Jake Milliman

Making his debut in the American Wrestling Association during the early 1980's, Milliman lost to Ken Patera in one of his earliest appearances in the promotion on November 29, 1982. During the next month, he would lose to Hulk Hogan in a handicap match with Chris Curtis on December 6 and, with Tom Stone, in a rematch on December 12, 1981. He lost several single matches to Jerry Blackwell, Brad Rheingans, Rene Goulet, Bobby Duncum, Sr. and manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan as well as tag team matches with "Sodbuster" Kenny Jay against Ken Patera and Bobby Duncum, Sr., and Sheik Adnan and Jerry Blackwell during late 1982.

Absent from the promotion during early 1983, he lost to Nick Bockwinkel and Ken Patera, although he later teamed with Wahoo McDaniel to defeat Blackjack Lanza and Jesse Ventura by disqualification on May 15. However, he would continue losing single matches with losses against Chris Markoff, Mr. Saito and Brad Rheingans and, teaming with Sonny Rogers, lost to Ken Patera and Jerry Blackwell on May 29.

His losing streak would continue into the following year, losing to Brad Rheingans, Jerry Blackwell, Curt Hennig, Larry Zbyszko, Billy Robinson, Nick Bockwinkel and The Crusher in early 1984. He also teamed with Tony Leone against Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell as well as with Jesse "The Body" Ventura, Steven Regal, and Kevin Kelly facing The Fabulous Freebirds in several tag team matches.

A regular on *All Star Wrestling*, the AWA's weekly television program, he would appear on its first episode facing Scott Hall in his debut match on July 8, 1984. During the match, he was pinned by Hall due to outside interference by Larry "The Ax" Hennig and his son Curt, being hit with a steel chair allowing Hall to take the pinfall.

In early 1986, Milliman defeated Larry Zbyszko in Rockford, Illinois on January 11, although he lost to The Barbarian and The Mongolian Stomper in a tag team match. Losing to Zbyszko in a rematch on January 19, he also lost matches to Marty Jannetty, Colonel DeBeers, Boris Zhukov, Earthquake Ferris and Ken Timbs.

Milliman had a brief stint in the World Wrestling Federation during mid-1987 as **Jack Milliman**, appearing on *WWF Superstars of Wrestling*, facing Adrian Adonis in Adonis's last televised appearance following WrestleMania III on April 23, 1987. He later took part in a handicap match with Arthur Washington against One Man Gang on August 29, and in a six-man tag team against One Man Gang, Butch Reed and Nikolai Volkoff with Sivi Afi and Jerry Allen on October 10.

In 1989, Milliman returned to the WWF, losing to Tito Santana in Duluth, Minnesota on May 17 before teaming with Boris Zhukov and losing to The Hart Foundation on July 9 and, with Tom Stone, on August 27. In his last appearance with the WWF, he and Zhukov lost a tag team match to Demolition on *WWF Superstars* on September 9, 1989.

Returning to the AWA in late 1989, Milliman defeated Todd Becker at SuperClash IV on April 8, 1990. However, his most famous match was one with Colonel DeBeers, known as the "Great American Turkey Hunt". The match was part of the AWA Team Challenge Series, where the wrestler who got a stuffed, uncooked turkey off of the top of a pole first would win. In what was considered at the time a major upset, Milliman took the turkey from DeBeers when the referee's back was turned and was declared the winner. The match took place in a studio without an audience.

Milliman also participated in the final match in the TCS. That match was a rumble-style battle royal featuring Brad Rheingans, Colonel DeBeers, The Trooper, The Destruction Crew (Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom), the Texas Hangmen and others. Milliman again came away with the win by eliminating DeBeers at the end, winning the Series.