys as cruel and viscious. When I was a kid, I was at the ‘Battle Royale’ match where Dr. X came out of the audience for his debut. Great days - midget wrestlers, women wrestlers and all kinds of mayhem.

[NewRomeTacitus]

Do you remember the promo Crusher and Bruiser did where Crusher turned around and inadvertently revealed that the keg was sawed off and empty? If anyone of the crew caught it they were too spineless to ask a re-shoot so it was aired that way. Priceless!

Hopefully Fred Blassie tracked down every one of those pencil-necked geeks and put them out of everyone’s misery.

And your Social Studies teacher was a Mark for liberalism. But you knew that. Unlike wrestling fans, liberals suspend disbelief for nearly all aspects of their lives.