Hey Sport, Whatever Happened To Them?

I woke up this morning with a “I wonder what happened to” and decided I would do a search.

Why I ventured into sports I have no idea but it is what it is. Plus, I really have no qualms with the two I chose for this blog.

                                                                                            My First Thought:                                                                                                                         

Willie "Rockabye" Ross:

My recollection of Willie was that he was always a neat dresser.

He had a wonderful smile and quick to display it. He was mannerable and well liked

I always thought Willie was a Phoenix product but it seems like he was from Mississippi

                          

 Partial Image from a picture taken Bill Swifts Gym 1962 found on Box Rec.

Willie fought professionally from 1960 to 1965 and was managed by Al Finn. 

                          

Rockabye had an overall record of 75 wins out of 78 bouts in his career.

Willie took his tour to heaven in 1997 where he laid down his gloves for good.

 May he continue to Rest in Peace. 

My Second Thought:

Armand Hussein:

Another person who drifted in my thoughts came from the neighborhood I used to live in.

He rented a room from one of my favorite people who kept my daughter and nephew while I worked.

That wonderful lady was Ms. Bryant and the roomer was Armand. 

Armand was a rather nice person who wrestled for a living. He was billed as Armand Hussein.

When I first met him he had African garb on and talked in an accent of what I thought was his native tongue with an English flair. 

                                            Photo by Bob Leonard 

If my memory served me right, I don’t think I ever saw him without his African garb even when I ran into him at the Elks club.

I never saw him wrestle but from what I heard back then he was pretty good.

                                          Photo by Bob Leonard

According to Wrestling Data Armand was around 231 pounds and wrestled in over 600 events.

That is rather remarkable to me to have that many mat times

 I learned of his birth name just today.  

Armand was Mike Barber born 1936 in Alabama. He lived out the rest of his life in Dallas Texas. 

When he legally changed his name is not known to me but Armand Hussein listed in the Social Security database as such and was buried in Krum Texas.

Armand  died December 31, 2007.

Armand took off his wrestlers high tops for good and took his place on High. 

May he continue to rest in perfect peace.