National Bison Day And Pro Wrestling Career Memories Of Bison Smith

Today, November 2nd is National Bison Day (celebrated on the first Saturday in November), which "honors one of the most magnificent beasts to roam the land". On National Bison Day, I thought I'd honor one of the most magnificent and good-natured beasts to rule the wrestling ring, an old friend and colleague from my pro wrestling announcing days, Mark "Bison" Smith (who passed away on November 22, 2011 at the age of 41).

Bison Smith may have looked like a big, intimidating buffalo, but away from the ring and TV cameras, he was really kind, sensitive and good-natured. I thought I'd share a good-natured story revolving around the above photo featuring me and Bison. Backstage, before one of our Urban Wrestling Alliance TV tapings at the historic Grand Olympic Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles, I asked Bison if he could take a photo of me and someone else together (I don't even remember who it was) with my camera (before cameras on phones). Shortly after I had Bison take a photo of me and someone else with my camera, Bison motioned with his hand to come over to where he was, and he said in a soft, sad voice, "You hurt my feelings, you didn't take a picture with me and you together." I laughed, and then I had someone take the above photo of me and Bison together.

Not long after that, while hanging out at our UWA training center, in a warehouse building in El Segundo, California (which was also used by Rick Bassman's Ultimate Pro Wrestling), Jimmy "Luminous" Dejewski gave me this big muffin that he didn't want, and then I shared this muffin with Brent Albright. Bison then stood in front of me and said (with a grin on his face), "You don't want to take pictures with me, and you don't want to share food with me!" I then replied, "Man, you are a SEN-SI-TIVE guy!", and then a few of us starting laughing (with him, not at him).

Bison and I also had some good, insightful conversations revolving around the wrestling business (I think he respected my knowledge of pro wrestling history), including one conversation we had about the art and history of chops...not lamb or pork, but chops as in "knife edge chops" that wrestlers use to brutally chop away at each other with the edge of a hand. To some, having conversations about "human hand chops" may sound silly, but in the wrestling business, it's a way to sharpen our skills to improve our product, like iron sharpening iron (Proverbs 27:17). Bison went on to become a scary giant monster of the mat in Japan (for Pro Wrestling NOAH) and Puerto Rico (for the International Wrestling Association), but others and I knew him as a gentle giant and a really nice guy who was fun to hang out with.

According to Old Testament law, bison is a "clean" animal/permitted to eat for the Israelites, because it both chews the cud and has a split hoof (Leviticus 11). According to the New Testament, all who believe in Yeshua/Jesus as Savior and Lord are not to be condemned by what we eat or drink (Colossians 2:16), and we, as the bride of Christ, look forward to the future marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19). In the meantime, my wife April & I will eat delicious and healthy grass fed bison meat (from a local Sprouts Farmers Market) on this National Bison Day!