The Cream of the Crop – Episode 1: Tony Borne & Lonnie Mayne

The Cream of the Crop – Episode 1: Tony Borne & Lonnie MayneWelcome to The Cream of the Crop: The Main Eventers, Money Draws, and Territory Legends, a brand-new journey through the biggest stars in Portland Wrestling history.These aren't simply the wrestlers who appeared on the cards. These are the names that went at the top of the poster. The champions, personalities, heroes, and villains who packed the Portland Sports Arena, filled Memorial Coliseum, sold tickets, and became the faces of an entire territory.And there may be no better place to begin than with Tony Borne and Lonnie Mayne.Long before Buddy Rose and Roddy Piper became synonymous with Portland Wrestling, Tony Borne was setting the standard. A nine-time Northwest Heavyweight Champion and 19-time Northwest Tag Team Champion, Borne combined wrestling ability, psychology, personality, and an uncanny understanding of how to make a crowd react. Then he saw something special in a young wrestler named Lonnie Mayne.When Don Owen was reportedly ready to move on from Mayne, Borne stepped forward with a simple idea: “Put the kid with me.” That decision helped change Portland Wrestling history.Together, Borne and Mayne captured the Northwest Tag Team Championship an incredible 11 times, battled some of wrestling's biggest names, and became one of the defining teams of the territory. Then came the breakup. Teacher versus student. Partner versus partner. Their rivalry became so hot that Portland Sports Arena wasn't big enough, sending their matches to Memorial Coliseum before crowds of 7,000 and 8,000 fans.They would eventually reunite, but their story became about far more than championships. It was about friendship, mentorship, rivalry, charisma—and two men whose careers became forever intertwined.Tony Borne and Lonnie Mayne were partners and rivals. Teachers and students. Heroes and villains. Most importantly, they were money draws and main eventers.They were The Cream of the Crop.And next Friday, the series continues with two men whose rivalry helped change Portland Wrestling forever: “Playboy” Buddy Rose and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.Hosted by Frank Culbertson and based on the historical research of Portland Wrestling historian Mike Rodgers, author of The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers.New episodes of The Cream of the Crop drop every Friday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.