Matter of Opinion... Ray Traylor 1963-2004
September 23rd, 2004
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You can always measure a person
by how they treat their family. In the wrestling
business, when you’re on the creative team,
a lot of the guys try to smooth talk you, make you
believe that they are your friends or that they
are really nice guys. Don’t get me wrong,
most of the guys are genuinely good guys, but having
somebody high up in the company to befriend is always
welcome. In this business, you need to be careful
who you trust. |
One guy who I immediately clicked with when I met him was
Ray Traylor, a.k.a., ‘The Big Boss Man’. Ray
was one of the funniest guys I had ever met. We hit it off
right away and he had a liking for Europe and in particular,
the Irish. He shared with me, some stories of his trips
to Europe. Ray made the stories funnier than what they where,
just by the way he would tell them.
So, Wrestlemania 17 weekend, a lot of the guys had their
families with them as WM is a huge deal for anybody to participate
in and it’s a long week on the road. I was eating
breakfast in the hotel restaurant in Houston. Ray walked
in with his family (his wife and two daughters). I watched
Ray as he doted on his wife and children throughout breakfast.
He was joking with everyone who passed by and never turned
away anyone looking for an autograph.
That day, I realized that Ray was much more than a funny
guy. Ray was a sincere human being who loved his family.
I still have the miniature Vodka bottle that Ray gave me
one time. He had been on a trip to Europe for a show and
had taken quite a few of the perks of the flight back with
him. That bottle, as silly as it may sound, I will forever
keep. Every time I see it, it reminds me of Ray and one
of the nicest and funniest people I ever met.
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