Me and King Kong Bundy

It was 1988 or 1989 — can’t be sure exactly. That was the era when there were dozen of personal-computer manufacturers, and when it was vital to make the twice-annual pilgrimage to COMDEX. That’s where you’d not only find the hottest new computing hardware and software, but also no-expenses-spared booths and floor shows starring models, celebrities, magicians, dancers and athletes.

At one COMDEX of that long-ago epoch, I was speaking about cutting-edge laptop computers, and that gave me access to the speaker’s lounge. When I wandered in for a moment’s relaxation, I saw an enormous man wearing a leotard. The heavyweight wrestler King Kong Bundy, who at that time was the pitchman for HeadStart Computers, was sitting alone at one of the tables.

To make a long story short: I sat down next to the huge man, and we started talking. He had a very normal voice, and so if you didn’t look at the bald-headed giant, it was just like having any other conversation. We chatted about computers, and it turned out that he was fairly PC-literate; he was knowledgeable about the latest modems, monitors, processors, all sorts of COMDEX-related things. I recall thinking, this is a savvy businessman — not the stereotypical muscle-bound dumb guy.

During the remainder of the show, I passed by the HeadStart booth several times, and if King Kong Bundy was there, he’d wave or smile in my direction. What a nice guy.