|
Fans and Legends memories of The Kangaroos
Tag Teams
M.
Norris from Wrestling
Legends - Whatever happened to? writes...
Al
Costello & Roy Heffernan were the original Fabulous
Kangaroos, as everyone has stated.
After
Heffernan left, Al teamed with Roy St. Clair as the
Kangaroos.
After
St. Clair left, Costello teamed with Kurt Von Hess
as "The Internationals". This team proved
to be
short-lived and Costello recruited Don Kent and reformed
the Kangaroos. They were together several
years and parted ways in the mid 1970s when Costello
went into semi-retirement. Costello became a manager
with Eddie Einhorn's IWA group.
When
the IWA folded, Costello reformed the Kangaroos with
Bob Dellaserra (who was billed as Bob Heffernan, nephew
of Roy). After Dellaserra came Mickey Doyle as a Kangaroo,
and again this was short-lived.
The
very last version of the Fabulous Kangaroos was Tony
Charles & Les Thornton, managed by Al Costello.
The
Royal Kangaroos were a totally different team, which
were Jonathan Boyd & Norman Frederick Charles.
The
Scufflin' Hillbillies were almost as confusing as
the Kangaroos.
The
originals were Chuck Conley & Rip Collins. In
the early to mid 1960s a second version was formed
as well. They were Cousin Slim (Marvin Cheatham) &
Cousin Willie (Billy Garrett) who were
managed by Cousin Alfred (???). Many times there would
be mixtures of both teams appearing together, such
as Chuck and Willie, managed by Alfred; or Rip &
Alfred, etc.
The
second version ended in the late 1960s when Garrett
became one of the Interns with Jim Starr,
managed by Ken Ramey. Garrett was later replaced in
the Interns by Tom Andrews, who had been the Claw.
Slim continued to wrestle as Slim Marlin, and then
became a manger under the name Col. Beauregard Van
Buren. Any way, Chuck Conley was injured in an automobile
accident in the late 1960s, and his place on the original
Hillbillies was taken by Vick Nichols. Rip Collins
& Vick Nichols were the last version of the Scufflin'
Hillbillies.
Hope
this wasn't too confusing, but that is the history
of the two teams.
Ernie
from Ridge Wrestling
Legends - Whatever happened to? writes...
Hear
the name Kangaroos in reference to pro wrestling I
only think of Al Costello & Roy Heffernan (and,of
course Wild Red Berry).:)
Ernie from Ridge
Once
again the two Ernies are in total agreement. I had
the distinct pleasure of seeing them in person many
times ( I even caught one of their cardboard boomerangs
once). The night after they won the belts from the
Basteins (Red Bastein and Lou Klein billed as half
brothers) I saw them retain it in a rematch in a high
school gym in Denville, NJ back in the days when pro
wrestling came to the fans and not the other way around
and tickets were in single digits that a kid could
afford. Ernie the other.
Ern
Wrestling
Legends - Whatever happened to? writes...
I haven't had it in years...it pretty much disassembled
from being passed hand to hand in showing it off to
buddies. I remember it well though....it had pics
of the Kangaroos on one side...the printing that was
on it was in red as I remember. It was done on cheap
grey cardboard like used to be used when laundries
did your shirts and the came back folded, starched
to a consistency of concrete and folded around the
cardboard. The reverse side, also in red gave a pitch
for Wrestling Revue. Those were the
days...milk even came in bottles and the cream was
on the top. Must have been mid to late 50s or very
early 60s. Ernie.
*more information on the Wrestling Legends - Whatever
Happened To? website
Links:
Wrestling
Legends - Whatever happened to?
The
Kangaroos
Tag
Team Tributes
Wrestling
Promoters Down Under
|
