CHAPTER 157

2026-05-27

I often wondered why the wrestlers did not simply use their finishing move immediately after entering the ring, instead of wasting so much strength and time.

Speaking of the Australian wrestling that Hong Kong people once loved so passionately, there were several key figures impossible to ignore. I am not talking about the wrestlers themselves, but the commentators on Hong Kong’s TVB. Without their vivid narration and their talent for spicing things up and stirring excitement, the wrestling craze would certainly not have reached such heights.

From memory, I will mention only three of them. The pioneer was Mr. Chan Fu-sing. He was of medium build, gentle and composed, always appearing on screen in a suit. If I remember correctly, he wore glasses. He was highly professional and successfully drew viewers into the storylines. Every match made us hope that evil would never triumph over good. Even when disappointed, we believed that revenge by a gentleman could wait a week - there would always be another battle next week.

For some reason later on, Mr. Ho Sau-sun took over. He also taught physical education at the tertiary level, and his explanations were even more detailed. Later, I learned that Mr. Chan Fu-sing had suffered from stomach cancer. Treatment failed, and he passed away in his thirties, still in the prime of life. It was a great pity.

Mr. Ho continued to receive strong support and recognition from the television company. After becoming the chief host of TVB’s flagship variety show Enjoy Yourself Tonight, his wrestling commentary duties were handed over to the famous voice actor Mr. Lo Kwok-hung, one of the station’s great dubbing talents. He lived up to expectations and continued delivering high-quality commentary. Mrs. Lo, Tse Yuet-mei, was also one of the leading figures in the dubbing department.

The commentators who followed still maintained a good standard, but the wrestling craze gradually declined.

As for the top wrestling star, the leading hero of the good-guy camp was “The Gentleman,” Mario Milano (1935–2016, died in Australia at the age of 81). He was Italian, standing 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing around 260–265 pounds. His signature move was the “Cobra Hold,” twisting an opponent from neck to waist with such force that the body bent like a snake, causing unbearable pain until the opponent surrendered.

Back then, I often wondered why he did not simply use his finishing move immediately after entering the ring, instead of wasting so much strength and time. Of course, it was because everything had to follow the script and keep the audience entertained long enough.

He played the role of a refined gentleman - highly skilled, never cheating, and always soft-hearted at critical moments. Just when he was about to punish a villainous wrestler, he would pause, look toward the audience for approval, and within those three seconds would be sneak-attacked by his opponent. While everyone blamed him inwardly for being too soft and overly sentimental, we also felt indignant on his behalf.

The most dramatic development came after the appearance of a villainous American manager known as “Playboy.” Somehow, the Gentleman was “hypnotized” and led astray. He even grew a moustache and learned to use dirty tactics against his former righteous brothers.

Then came the turning point. His close friend, another Italian powerhouse named Bernis, standing 6 feet 3 inches and weighing 245 pounds, was being brutally bullied in a match by the villains using endless illegal tricks. Just as Bernis was about to collapse under the assault, the Gentleman suddenly burst out from the dressing room - covered from head to toe in soap bubbles - and rushed straight into the ring to rescue him. The entire arena erupted. People both inside the venue and in front of their television screens cheered and waved enthusiastically.

Moved by friendship and justice, the Gentleman suddenly came to his senses. Covered in bubbles, he charged fearlessly into battle, defeating the villains and punishing evil. Instantly he returned to the side of righteousness, emerging unstained from the mud. The brothers embraced, and peace was restored to the world.

After that, the little moustache beneath his lips was never seen again.-