Dave Ruhl

**David Ruhl** (August 12, 1920 – December 21, 1988) was a Canadian professional wrestler who during his near 30-year career competed in North American regional promotions in Western Canada and the Canadian Prairies as well as in Japan and other international promotions.

## Professional wrestling career

Ruhl was born on August 12, 1920, in Watts, Alberta, to Mary and Henry Ruhl. He had two sisters, Pauline and Lydia, and two brothers, Daniel and Henry. He was living in nearby Hanna as a cattle grain farmer when he was encouraged to pursue a career in professional wrestling during the mid-1940s.

Making his debut in 1946, he appeared with many later Stampede Wrestling veterans while in Stu Hart's Klondike Wrestling during the late 1940s.

By 1951, he began wrestling full-time and eventually defeated Al "Mr. Murder" Mills for the vacant NWA Canadian Championship in Calgary, Alberta on November 13, 1959 (although other sources claim Ruhl won the title in 1955).

Continuing to tour North America with the National Wrestling Alliance during the next ten years, including the Arizona and Texas territories as the masked wrestler **The Hooded Wasp**, he would later win the NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship a record six times defeating Sweet Daddy Siki, The Beast, Stan Stasiak, Danny Lynch and Abdullah the Butcher respectively.

He would be the last NWA Canadian Heavyweight Champion, holding the title until being forced to surrender the championship due to injury in 1972.

Facing Gene Kiniski in a match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in Calgary on July 12, 1967, Ruhl eventually began competing for Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling promotion during the late 1960s winning the Stampede North American Championship twice between 1969 and 1970 defeating The Stomper and Abdullah the Butcher respectively.

Touring Japan in 1969 and again in 1972, he briefly held the Stampede International Tag Team Championship with Tiger Joe Tomasso in May 1972 although they lost the titles back to Chin Lee & Sugi Sito later that month.

In 1974, Ruhl, who was drinking, was driving three other wrestlers to a show in Saskatoon. During the trip, Ruhl lit a cigar and the car quickly filled up with smoke. One of the passengers in the back seat was Carlos Colon. The cigar smoke made him nauseous, so Colon rolled down his window. Ruhl yelled at him to close the window because it was freezing outside. Colon refused unless Ruhl put out his cigar. The two wrestlers started yelling at each other and Ruhl decided to pull over on the side of the road to settle things. Colon punched Ruhl, which knocked him backwards and slipped on the icy road.

Ruhl’s head cracked on the pavement and was knocked unconscious. The wrestlers made it for the show in Saskatoon but Ruhl was unable to compete due to his head injury. The next morning, Ruhl woke throwing up blood and was rushed to a hospital, diagnosed with a severe concussion. This injury ultimately ended his career and Carlos Colon later revealed that he wanted to apologize to Ruhl for the incident, which did not happen. Ruhl retired to farm with his brother Henry but often suffered dazes. Outside of the ring, Ruhl was a member of the Army, Navy And Air Force Veterans Club.

## Death

Ruhl resided in Medicine Hat, Alberta since 1981, where he died on December 21, 1988, at the age of 68.