Bill Apter, one of wrestling’s most prolific historians, is remembering one of the bedrock characters in WWE’s lineage.
On the latest edition of Wrestling with History, Bill Apter and Ken Resnick talked about their time with WWE Hall of Famer ‘Captain’ Lou Albano. They touched on his early career, his love of drinking, the reason for his rubber bands, and much more. Here are some highlights sent by VOC Nation:
Apter on Albano’s career aspirations: “He wanted to be like Bruno (early in his career) but he wound up being one of Bruno’s most hated rivals… Albano, the (Grand) Wizard, and Fred Blassie were constantly feeding guys to try and beat either Bruno or Pedro Morales back then, and Albano was involved in one of the greatest moments in pro wrestling history – the night that Ivan Koloff beat Bruno Sammartino in front of 21,000 fans at Madison Square Garden. Albano was the manager (of Ivan Koloff).”
Apter on Albano being part of the WWWF office: “He was actually not an official part of Vince Sr’s office, but he was an unofficial part (of the office). He used to hang out with Vince, Gorilla, and Arnold Skaaland at the old Holland Hotel wrestling office; they would all smoke and play cards and everything, and he was part of that group.”
Apter on why Albano wore the rubber band earrings on his face: “He was very strong into the fight against multiple sclerosis with Cyndi Lauper. He said that he would wear these things in his cheeks until (MS) was cured.”
Check out the full episode embedded below:
