After my wrestling match with Tom in that cold Midwestern city, I believe that I went through my longest period without an opportunity to wrestle. If I'm not forgetting somebody, this dry spell lasted almost two years. But when I finally did get back to it in November 2001, I went into the match with an opponent I was thrilled to be wrestling and came out of it with friend for life.

Where to begin? Long before November 2001, I came across a site called Rec Pro Wrestling (or something close to that). The site offered lots of pictures and several videos, and I spent a lot of time exploring it. I think I discovered Bill Hughes there. And the site was where I first learned about other wrestlers that I've been in contact with since—some I've wrestled and some I haven't.

My favorite on Rec Pro was a big fellow named Larry. He was everywhere there, wrestling a lot of guys and, I imagined, having a blast doing it. But he was so omnipresent and advanced, I thought I was in no way ever going to get my hands on that man. I thought many times about trying to find an email address for him so that I could send him some fan mail.

Then one day in 2001 the unthinkable happened. I don't remember now what wrestling directory I was part of at that point—maybe something connected with Rec Pro, but that doesn't seem right. Anyway, I got into my email that day and found a message . . . from Larry! I wish I still had that email, but I'm sure I've lost it somewhere along the line. The bottom line was that he'd seen my profile and was interested in getting together for some wrestling. I remember writing back—Larry still laughs about this—and opening my email with something like, "This is the Larry?"

Larry was living in Atlanta at the time, and as it turned out, I had to go there on business that November of 2001. We made a date and got together in my hotel room for some wrestling. I was giddy to be wrestling with him. He was patient with me, teaching me all sorts of fun stuff about pro wrestling and exchanging holds with me. We had a great time then and have wrestled three other times since—once in Nashville and twice in the Midwestern city where he lives now. He's always been a great teacher and a generous wrestler, allowing and encouraging my penchant for the head scissors. When we talk on the telephone, which we do every few months, he's always kind enough to tell me he'd like to be in that head scissors at that moment. Needless to say, the feeling is always mutual.

Larry has had some health issues over the years that I've known him, but he's nearly recovered from it all now. I recently saw some pictures of him in action again, and I was thrilled to see him—and only a little jealous that another man was on the mat with him and not I.