Eddie Sullivan

**Ruben Joe Huizar** (June 8, 1941 – November 24, 2000) was an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name **Eddie Sullivan**. He was a popular competitor in his native Arizona and won many championships throughout his career.

## Professional wrestling career

Huizar was trained by female wrestler Tona Tomah and Mike DiBiase. He started in 1964 under his real name, before adopting the ring name Eddie Sullivan. In 1967, Sullivan had a stint on the undercard in Oklahoma, facing the likes of Ronnie Etchison, Rocky Montero, Gorgeous George Jr, Jerry London, and a young Jerry Brisco.

The following year, Sullivan was paired with Frank Morrell as the masked Mighty Yankees in Tennessee, working for Nick Gulas. On March 4, 1968, the Mighty Yankees won the Mid-America version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship from Len Rossi and Tamaya Soto, but dropped it back to them in June. They won the titles back on July 9 but held them up after a match on August 3 against Dennis Hall and Ken Lucas.

Two weeks later, they won the belts again until dropping it in September to Rossi and Johnny Walker. On November 18, they were declared the Southern Tag Team Champions. They dropped the titles to Bobby and Lee Fields on December 30, but regained them in early January 1969 and held the championships two more times.

Sullivan's profile rose during his time in Arizona, feuding with the likes of Tony Hernandez, but always migrated back towards Florida, Alabama or Tennessee, having wild rivalries with Dick Dunn, Armon Hussein, Tommy Rich and others. On October 30, 1970, Sullivan defeated Dunn for the Alabama Heavyweight Championship, but dropped it back to him on November 20. Another notable rivalry Sullivan had was with "Cowboy" Bob Ellis, filling the old Phoenix Madison Square Garden to standing room only for over a month straight.

Sullivan defeated Bob Kelly, whom he had many blood-filled matches with, to win the Mississippi Heavyweight Championship on May 13, 1971, before he lost it to Kelly on June 10. He would regain the belt on September 2 but held it for a week until Kelly beat him again. On October 7, Sullivan bested Kelly to win back the belt before Ken Lucas won it from him on November 11. Sullivan would win the title again just four days later, holding it until January 6, 1972, when he lost to Kelly.

During this time, Sullivan began a long partnership with Rip Tyler. They won the Gulf Coast's NWA United States Tag Team Championship on January 30 from Bob Kelly and Mike Boyette. The duo held onto the titles until March 8, when they lost it to the California Hippies (Mickey Doyle and Boyette). They won back the titles on August 6 until dropping them to Flash Monroe and Rocket Monroe on November 22. They would not win the titles again until May 22, 1973, defeating the California Hippies and holding onto the belts until October 26, losing it to Don and Bobby Bass.

In 1974, Sullivan had a run with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), where he challenged for the tag team championship with Tony Altimore, and entered a series of matches with the likes of Arnold Skaaland, Larry Zbyszko and Tony Garea. Before long, he returned to the Gulf Coast and won their Heavyweight Championship on February 3, 1976 from Bob Sweetan until losing it on March 2 to Duke Miller. On April 9, he won it again by defeating Rick Gibson and lost it on May 18 to Ken Lucas, until winning it back on July 13 and losing it to Sweet Daddy Banks on September 21. During his southern run, he received many shots at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship including a main event matchup against the champion Terry Funk on February 17, 1976, in Mobile, Alabama.

Sullivan continued teaming with Rip Tyler and they played wrestlers in bit parts in a couple of Japanese movies when they were on tour in Japan. He would continue winning gold including the Gulf Coast Tag Team Championship six more times with Tyler, Sonny King, The Wrestling Pro, and the Blue Yankee. In 1978, Sullivan retired due to suffering from many health ailments, having suffered from a heart attack, valley fever, diabetes, and a foot injury which occured when he stepped on a sewing needle embedded in his carpet that broke off in his heel and needed to be surgically removed.

## Later years and death

In 1997, Sullivan, Bob Kelly, and The Time Traveler appeared in a short half hour film called "Gunfight in Tombstone". Sullivan portrayed Doc Holiday, a gunfighting dentist dying from tuberculosis. However, he was viewed as not convincing, especially with his size. Nonetheless, he would train many wrestlers including Moses Morales, Baron Brubaker, Killer Jack Kressig, and supposedly future WWE star Bob "Hardcore" Holly.

He was instrumental in helping to organize the annual old-timer reunion in Phoenix, Arizona. He was a frequent attendee at the old-timer reunions in Mobile and Seattle, Washington. In Mobile, he received the "Man of the Year" award a few years before his death.

Sullivan died as a result of a fatal stroke on November 24, 2000, at the age of 59. Other reports list his cause of death as a heart attack.