BWC Instructor Troy 'Sarge' Long recently announced his retirement from wrestling after a successful career that earned him international attention. My favorite Sarge moment was his NY Street Fight vs Jimmy Valiant. The crowd was chanting 'No Mercy Daddy' but Sarge did the seemingly impossible by defeating Boogie in his own specialty match. The above photo by Tom Akers perfectly captures the moment just after Long's retirement announcement, when the locker room emptied to send Sarge off w/a touching show of respect. Tom not only snapped the great pic, he also wrote his own account of that special night in tribute to Sarge's career. You can read Tom's salute to Sgt. Long below.
A Sad Day in Professional Wrestling
By: Tea Man
As fans filed in to the National Guard Amory, in Elkin N.C., the air was thick with excitement. Everyone was looking at the memorabilia tables that lined the back wall, chatted with wrestling legends Jimmy “the Boogie Woogie Man” Valiant and Chief Grey Fox, as I looked into the eyes of fans both young and old, I could clearly see the anticipation they possessed in unison. It was the Valiant Cup. Everyone knew that a new Battle Royal Champion was to be crowned with something more precious than just a title belt; their name was to be placed on the prestigious Valiant Cup, a true honor that will last a life time.
The fans got their fill of excitement as the wrestlers entered the arena and climbed into the ring, the bell rings and the fight is on! As bodies started flying over the top rope on all sides of the ring, pure mayhem was the only word that remotely describes the carnage that was rapidly unfolding. Then, all of a sudden, two wrestlers were left to finish the battle and battle they did. It seemed as fast as they took to fighting it was over and one wrestler stood victorious. As Jimmy Valiant entered the ring, we could easily see the face of the victor go from ecstatic to somber. This wrestler knew that his career just ended, a feeling in his gut that can only be described as hitting him harder than any wrestler ever has.
Together, Jimmy Valiant and the Sarge stepped down from the ring and went to the interview area. As the Sarge gained control of the microphone, I began to capture the pictures and watching the fans. Without haste, the Sarge looked at awesome legend known as the Boogie Woogie Man and basically stated that it was over. Due to injuries sustained previously, the Sarge was not going to be able to be a competitor. As he spoke, something extraordinary happen, all the wrestlers from both BWC and the EWA came out of their locker rooms and surrounded their brother, at this moment in time, there were no good guys, no bad guys, no bullies or rule breakers. There were only true sportsmen who wanted to pay tribute to a man who epitomizes what professional wrestling is all about. They wanted to be with the man they call their undisputed friend, they wanted to bid farewell to The Sarge.
The fans got their fill of excitement as the wrestlers entered the arena and climbed into the ring, the bell rings and the fight is on! As bodies started flying over the top rope on all sides of the ring, pure mayhem was the only word that remotely describes the carnage that was rapidly unfolding. Then, all of a sudden, two wrestlers were left to finish the battle and battle they did. It seemed as fast as they took to fighting it was over and one wrestler stood victorious. As Jimmy Valiant entered the ring, we could easily see the face of the victor go from ecstatic to somber. This wrestler knew that his career just ended, a feeling in his gut that can only be described as hitting him harder than any wrestler ever has.
Together, Jimmy Valiant and the Sarge stepped down from the ring and went to the interview area. As the Sarge gained control of the microphone, I began to capture the pictures and watching the fans. Without haste, the Sarge looked at awesome legend known as the Boogie Woogie Man and basically stated that it was over. Due to injuries sustained previously, the Sarge was not going to be able to be a competitor. As he spoke, something extraordinary happen, all the wrestlers from both BWC and the EWA came out of their locker rooms and surrounded their brother, at this moment in time, there were no good guys, no bad guys, no bullies or rule breakers. There were only true sportsmen who wanted to pay tribute to a man who epitomizes what professional wrestling is all about. They wanted to be with the man they call their undisputed friend, they wanted to bid farewell to The Sarge.
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