Iceman King Parsons [RF Shoot Interview]

The Good
"Iceman" King Parsons had a heck of a career and much of his success was as the token black babyface in World Class. I hate to put it that way, but it's true and he even presents it that way. Parsons gets into the racial issues he ran into with someone (by my records it was perhaps Rip Rogers) who buried him to booker Dutch Savage, he talks about Wahoo not wanting to book he an Porkchop Cash as a top tag team and little things like that. He was a good athlete, great entertainer and had something special about him that got over many places and especially in Texas. Parsons seems like a thoughtful guy who kept his nose clean, but was limited as a babyface in WCCW. He was really looking out for himself (as is the nature of the business) and he was able to get to a level that few blacks did and sadly he is not recognized for his accomplishments. This seemed like a solid shoot interview that most any fan who watched (or has later watched) the Iceman could enjoy.

The Bad
Parsons has a unique story and credits his family and those who helped him quite a bit. That humble attitude is not always so common to shoots, which means he might not be as entertaining as other blacks like Brickhouse Brown, New Jack or even his mentor Rocky Johnson . He is pretty honest about drug use (others, not his own as he apparently only drank champagne), racism he experienced and his own limitations. He did not seem bitter, but rather frustrated that he was not as savvy to the business and working while he was in it as he is now (I've heard this numerous times from people like John Tatum, Al Snow, David Sammartino and even Paul Orndorff to an extent). He was a semi-final babyface and had some hot angles, but will never be remembered alongside men like Ernie Ladd, Junkyard Dog or even Butch Reed who were top blacks in multiple places. I had to frame his career in terms of race, but unfortunately that was the norm when he was working.

The Rating: ***3/4