Rings and Not

There were many times we would have minor things happen, like a top rope popping out in one corner from one of these big guys being thrown hard into the turnbuckles, but things like that were usually easily fixed, even while the match is going on. Then there are the other times like what happened in Hattiesburg, Mississippi one night at the National Guard Armory. It was during a match with Gene Lewis and someone, I cannot remember who for the life of me. I was walking in the back headed for one of the dressing rooms when all of a sudden there was a huge, loud explosion that sounded like a bomb, and I believe the building actually shook. I looked around real quick and saw that everyone had jumped to their feet except for three people. Those three people were Gene Lewis, his opponent and the referee. The damn ring had collapsed big time! I saw a huge puff of dust in the air, the referee hanging onto the sagging ropes trying to pull himself up out of the hole in the center of the ring, but no sign of Gene or the other wrestler. As I was running towards the ring, fearing the worse, I see the two wrestlers heads and shoulders pop up. Thank God they are alive!