Friend Encounters is a weekly series in which I feature friends who have met celebrities.
This is one of the fun times when both parties are celebrities. Actor Lee Majors and Madman Pondo are both quite accomplished in their respective fields.
Last year, my friend the Pondo met Majors. Mad Man Pondo has appeared here several times with other celebrities. Pondo is a regular attendee at comic and horror cons. A star in the wrestling ring, Pondo is popular at wrestling events, but is also stopped several times at comic cons by fans wanting to get a picture with him.
I have had the pleasure of working with Pondo at The Resistance Wrestling in Chicago. Along with being an in-ring performer, Pondo is a great addition for his knowledge and leadership. I admit I was intimidated (and a bit scared) when I first asked Pondo for an interview, but he immediately made me feel at ease, by being one of the coolest, nicest, most accommodating people I have ever interviewed.
Over the years, while watching him wrestle and help the younger wrestlers, I gained a lot of respect and admiration for Pondo. I am very proud to call Pondo a friend.
When I was growing up, Lee Majors was one of the coolest guys out there. He was the star of The Six Million Dollar Man and married to Farrah Fawcett.
Born Harvey Lee Yeary, he was a high school football star. He hurt his back while playing football at Eastern Kentucky University until a back injury paralyzed him for two weeks and ended his career. When he went into acting, he chose the last name "Majors" in tribute to Johnny Majors, a football hero of his.
Majors and Fawcett were the inspiration for Midnight Train to Georgia, a #1 single in 1973. It was originally entitled Midnight Plane to Houston, a line Fawcett said in a phone chat with songwriter Jim Weatherly.
I haven't seen Pondo in a while, but I hope to connect with him in 2020. He's a really good dude and very talented. Aside from his wrestling, Pondo has acted, hosted his own show and is now promoting Girl Fight Wrestling, a midwest women's wrestling organization.
A couple years ago, Pondo wrote his life story, which I highly recommend. It can be purchased at Memoirs of a Mad Man.
Follow him at @MadManPond0 on twitter. Also, follow @GirlFightWrest on twitter for info on their events.
Lee Majors and Mad Man Pondo in Lexington, KY-September 2019.
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