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A Tribute To Big Pat |
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Wednesday, 21 July 2004 |
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A few days ago my brother Roy called to give me the tragic news that Big Pat Roach had passed away. Even though it came as no surprise, as Pat had been very ill for quite some time, it is terrible news. Since it was made public earlier in the year that his cancer was terminal I have been in regular contact with him. He never gave me the impression that he had given up hope of beating his illness, in fact the last time I spoke to him he was talking about coming to Germany to try some new kind of treatment. The last time I saw Pat was in Hannover last year, when he called me to say he and Ace Alcard were coming to visit the Gilde Wrestling festival for 3 days. As I had just resigned my position with the firm that promoted these shows, Se-Pro, I didnt really want to visit the shows, but the chance to see Pat and Ace for a few hours made me change my mind and so along I went. It was great to see them both and Pat and I spent the whole time talking about old times, so much so that in the three days I can only remember watching about three or four of the matches that took in those three days ! Of all my opponents during my reign as British Heavyweight Champion I honestly think that my best matches were not against John Quinn, as many people think, but those I had with Big Pat. I remember once Wayne Bridges calling me to say that Nico Selenkowitsch, the German promoter, was staying with him and would like to speak to me about working for him in his tournaments. I new I was wrestling Pat a couple of days later in Bristol so I asked Wayne if he could bring Nico to the show. To cut a long story short Pat and I wrestled a twelve round championship match that was as good as they get. As soon as the match was over Pat went to speak to Nico, not about himself however, but about me, saying how great a wrestler I was and how much I would help his shows in Germany. Pat also told him that he would have to make me a real good offer in order to get me to leave England for 4 months (that wasnt the case, Pat and I were both sick and tired of being screwed around by the Crabtrees) And so it was that I ended up going to work for Nico and making as much in 4 months as I would for a year in England. I also remember the time in Bournemouth when Pat dropped the corner pad before running my head into it. My head opened up like a squashed tomato, and Colin Joynson, who was watching from the back, went straight to the phone and called an ambulance. The match was stopped and of I went (with Colin) to get my head stitched up. We got back to the hall about two hours later, but Big Pat was still sat there in his ring gear. Just wanted to wait and see if you were alright kid he said. Needless to say, he was the only one there, the promoter and his imbecile ring announcing brother had gone home. But of all my memories of Big Pat the best one wasnt in the ring but in Martinis restaurant in Brixton, which was where we stayed when we were working in London. The owners had gone away on holiday and had left us a fridge full of bacon, eggs, milk, tea, etc, etc, so we could look after ourselves. I was in a room with my brother Roy and Colin Joynson, and Pat was in the next room on his own. I awoke to hear Pat in the kitchen and after peeping round the corner saw he was making a pot of tea with 4 cups on a tray, one for each of us. I had recently been made heavyweight Champion, and Pat used to joke that I had had the belt welded around my middle and that someone would have to cut off to get it away from me, so I quickly put the belt on and got back into bed just as Pat entered with the tray full of tea. At that point I let the covers slip from me to reveal me lying in bed with the belt on, to which Pat cried Holy shit St. Clair `before dropping the tray. For weeks on end Pat repeated the story to anyone who was prepared to listen. There are dozens of other happy memories, it would take too long to tell, so I will just finish by saying Goodbye Mate you were not only a great wrestler, a great opponent, but most of all you were a great person to have as a friend and you will be sadly missed, R.I.P Your mate, Tony St. Clair
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