LAS VEGAS — Some have dismissed the Cauliflower Alley Club reunion as a gathering of oldtimers. Well, three of today’s stars — O.D.B., Chris Hero and Trevor Murdoch — more than welcomed the chance to rub elbows with the greats.

Chris Hero strikes a pose. Photo by Greg Oliver

The convention, which ran April 13-15 at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, has been trying to stay relevant by offering training sessions for young wrestlers, and seminars offering advice and some unique job skills, like interview time. On the Monday night, there was a wrestling show promoted by Pro Wrestling Revolution as well.

For indy wrestling star Chris Hero, the CAC reunion was “better than expected.”

“I’m not really sure what I expected, but it completely blew that out of the water,” Hero told SLAM! Wrestling before the CAC banquet. “Getting to socialize with everybody, to see so many different people, to meet people that I may not have heard of before but now I have a respect for.”

Did the veteran of the Ring of Honor and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla wars mark out for anyone?

“Oh man, I’ve said this a couple of times over the weekend, but when I was wrestling, I was rolling around the ring and I look out into the crowd, and I see Superstar Graham, I see Harley Race, I see Nick Bockwinkel and Ken Patera. It was just a great, great event,” Hero said. “I got to spend a lot of time with The Destroyer. That was probably the biggest moment for me.”

Hero does plan to return. This year’s event worked out perfectly for him, as he attended Pro Wrestling Guerrilla shows on the weekend in Los Angeles, and stopped in Vegas on his way home to just outside Philadelphia.

For Trevor Murdoch, it’s his second CAC reunion. He was presented with the Future Legend Award by the CAC.

“I’m just glad to be around a bunch of wrestlers that appreciate pro wrestling. It’s been a great week here, me and my wife. I’ve been hanging out, visiting with the legends. I’m just glad to be here,” Murdoch said.

The former WWE tag team champion did his best to explain what he was up to these days, not tipping his hand about his TNA return. “What’s the best way to describe it? Wrestling on the independents, anywhere and everywhere. Doing a lot of L.A. stuff for NWA Showcase, wrestling for Harley, been doing some stuff in Texas. Anybody looking to book Trevor Murdoch, you guys know where to find me.”

TNA Knockouts Awesome Kong, Raisha Saeed and O.D.B. listen to SLAM! Wrestling Producer Greg Oliver babble on at the CAC Baloney Blowout. Photo by Howard Baum

As for O.D.B., her love of a good time — “Bam!” — is more than just a gimmick. Jessica Kresa and her fellow TNA Knockouts Awesome Kong and Cheerleader Melissa Anderson (a.k.a. Raisha Saeed) seemed to be having a blast, whether meeting legends, fans or selling raffle tickets to raise money for the CAC.

“I’m loving it, getting to meet all the legends. Actually I like drinking with them and hearing their stories,” said O.D.B. “Us wrestlers these days, we don’t compare to these legends. It’s ridiculous. It’s changed a lot, the business.”

One of the features on the Pro Wrestling Revolution show on Monday night was a different star from the past accompanying the youngsters to the ring. O.D.B. got to hang with a few “original” knockouts — Beverly Shade and Luna Vachon.

“Beverly [Shade], I talked to, she’s hilarious. I hope I’m that cool when I’m that old,” said O.D.B., not meaning it as a slight in the least. “Luna, I’ve worked with her a few times before. She’s actually one of my role models because she’s so different. She opened the door for someone like me and Kong, for women wrestlers. I thanked her.”

O.D.B. also suggested that fans continue to follow her evolving storyline with new boyfriend Cody Deaner. “We’ve going to have fun this year in TNA together, probably get in a lot of trouble — but that’s good.”

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