The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America. Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Abrams, the organization hosts an annual reunion dinner which has traditionally been attended by celebrities and other professional athletes. Several historical Hollywood locations have been home to the reunion banquets such as the Masquer's Club, the Roosevelt Hotel and the Old Spaghetti Factory as well as The Riviera and the . Its registered symbol is a solid silver mold of Mazurki’s left ear, which was afflicted by cauliflower ear, a common permanent injury among athletes who compete in violent

contact sport A contact sport is any sport where physical contact between competitors, or their environment, is an integral part of the game. For example, gridiron football. Contact may come about as the result of intentional or incidental actions by the playe ...

s, one also pictured in its club

logo A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name that it represents, as in ...

, and its newsletter is accordingly named ''The EAR''.

History

The Cauliflower Alley Club was founded in 1965 by Mike Mazurki as a fraternal organization of professional wrestlers, boxers, and actors. The first annual reunion dinner was held at the Baron's Castle Buffet Restaurant in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, California. The Club also presents numerous awards annually at the reunion dinner. Several prominent former professional wrestlers have been president of the club, including

Red Bastien Rolland "Red" Bastien (January 27, 1931 – August 11, 2012) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler best known for his time in Capitol Wrestling Corporation, Capital Wrestling Corporation where he was a three-time WWWF ...

, Nick Bockwinkel, and the current president, Brian Blair. The Club has a "benevolent fund which helps people from the wrestling business in a time of need." Proceeds are raised for the fund during the annual reunion weekend.

Awards

2020s

2010s

Nighthawk with Destroyer and Mil Mascaras

2000s

1990s

1999

*Iron Mike Mazurki Award: Jesse "The Body" Ventura *Art Abrams Lifetime Achievement Award: Dan Gable Other honorees included Ken Patera, Jack Donovan and Bob Geigel.

1998

*Iron Mike Mazurki Award: Lou Thesz *Art Abrams Lifetime Achievement Award: William Papas *Scholarship Award Winners: Billy Pappas Other honorees included Danny Hodge, Fred Blassie, Dory Funk, Jr. and

Dan Severn Daniel DeWayne Severn (born June 8, 1958), nicknamed "the Beast", is an American retired professional wrestler, retired mixed martial artist and amateur wrestler. A UFC Hall of Fame member, Severn is considered one of the leading pioneers of ...

1997

*Iron Mike Mazurki Award: Tom Drake *Art Abrams Lifetime Achievement Award: Penny Banner *Reel Member Inductees: Elliott Gould, Tommy Sands and Terry Moore *Boxing Honorees: Don Fraser, Lou Filippo and Robert Salazar Other honorees included: *

Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Sika Anoa'i, Ted Lewin, Donn Lewin, The Fabulous Moolah, Jimmy Valiant, Jim Cornette, Diamond Lil, The Destroyer,

The Dudley Boyz The Dudley Boyz (also known as Team 3D) are an American professional wrestling tag team who consisted of kayfabe half-brothers Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley. The team was also joined by various Dudley Brothers, Dudley family members, notably ...

, Devon Storm and Georgiann Makropoulos. * Studio City, California (March 15): Tony Borne, Don Curtis, Tom Drake, Don Manoukian, Steve Rickard and Jim White.

1996

*Iron Mike Mazurki Award: Dick Beyer *Scholarship Award Winners: Gordy Morgan and Marty Morgan *Reel Member Inductees: Lawrence Tierney, Fred Williamson, Denver Pyle, Beverly Garland, Norm Crosby and John T. Smith *Boxing Honorees: Chuck Wepner Other honorees included: *

Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

(October 26): Angelo Poffo, Bonnie Watson, Judy Glover, Jack & Jerry Brisco, Carl Engstrom, Wahoo McDaniel, Gordon Solie and Molly McShane. *

Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Vince McMahon Vincent Kennedy McMahon ( ; born August 24, 1945) is an American businessman and former professional wrestling promoter. McMahon, along with his later-estranged wife Linda McMahon, Linda, is a co-founder of the modern WWE, the world's largest ...

, Vince McMahon, Sr.,

Jimmy Snuka James Reiher Snuka (born James Wiley Smith; May 18, 1943 – January 15, 2017) was a Fijian and American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Snuka wrestled for several promotions from the 1970s to 2010s ...

and Tammy Lynn Sytch. * Studio City, California (March 16): Stan Hansen, Nelson Royal, Art Michalik, Stan Stasiak, Larry Zbyszko, Angelo Mosca, Seiji Sakaguchi, Masami Yoshida, Chigusa Nagayo, Bobby Heenan, Baron von Raschke and Antonio Inoki.

1995

*Iron Mike Mazurki Award: Gene LeBell *Reel Member Inductees:

Binnie Barnes Gertrude Maud Barnes (25 March 1903 – 27 July 1998), known professionally as Binnie Barnes, was an English actress whose career in films spanned from 1923 to 1973. She was known for as a leading lady in films such as ''The Private Life of He ...

, Marie Windsor, Jan Merlin and John Saxton *Martial Arts Honorees: Benny Urquidez and Mimi Lessos *Boxing Honorees: Gabriel Ruelas and Rafael Ruelas Other honorees included: *

Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Angelo Savoldi, Capt. Lou Albano, Abe Coleman, Gloria Barratini, Millie Stafford, Pat Patterson, Johnny Rodz and The Public Enemy. * Studio City, California (March 8): Tiger Conway, Sr., Leo Garibaldi, Susan Sexton, Dave Levin, Ray Stevens, The Sheik and Buddy Lee.

1994

*Iron Mike Mazurki Award: Vic Christy *Reel Member Inductees: Harry Carey, Jr. *Boxing Honorees: Lou Bogash, Joe Graziano, Lou Couture, Jocko V. Ananian, Micky Finn, Tom McNeely, Harol Gomes, Willie Pep, Carmen Basilio and Vincent Pazienza Other honorees included: *

Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is the most populous city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, and its county seat. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ea ...

(October 1): Gorilla Monsoon, Pedro Morales, Brittany Brown, Candi Devine, Arnold Skaaland, Jackie Nichols, Karl Von Hess, Ilio DiPaolo and Kitty Adams. * Studio City, California (March 19): Dick Hutton, Billy Robinson, Stuart McCullum, Al Costello, Peggy Allen, Sherri Martel, Ed Francis and Sue Green.

1993

*Iron Mike Mazurki Award: Hard Boiled Haggerty *Scholarship Award Winners: Nick Cline and Mike Bresnan *Reel Member Inductees: John Agar, Guy Madison, John Phillip Law and Will Hutchins. *Boxing Honorees: Genaro (Chicanito) Hernandez, Zacky Padilla, Oscar De La Hoya, Mike Witowich, Chuck Bodak, Jerry Moore, Petey Servin and Jerry Quarry Other honorees included Verne Gagne, “Cowboy” Bob Ellis, Kinji Shibuya, Wendi Richter, Barbi Dahl and Peggy Patterson.

1992

*Iron Mike Mazurki Award: Woody Strode *Reel Member Inductees: Woody Strode *Boxing Honorees: Clarence Henry, Fabela Chavez,Jimmy Roybal, Jimmy Casino and Dave Maier Other honorees included Maurice Vachon, Hard Boiled Haggerty, Rey Urbano, Johnny James, Gene Kiniski, Pepper Gomez, Penny Banner, Debbie Combs, Belle Starr, Donna Christantello and Diamond Lil.

Presidents

References

External links

Cauliflower Alley Club official website

Cauliflower Alley Club official radio show

SLAM! Wrestling: Cauliflower Alley Club stories

Cauliflower Alley Club history and photos {{Cauliflower Alley Club Professional wrestling websites Non-profit organizations based in Missouri 1965 establishments in Missouri 501(c)(3) organizations Professional wrestling awards Professional wrestling in Canada Professional wrestling in the United States