Thursday, November 19, 2020

Meeting The Zebra Kid

Kevin Clark made his wrestling debut in 1975. Eventually, Kevin adopted the "Zebra Kid" gimmick. He explained the character as being from South Africa and was hiding his identity because of his anti-apartheid stand which would cause trouble back home. The black and white stripes represented his views on racial harmony. Also, he wanted to carry on the legacy of the Original Zebra Kid, George Bollas.
Kevin was a midwest legend. Everyone knew the Zebra Kid. Unfortunately, being relatively new to the independent wrestling scene, I never got to see the Zebra Kid wrestle. I actually never even met him. I had only heard the stories.
Kevin died in April after a lengthy and courageous battle with esophageal cancer. The outpouring of love and sadness was tremendous. Everyone had stories about the Zebra Kid.
Fortunately for me, late last year, I had the pleasure of meeting Kevin. At POWW's WrestleRage, Kevin received an award and was greeted with thunderous applause by all. I made sure to graba selfie with Kevin and to talk to him a bit. He was humble and appreciative.
I always say you should never pass the chance to meet your favorites. You never know when it might be your last chance. I am grateful to POWW and Jimmy Blaze for giving me the chance to finally meet Kevin.
The Zebra Kid and me in Addison, IL-November 2019.

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