10 Things Wrestling Fans Should Know About The Cauliflower Alley Club
Sebastian Wright
Published Mar 27, 2026
In the world of pro wrestling, companies aren’t limited to standalone promotions like WWE or governing organizations like the old National Wrestling Alliance. One outfit that fans should know about is the Cauliflower Alley Club, which is a non-profit company almost entirely focused on those who work in the pro wrestling business.
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Because it’s not anything resembling a promotion — it doesn’t really stage in-ring events — fans might not know much about this organization. However, it does some important work and it’s been around a long time, so it’s certainly worth learning about. Let’s take a look at what fans should know about the Cauliflower Alley Club.
10 Founded In 1965 By Mike Mazurki & Art Abrams
Mazurki Was An Actor & Wrestler
Mazurki’s In-Ring Achievements | Selected Filmography (Film) | Selected Filmography (TV) |
NWA Western Tag Team Championship | Some Like It Hot, Murder My Sweet, Abbott & Costello in Hollywood Challenge to Be Free | Perry Mason, Bonanza, Fantasy Island, Batman |
The origins of the Cauliflower Alley Club date all the way back to 1965, when it was founded by friends Mike Mazurki and Art Abrams. While Abrams was a printer, Mazurki was both an actor and a pro wrestler who gained notoriety in the 1940s and 1950s for playing tough guy characters (often criminals) in movies like Murder My Sweet, Dick Tracy, and even Some Like It Hot. Despite its current focus on pro wrestling, the Cauliflower Alley Club wasn’t just intended for participants in the industry — it was also meant for boxers as well.
9 Named After An Ear Condition
The Cauliflower Ear Is Common In Combat Sports
Common Name | Scientific Name | Notable Examples In Wrestling |
Cauliflower Ear | Hematoma Auris | Brock Lesnar, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Bruno Sammartino |
While to some, the name of the organization may conjure up the image of the white, tree-shaped vegetable, the Cauliflower Alley Club is actually named after a physical condition that affects the ears — one well known to those in combat sports. The Cauliflower Ear is a disfigurement caused by a blow to the ear, which causes fluid to collect on the outer part of the ear, ultimately causing the cartilage to swell and get tough. Wrestling fans commonly see it on Brock Lesnar as well as many performers in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. While the condition is irreversible, it can be avoided by draining the fluid before it affects the cartilage.
8 Gives Annual Awards
The Club Bestows Lifetime Achievement Awards In A Variety Of Categories
Award | Notable Recipients |
Iron Mike Mazurki Award | CM Punk, Terry Funk, Steve Austin |
Women’s Wrestling Award | Jazz, Gail Kim, Mickie James |
Lucha Libre Award | Blue Demon Jr., Rey Mysterio, Konnan |
One notable thing about the Cauliflower Alley Club is its annual awards. While other awards like The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards mostly celebrate the past year in pro wrestling and the WWE Hall of Fame tends to spotlight WWE stars, The Cauliflower Alley Club celebrates the history of wrestling by bestowing lifetime achievement awards on various industry figures.
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Moreover, The Club gives awards in a number of categories. For example, the Iron Mike Mazurki Award is for successful wrestlers who also managed to find success outside of wrestling while The Lucha Libre Award is for those who utilize the Mexican lucha libre style.
7 Has A Newsletter Called The Ear
The Newsletter Is Named After The Condition As Well
Publication | Editor | Publisher |
The Ear | Vance Nevada | Royal Publishing |
Lest any fans call the source of the organization’s name into doubt, the Cauliflower Alley Club also has its own publication referencing the disfigurement. Called The Ear, the CAC’s official newsletter — the Club’s website is elusive about just how often it comes out — promises readers content about the history of wrestling like the territories as well as photographs of its events. One might assume it’s a digital-only affair, but The Ear is a physical publication that the organization actually mails out to members whenever a new issue comes out.
6 Boasts Some Famous Members
The Club Isn’t Just For Old-Timers
Selected Living Lifetime Members | Selected Deceased Lifetime Members |
Adam Pearce | Gene Okerlund |
Haku | Nick Bockwinkel |
Mikey Whipwreck | Pat Patterson |
Rey Mysterio | Killer Kowalski |
While the lifetime achievement awards are (obviously) for the wrestlers of the past, that doesn’t mean that the club is exclusively for retired veterans of the mat wars. Rather, The Cauliflower Alley Club actually has some very well known members to the average wrestling fan. Just taking a look at the members list on the website, fans will notice old school names like Marty Jannetty and the late Rowdy Roddy Piper as well as modern figures like Frankie Kazarian, Diamond Dallas Page, and even Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
5 Accepts New Members
Industry Figures & Fans Alike Can Pay To Join
Lifetime Membership Cost | Annual Membership Cost |
$408 (USA) | $36 (USA) |
Fans visiting The Cauliflower Alley Club’s website will also notice that the club has open membership, with all one needing to do is to click the button and pay the fees — currently about $36 for an annual membership — to join up. Of course membership is primarily open to pro wrestlers and others who work in the wrestling industry like referees, commentators, and the like. But that doesn’t mean that fans have to keep out. In fact, fans are encouraged to join the organization as well.
4 Boasted A Number Of Wrestlers As President
The Current President Is B. Brian Blair
President | Term |
Mike Mazurki | 1965-1990 |
Archie Moore | 1991-1992 |
Lou Thesz | 1992-2000 |
Red Bastien | 2001-2007 |
Nick Bockwinkel | 2007-2014 |
B. Brian Blair | 2014-Present |
While this isn’t always true — in the early ‘90s it was headed by boxer Archie Moore — The Cauliflower Alley Club has had a number of actual wrestlers serve as president of the organization, including some extremely notable names like Lou Thesz and Nick Bockwinkel.
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However, the most recent wrestler to preside over The Cauliflower Alley Club is current President B. Brian Blair. Blair came into prominence in WWE’s tag team division in the 1980s as one half of The Killer Bees with Jim Brunzell.
3 Hosts An Annual Reunion Dinner
The Reunion Dinner Is The Club’s Main Event
Selected Locations | Years |
Valley Hilton Hotel (Sherman Oaks, CA) | 1983-1984 |
Sheraton Monarch Place Hotel (Springfield, MA) | 1985-1998 |
Riviera Hotel (Las Vegas, NV) | 2000-2001, 2005, 2007-2008 |
Plaza Hotel & Casino (Las Vegas, NV) | 2003–2004, 2006, 2022-2024 |
Every organization needs a big event. While the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has the Academy Awards, The Cauliflower Alley Club has its annual reunion dinner. Initially held all over Hollywood, the reunion dinner has made Las Vegas its annual home, with its 2024 location being at the Plaza Hotel and Casino. In addition to the lifetime achievement awards, the event includes a two-day seminar and even a collectibles show, which features many CAC members with vendor tables selling memorabilia and autographs.
2 The Reunion Draws A Variety Of Wrestling Talent
Performers Past & Present Attend The Event
Selected Attendees |
Haku |
Shawn Michaels |
CM Punk |
Rey Mysterio |
Rob Van Dam |
Harlem Heat |
Being dubbed a reunion dinner Cauliflower Alley Club annual event is one that a good chunk of the wrestling industry attends, but it’s not just limited to ancient retirees. Of course, the unsung veterans and forgotten wrestling personalities are bound to show up, but present performers and Hall of Famer legends are common at the event. In fact, notable wrestlers who attended 2023’s reunion event included Mickie James, Ron Simmons, and CM Punk, all of whom received awards that evening.
1 Runs An Annual Fundraiser & Takes Donations
The Club Aims To Help Out Wrestling Personalities In Need
Ways To Help |
Membership |
Reunion Dinner |
Donations |
Besides the awards, one of the big purposes of the reunion dinner is to raise funds. On top of being an organization for the wrestling industry, The Cauliflower Alley Club also strives to help its members in need. As fans know all too well, it’s not uncommon for even a successful wrestling star to fall on hard times, and so the CAC tries to help out struggling members financially, but of course needs funds to do so. While the dinner is a big night for raising funds, fans can also donate via the CAC’s website any time they like.
