Rolland "Red" Bastien, who died this afternoon, after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's disease, was one of the best pure talents ever in professional wrestling, one of the best trainers ever -- and one of the most notorious merrymakers as well.
Born in Bottineau, N.D., on January 27, 1931, Bastien went to Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis. He swam briefly for coach Toivo Jambeck. "I remember he was a nice friendly boy with with a very pleasant smile ... and a good swimmer. I could see a great deal of potential in him. But after his sophomore year he didn’t show up for swimming practice any more," Jambeck said in a 1971 interview.
Bastien wrestled in high school, but never got into it. Instead, he started training at 16 with old pros at Citizens Club in Minneapolis, because he wanted to be a pro wrestler right away. "I wasn't even remotely interested in amateur wrestling," Bastien said. Key trainers were family friend and top middleweight Henry Kollan, who taught Red in a Minnesota sawmill, and Einar Olsen in Wisconsin.
