He watched when Ric Flair taunted Randy Savage with elicit photos, claiming they were proof of his torrid relationship with Savage's manager, the Lovely Elizabeth.

And when Flair accepted a thre-on-one grudge match against Ricky Steamboat, Rowdy Roddy Piper and Jimmy Snuka, he made it a point to tune in.

"Ric was the greatest," said Shawn Casey, one of Savage's biggest fans. "To be the man, you've got to beat the man."

The walls of Casey's small Helena studio are plastered with pro wrestling's greatest moments, not to mention its biggest talents -- guys like "Hacksaw" Jim Dugan and the Honky Tonk Man.

Over his bed there are the up-and-comers, too, like Dewey "The Legend Impersonator," "Bad Boy" Danny Pagan and Jason "Hot Boy" Morton, who Casey promotes through his on-line business, Bodyslam Talent Booking.

The 42-year-old agent, who suffered a stroke last spring, continues to work the fast-paced wrestling scene from his desktop computer.

With his hair pulled back in a ponytail and crumbs from last night's meal sprinkled on the counter, Casey keeps his cell-phone close while tracking wrestling's latest trends. The goal, he says, is to get his clients a shot in the ring, or the cage, or wherever the smack-down is going to take place.

Today, seated a world away from wrestling's epicenter, Casey is wearing an old sport jacket and tie, looking like a cross between Don King and Mickey Goldmill, the latter of "Rocky" fame. He clutches a colorful cane in his right hand and professes a love for professional wrestling and the foggy world that surrounds it.

"The hardest part is trying to get the promoters to call you back and trying to get a booking," said Casey. "Everything's slower when you're a stroke victim. But these guys have been real supportive, all my clients have. They call and ask how I'm doing."

One of those clients, Dewey "The Legend Impersonator," makes a living imitating such wrestling stars as Gold Dust, Dusty Roads, and the Honky Tonk Man.

"The Legend Impersonator" was given Casey's number after a radio interview last year. Linked with the Helena promoter, he hopes to break into the T&A wrestling circuit and climb the ranks of wrestling's colorful personalities.

"I'll be doing an anniversary show coming up where I'll be imitating Ric Flair," said "The Legend Impersonator." "The work is very physical and it takes a toll on your body. But it has its perks, too. You get to travel and see different things."

Casey grew up watching wrestling at his grandfather's house in Great Falls. He remembers his old-time heroes like Mad Dog Vashon, Verne Gagne and Baron Von Raschke.

His grandfather hated Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel, but Casey didn't mind them. He actually got to meet them in a star-studded moment as his booking business picked up.

"They were heels -- that's what the bad guys are called," Casey explained, looking at an old poster on the back of his door. "I like whoever impresses me. I've been a fan all my life."

Out in New York, "Bad Boy" Danny Pagan is making a go as a professional wrestler. Born in Puerto Rico, he recently joined the Force One pro wrestling circuit founded by Tommy Cairo.

Pagan went on to become the Force One Heavyweight Champion. Winning the title belt, he said in a promotional video, took "courage, honor and respect."

"That's what this means right here," he shouted, hoisting the gold-plated belt over his head. "I'll defend it with 'courage.' I got it with all the 'honor' there is to step into the square circle. The 'respect' is the cost of doing business!"

On the phone, Pagan said he moved to the U.S. three years ago. The tattooed wrestler turned to Casey several months back when a friend told him about the Montana booking agent.

"He's got me on a few radio shows and stuff like that, but no bookings yet," said Pagan. "But he's been working his butt off to get it done, I can tell you that."

Pagan called wrestling his dream, one that began in Puerto Rico more than a decade ago. For years he went by "Bad Boy" alone. But a promoter convinced him to add Danny Pagan to the name, suggesting it made the "bad" sound even worse.

"It's something that's in me," said Pagan. "You want to give people a good show. It calls for you. It's like an addictive drug."

Down in North Carolina, Jason "Hot Boy" Morton plays a different persona, and his MySpace page is full of fans.

"Hey Jason Hot Boy Morton, I'm sending you a Toffee Apple Tini," one woman writes, posting a picture of the dreamy cocktail next to her picture.

"Hey Jason Hot Boy Morton, I just kissed you," stamps another with animated lips the color of cheap champagne.

Morton, the son of fabled wrestling star Ricky Morton from the Rock and Roll Express, began wrestling at age 7 and made his debut at age 12.

"I love the business -- I love everything about it," said Morton. "I want to go to T&A and start working for them."

Now 28, Morton's greatest match pitted him against WCW Superstar the Barbarian from the Powers of Pain. He's currently sitting atop the Carolina wrestling league with the middleweight title belt.

He was forced to defend it Saturday night against Roughneck the Redneck. The outcome of the match was not available.

"I hope I get to keep my belt and bring it home," Morton said. "I've had the belt for six months. I keep it put up. I can't let nobody get it."

Casey has appeared on several internet radio shows, including Pro Wrestling: Shooting the Breeze, and Tales of the Squad Circle. With more than 130 clients, the work keeps Casey busy.

The title belts and broken dreams are hard to track. But for Casey, it just adds to the lore of professional wrestling.

"We go on the Internet and on the phone and go out and get these guys shows and stuff," he says. "Some of these younger wrestlers, I'm like a father figure to them."

Reporter Martin Kidston:

447-4086 or mkidston@helenair.com