Hamilton musician wants pro wrestler Iron Mike immortalized in stone
Posted: Jan 6th 2017 By: Emma Reilly
He was a larger-than-life Hamiltonian: A 6-foot-5, 275-pound giant whose punch felt like it could stop a truck.
Now, another larger-than-life Hamilton character wants to immortalize him.
Comedic rocker B.A. Johnston — whose song catalogue includes titles like "Jesus is from Hamilton" and "Luke Skywalker Is A Whiney Baby" — has started an online petition asking the city to create a statue of late pro wrestler Iron Mike Sharpe.
Johnston says he grew up watching "Iron Mike" on television among wrestling greats like Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage.
"I almost saw him as a symbol of the city itself — kind of like an avatar, or a walking Hamilton," he said. "It symbolized the dirty grittiness. His obliviousness to the fact that he was going to get pummeled was kind of Hamilton."
So far, Johnston has 207 backers on his petition. Johnston also plans to take the petition on his upcoming tour to garner more signatures on the road.
Sharpe made his professional wrestling debut in 1973 and spent years in the ring wearing his trademark black trunks, boots and a leather forearm brace.
After retiring in the mid-'90s, he opened a wrestling school in New Jersey. He returned home to Hamilton, where he struggled with a string of mental and physical issues, living as a recluse in his basement apartment. He died in January 2016 at age 64.
Johnston, who calls his push for the statue a "personal crusade," said he was waiting to get more signatures before he approaches the city with his idea.
"If they don't build a statue, they should find another way to pay tribute to Hamilton legends that aren't with us any more."
The city is no stranger to controversies over statues of famous Hamiltonians. In 2014, former councillor and one-time mayoral candidate Brian McHattie wanted the city to build a $200,000 memorial statue to Teenage Head singer Frankie "Venom" Kerr in Victoria Park.
The idea was scrapped after neighbourhood residents opposed the high price tag and Kerr's drug use, conviction for domestic assault and some unsavoury lyrics.
Johnston's petition can be found at https://www.change.org/p/hamilton-city-council-get-hamilton-to-build-an-iron-mike-sharpe-statue.
Supplemental Information
Latest News
Junkyard Dog: A Tragic Ending for a Wrestling Great
Arguably, no one was more popular in the Mid-South area than Junkyard Dog (or JYD for short). What he didn’t have in ... Read More
The Scoop
NEWS WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash weighed in on the warning sent to AEW by the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission. OSAC alleged that the company had viol... Read More
“Make yourself undeniable” – Bodyslam.net speaks with Walker Stewart of NJPW
In the realm of professional wrestling, I wear two hats – one as a wordsmith for Bodys... Read More
- AEW’s Ricky Starks recalls sneak-eating king cakes, washing cars for money ahead of champions’ homecoming show
- Mickie James on Her Next Chapter In Impact Wrestling & ‘Bound for Glory’
- Ric Flair Interview Recap
- AEW ‘Grand Slam’: Sammy Guevara on His Journey from Working at Taco Bell to Facing Chris Jericho
Upcoming Events
- ASP · May 4 11:30am · Noble
- BPW · May 4 3:00pm · Sapulpa
- WFC · May 4 7:00pm · Broken Arrow
- TexPro · May 4 7:00pm · Ardmore
- EDW · May 5 6:00pm · Tulsa
- NAW · May 10 6:30pm · Salina
- WAH · May 11 6:00pm · Tulsa
- UWO · May 11 6:00pm · Tuttle
- NAW · May 11 6:30pm · Watts (Chewey)
- MHCW · May 17 7:00pm · Seminole
- UWE · May 18 6:00pm · Tahlequah
- EPW · May 18 6:00pm · Oklahoma City
- WAH · May 25 6:00pm · Tulsa
- ASP · May 4 11:30am · Noble
- BPW · May 4 3:00pm · Sapulpa
- EDW · May 5 6:00pm · Tulsa
- EPW · May 18 6:00pm · Oklahoma City
- MHCW · May 17 7:00pm · Seminole
- NAW · May 10 6:30pm · Salina
- NAW · May 11 6:30pm · Watts (Chewey)
- TexPro · May 4 7:00pm · Ardmore
- UWE · May 18 6:00pm · Tahlequah
- UWO · May 11 6:00pm · Tuttle
- WAH · May 11 6:00pm · Tulsa
- WAH · May 25 6:00pm · Tulsa
- WFC · May 4 7:00pm · Broken Arrow
- Mick Foley, Leva Bates, Lex Luger, Milo Beasley, and Ron Simmons · May 24 2:00pm · Oklahoma City Convention Center · Oklahoma City
- Mick Foley, Leva Bates, Lex Luger, Milo Beasley, and Ron Simmons · May 25 10:00am · Oklahoma City Convention Center · Oklahoma City
- Mick Foley, Leva Bates, Lex Luger, Milo Beasley, and Ron Simmons · May 26 10:00am · Oklahoma City Convention Center · Oklahoma City
- Jimmy Hart and Matt Riddle · Aug 10 10:00am · Cox Business Convention Center · Tulsa
- Jimmy Hart and Matt Riddle · Aug 11 11:00am · Cox Business Convention Center · Tulsa
- Jake Hager and Jimmy Hart · Oct 5 10:00am · A. J. Horton Event Center · McAlester
- Jake Hager and Jimmy Hart · Oct 6 10:00am · A. J, Horton Event Center · McAlester
Most Active Members
- Striker
- Michael York
- The Mayne Event
- cphs_sweethearts
- Talon