recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Steve King

**Jose Antonio Rivera Sanchez** (May 28, 1952 - June 29, 1998) was an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name **Steve King**.

## Professional wrestling career

Rivera began his career in 1976, working in New York City as a jeweler. The late 1970s saw him move back to his native Puerto Rico. He adopted the persona of Chief Cherokee, winning the Universal Wrestling Promotions (later World Wrestling Council) Carribean Tag Team Championship on August 8, 1978, defeating The Castillo Brothers (Raul and Fidel) in a tournament final.

Rivera was known for his many appearances on WWE television from 1976 to 1984 as jobber Steve King. King is the father of women's wrestler Karissa Rivera, better known to WWE fans as Elektra Lopez.

## Death

Rivera was diagnosed with leukemia in late 1997, with his health quickly detoriating. Neighbors of his native Little Ferry would pitch to help and babysit his family as a result of this and sponsored a fundraiser to pay their medical bills. On June 29, 1998, Rivera died as a result of the disease at the age of 46.
Bull Ramos

**Manuel Ramos** (August 3, 1937 – May 27, 2006) was an American professional wrestler, better known as **Apache Bull Ramos**. From his debut in 1956 until the 1970s, he primarily worked as a heel and had notable feuds with Bruno Sammartino, Dutch Savage, Jimmy Snuka, Terry Funk, and Mil Máscaras. He traveled to Japan, Korea, and Australia to wrestle.

## Professional wrestling career

Ramos grew up in Houston and attended wrestling matches with his uncle and father. In the early 1960s, his uncle suggested that Ramos enter the profession. He, however, was boxing at the time and turned down the idea. He later met Paul Boesch, a wrestling promoter, who helped him get into wrestling. He entered the professional wrestling business in 1964 and was trained by Danny McShain, Cyclone Anaya, and David Weinstein.

When he first began wrestling, promoters wanted him to wrestle as an Italian named John Albano, but Ramos rejected the idea. Ramos only weighed 200 lbs early on. He continued to gain weight throughout his career, weighing 350 pounds at his heaviest. He was able to draw massive heat during his matches due to his ability to cut promos. He began his career wrestling as Bull Ramos, a Native American character.

In the 1970s, *Wrestling World* magazine wrote about Ramos in kayfabe, saying that Ramos was born in “an adobe hut on the San Carlo, New Mexico, Indian reservation” and was a “redskinned dynamite, dressed in an Indian vest and wearing an Indian headhand. He even invented a match that today is known as the Texas Bullrope Match, where one is tied to his opponent using rope and must drag him to all 4 corners of the ring.”

In Los Angeles, he feuded with Mil Mascaras. It culminated in a Hair vs Mask match, which Ramos lost, causing him to have his head shaved. He later had a short run in the World Wide Wrestling Federation, managed by Col. Homer O'Dell, as an opponent to champion Bruno Sammartino. Sammartino defeated Ramos by submission in defense of the title, at the first show held at the "new" Madison Square Garden in 1968.

In the Pacific Northwest, Ramos feuded with Dutch Savage, a feud that lasted approximately five years. He also feuded with Ricky Hunter in the Pacific Northwest. Ramos became a popular heel in Oregon after breaking Lonnie Mayne's arm, causing the bone to stick out of the skin. In the same territory, Ramos won tag team gold with future governor Jesse Ventura and wrestled until the 1980s.

## Death

Ramos suffered from diabetes, which caused him to go blind. He had a big toe amputated due to an infection caused by a piece of glass. In addition, he was on kidney dialysis three times a week. He lost over 100 pounds because of his diabetes. On May 27, 2006, Ramos died at the age of 68 due to a massive shoulder infection.
Moose Cholak

**Edward S. Cholak** (March 17, 1930 – October 31, 2002) was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name **Moose Cholak**. Cholak competed in North American regional promotions from 1952 until 1987, primarily in the Midwest and northeast.

## Early life

A native of Chicago's Southeast Side, Cholak was an all-city wrestling champion and an AAU amateur champion at Chicago Vocational High School. Cholak played tackle for the University of Wisconsin football team, but left after one year to join the Navy during the Korean War. In addition to boxing and wrestling in the service, he was also trained as SeaBee engineer.

## Professional wrestling career

After leaving the Navy in 1952, Cholak was recruited into professional wrestling by former AWA World Heavyweight champion, Chief Don Eagle. Cholak was trained by Columbus, Ohio promoter and former NWA vice president, Al Haft. Between 1953 and 1987, Cholak wrestled in 8,000 matches.

   As part of his gimmick, Cholak was known for wearing a moose head to the ring and giving a "moose call" prior to his matches. This and his finishing move "El Squasho" as well as the big splash finishing move made him a star in the early years of televised wrestling, including *Wrestling from Marigold* and *Wrestling from the International Amphitheater* that both originated from Chicago.

Among his many singles and tag-team championships, Cholak won the International Wrestling Association championship in Japan in 1963, defeating Rikidozan.

## Death

Eventually weighing over 400 pounds, Cholak died of complications from a stroke on October 31, 2002 in a Hammond, Indiana hospital at the age of 72.
Buzz Sawyer

**Bruce Alan Woyan** (June 14, 1959 – February 7, 1992) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, **Buzz Sawyer**.

## Professional wrestling career

**"Mad Dog" Buzz Sawyer** started wrestling in 1979 in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)'s Jim Crockett Promotions. He stayed there with some stints in Georgia Championship Wrestling until 1984.

He mainly teamed with his brother, Brett Sawyer. He had a huge feud with the Road Warriors after he left their manager Paul Ellering's Legion of Doom.

Buzz also had an epic feud with Tommy Rich that led to many bloody matches, the greatest of which was billed as the *Last Battle of Atlanta* and for the first time featured a completely enclosed cage.

It also saw manager Paul Ellering suspended 20 feet above the ring in a smaller cage. This is the match that Shawn Michaels credits for inspiring the *Hell in the Cell* concept used by the WWE.

Tommy Rich won the Last Battle Atlanta match. Another stipulation for the match was that Sawyer and Rich would never fight again - which they did not in Georgia Championship Wrestling. They did meet again in WCW about five years later.

Sawyer had a short World Wrestling Entertainment/Federation (WWE/F) run in 1984. He was called "Bulldog" Buzz Sawyer because Mad Dog was being used by Mad Dog Vachon.

During Sawyer's only TV appearance, he was managed by "Captain" Lou Albano. Sawyer's gimmick included a dog chain and a lot of barking, including a new bulldog finisher.

In 1985, Buzz went to Mid-South Wrestling (which would become the Universal Wrestling Federation in 1986) and became a protege of Dick Slater's.

After Slater won the North American title, he gave Mid-South TV Title to Sawyer to defend for him. The promotion tricked Slater into letting Sawyer defend the North American Title (which he promptly lost), and Sawyer then refused to give the TV belt back to Slater.

In 1986, Sawyer left the UWF for World Class Championship Wrestling. He formed a team with Matt Borne and they won the WCWA Tag Team Championship.

He also won the WCWA Television Championship and the WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship and feuded with Brian Adias while there. He got into a feud with Dingo Warrior and he lost his tag team titles to Warrior and Lance Von Erich before leaving the promotion.

He returned in 1989 as part of Gary Hart's "J-Tex Corporation" that was feuding with the Four Horsemen. He had some good matches against Arn Anderson before joining Kevin Sullivan's "Slaughterhouse" stable in 1990, but he left the promotion soon after that.

Sawyer was known for his crazy antics such as trying to fight the police outside a bar and also his drug abuse.

He trained a few wrestlers, among them Magnum T.A.. In Mick Foley's book Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks, Foley recounted a story where The Undertaker told Foley he paid Sawyer to teach him to wrestle. Sawyer only showed Undertaker how to lock-up (or start a match) and then skipped town the next day.

He was working on the independent circuit before his death.

## Death

Sawyer died of a heart attack due to a drug overdose on February 7, 1992.
Matilda the Hun

**Deanna Booher** (August 6, 1948 – January 7, 2022) was an American actress, professional wrestler, and roller derby skater. She is known for her appearances with Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling as **Matilda the Hun**, as well as her appearances in films such as *Brainsmasher... A Love Story* and *Spaceballs*.

## Professional wrestling career

Booher grew up in Lake Arrowhead, California. Prior to becoming involved in wrestling, she held jobs including as a masseuse and as a phone sex operator. She wrestled at El Camino Junior College in California, helping the team win a state championship.

Booher made her first foray into professional wrestling by organizing amateur mud wrestling shows, performing as a masked character named "Queen Kong". After California's gaming commission barred her from wrestling men, her first professional match was against a 700 lb (320 kg) bear.

Booher later teamed with GLOW creator David McLane and director Matt Cimber to cast, recruit and train performers for the first all-women's professional wrestling show. She also wrote the show's theme song. Booher portrayed Matilda the Hun in GLOW. Her villainous character ate raw meat in the ring and scared children in the crowd, which Booher said she enjoyed.

After two years with GLOW, Booher and others left to form a competing show called Powerful Women of Wrestling, but it was unsuccessful. Booher said she learned her signature move, a big splash, from watching English professional wrestler Big Daddy.

In 2012, Booher appeared in a documentary about GLOW, titled *GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling*. After Booher's professional wrestling career, she earned a living doing stunt work as well as by performing singing telegrams that incorporated aspects of wrestling.

Booher had several film roles in her career, including in the Mel Brooks comedy *Spaceballs*. She was in the romantic comedy *Brainsmasher... A Love Story* alongside Andrew "Dice" Clay and Teri Hatcher. She also appeared in the music video for Aerosmith's "Love in an Elevator", carrying a dwarf on her shoulders.

She also had guest-starring roles in television, including *Married... with Children*, *My Two Dads*, *Mama's Family* and *Night Court*. She often portrayed her Queen Kong character in these roles.

## Death

By 2017, Booher used a motorized wheelchair because of wrestling-related spinal deterioration. She suffered from lupus and peripheral neuropathy.

Deanna "Matilda the Hun" Booher died on January 7, 2022 at the age of 73.
Sam Avey

**Sam Avey** (February 5, 1895 – August 9, 1962) was an American businessman and sports promoter. Best known as the wrestling promoter of little big men, he is also credited for helping to create the Tulsa wrestling territory later used by the National Wrestling Alliance.

## Promoting career

Sam Avey was born in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, on February 5, 1895. Prior to wrestling, Avey was a merchant in the family grocery, located in Cherryvale, Kansas. While growing up in Cherryvale, the community’s most prominent sports celebrity was Billy Sandow. Sandow was the manager of Ed “Strangler” Lewis, and Sandow was the catalyst for Avey’s interest in professional wrestling.

After serving in World War I, Avey returned to Cherryvale and was recruited by Sandow to embark upon a wrestling career. He started in wrestling by travelling as a referee. In his early years in wrestling, it was not uncommon that Avey was misspelled Avery. Later on, Avey was brought to Tulsa to promote the matches of Ed “Strangler” Lewis.

At the time, Oklahoma was a breeding ground for potential wrestlers. One of the wrestlers who caught Avey’s eyes was Leroy McGuirk, a grappler from Oklahoma A&M. McGuirk would eventually become a junior heavyweight champion, and wrestlers from all over the country came to Oklahoma.

After McGuirk was injured in auto accident, Avey gave him points in the company and named him the matchmaker. In September 1950, both men were appointed to Executive Positions in the National Wrestling Alliance. McGuirk was appointed as Second Vice-President while Avey was named the Treasurer due to his banking background.

Avey had other interests outside of wrestling. He helped reorganize the American Hockey Association following World War II and owned the Tulsa Oilers hockey club in the 1940s. At the time, the Oilers were affiliated with the United States Hockey League. In 1942, he acquired the Tulsa Coliseum for $185,000, and it was known affectionately as Avey's Coliseum. It regularly hosted prestigious political events and sporting events, such as ice hockey, boxing, and wrestling matches.

Avey also owned the radio station KAKC, and it broadcast from the Coliseum basement. On September 20, 1952, the building was burned to the ground after it was struck by lightning. The building’s wooden roof accelerated the fire. In January 1958, Avey sold out the wrestling promotion to McGuirk. He left to concentrate on his role as senior vice president with the Farmers and Merchants State Bank. He was still linked to the NWA and remained as Treasurer until August 1960.

## Death

Avey died on August 9, 1962, the age of 67.
Shane Shamrock

**Brian Stephen Howser** (February 8, 1975 – August 18, 1998), known by his ring name **Shane Shamrock**, was an American professional wrestler best known for his time in Maryland Championship Wrestling.

## Professional wrestling career

Howser trained with Axl Rotten and started his wrestling career in 1993, adopting the ring name Shane Shamrock as a tribute to his adopted father, Bob Shamrock.

By 1994, he was competing for the Essex-based promotion, Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation (MEWF). On November 11, he unsuccessfully challenged Mark Shrader for the vacant MEWF Light Heavyweight Title. Whilst defeating other opponents, he would challenge Shrader, Adam Flash and Quinn Nash for the title throughout the next few years, but the gold ultimately eluded him.

In 1998, he competed for other indie promotions including the Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance (IPWA) and the Allied Powers Wrestling Federation (APWF), where he fought Jimmy Cicero to a double-countout during a semi-final match for the APWF Heavyweight Championship tournament.

On July 19, 1998, Maryland Championship Wrestling, a promotion based in Howser's native Maryland, held its first ever card. This notably featured a six-way match for the MCW Light Heavyweight Championship, pitting Shamrock, Christian York, Earl The Pearl, Joey Matthews (future WWE star Joey Mercury), Mark Shrader and Quinn Nash. Shamrock would use his signature *Irish Cloverleaf* submission move to become the inaugural Light Heavyweight Champion. Two days before his death, he would successfully defend the title against Matthews.

Following his passing, Shamrock was posthumously named "The Lifetime MCW Light Heavyweight Champion" with the organization retiring the title a month after his death. The MCW Cruiserweight Championship was created in its place.

## Death

On August 18, 1998, Howser was fatally shot by police during an altercation at his Glen Burnie, Maryland, home. Officers were responding to a 9-1-1 call from his girlfriend after Howser allegedly threatened to stab her with a kitchen knife. Howser was then shot and killed by responding officers after refusing to drop the weapon. He was 23 years old.
Frank Townsend

**Frank Floyd Townsend Jr.** (March 20, 1933 – May 15, 1965), was an American professional wrestler and musician. He was known as Farmer Boy and was dubbed ‘The Singing Wrestler.'

## Professional wrestling career

Townsend began his wrestling career in 1956 in Ohio. During his career he worked in Calgary, Minnesota, New York, Toronto, St. Louis, and Vancouver.

Most of his career was spent in Toronto working for Maple Leaf Wrestling from 1957 to 1958, and again in 1961. There, he teamed with the likes of Pat O'Connor and Billy Watson. In 1961 he toured England working for Joint Promotions until 1962. That year he returned to North America in St. Louis and worked for the American Wrestling Association and made his debut in Vancouver as Mr. X.

He teamed with Gene Kiniski to win the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship from Sandor Kovacs and Dan Miller on February 11, 1963. They dropped the belts to Mitsu Arakawa and Kinji Shibuya a month later.

In May 1963, Townsend went to Japan as Killer X for the Japan Wrestling Association. After the tour in Japan, Townsend retired from wrestling and continued his music career.

## Death

On May 15, 1965, Townsend and his yacht crew were preparing to race the yacht, the *Dorade,* in Puget Sound, Washington. During the race, Townsend fell overboard and is believed to have drowned. Townsend's body was never found. He was 32 years old at the time of his disappearance.
Mitch Snow

**Barton Mitchell Snow** (January 17, 1966 - August 3, 2000), better known by his ring name **Mitch Snow**, was an American professional wrestler.

## Career

Snow's father was a high school football coach at Menchville High School in Newport News, Virginia. Mitch, who attended that school, also went to Layfette High School in Williamsburg. Though he attended college, he later turned it down to officially kickstart his professional wrestling career in 1986. Mitch started training at Nelson Royal's wrestling school and made his debut not long after.

He worked a few events for Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling until moving to Central States Wrestling, suffering his fair share of losses against big stars like The Barbarian, The Warlord, and Pork Chop Cash, but managed to score victories over other wrestlers like Mark Fleming. In March 1987, Snow moved to Championship Wrestling From Florida, unsuccessfully challenging Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Title on April 15.

Snow earned the biggest exposure of his career when, in June, he started working for the American Wrestling Association (AWA). Verne Gagne, the owner of the promotion, saw potential in Snow, who, in his own right, possessed charisma and good looks. Because of this, Snow seemingly received a push and defeated opponent after opponent over the following months. Gagne even had Snow score a big victory over Larry Zybzsko, who was their top heel at the time.

Despite his successes, Snow never seemed to have caught on with the audience, who were visibly exhausted with the lackluster product and believed that it was not fertile ground to grow new stars. In late 1987, Snow formed a tag team with Alan West known as The Beach Patrol. On November 28, the Patrol challenged The Original Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose) for the AWA World Tag Team Titles, but they were unsuccessful in winning the championships. In 1988, Snow left the AWA.

Later that year, Snow started working for All Japan Pro Wrestling for a tour during the summer. His biggest match was a bout against Tiger Mask Mitsuharu Misawa, which Misawa won with a German Suplex.

## Death

On August 3, 2000, aged 34, Mitch Snow died after committing suicide, despondent over the loss of his father James DeWitt Snow Jr. (who had died just days prior) as well as suffering from other family issues; his brother James DeWitt Snow III also preceded him in death. He had been a member of the Chestnut Memorial United Methodist Church.
Argentina Apollo

**Vincente Denigris** (April 28, 1938 – August 2, 1984) was an Argentine professional wrestler better known by his ring name **Vicente Denigris** or **Argentina Apollo** (often **Vittorio Argentina Apollo**). He was also an artist for the Professional Picture Framers Association and Atlanta Artists Club.

## Professional wrestling career

Vincente Denigris was born on April 28, 1938 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. When he was 16 years old, he moved to the United States to wrestle. He made his debut in 1960 for northeastern territories of the NWA. He made his debut against Jack Vancy at a house show in New York City under the Capital Wrestling Corporation.

He wrestled extensively for the Capital Wrestling Corporation, the precursor to WWWF. He also worked for Studio Wrestling in Pittsburgh. His main work was for the World Wide Wrestling Federation from 1963 to 1968, as well as various territories of the National Wrestling Alliance, most notably, Championship Wrestling from Florida and Georgia Championship Wrestling. He would challenge the Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Roy Heffernan) for the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship with partner Johnny Valentine. Due to the confines of the time limit curfew, the title did not change hands.

On February 10, 1964, Apollo teamed with Dan McClarity, defeating Chris and John Tolos to win the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship. They dropped the titles on March 20 to Dr. Jerry Graham and Luke Graham. He was known for his gymnastics in the ring, performing such feats as climbing onto the ropes, performing a back aerial somersault into a roll, then using a handspring to return to his feet and to throw a savate kick to his opponent's midsection.

He eventually had to retire due to injuries from his explosive wrestling style. He had his last match in 1975 when he teamed up with Luiz Martinez, to challenge the IWA World Tag Team Champions The Mongols (Geeto and Bolo Mongol) for the championship. Apollo and Martinez lost the match and Apollo retired shortly afterwards.

## Death

Vincente "Argentina Apollo" Denigris died of a heart attack on 2 August 1984, at his Marietta, Georgia home aged 46.
Frank Hickey

**Franklin Jewel Hickey** (March 10, 1915 – December 8, 1993) was an American professional wrestler known for his character of **Spaceman**.

## Early life

Franklin Jewel Hickey was born in San Fransisco, California, on March 10, 1915, the third child of Daniel and Lorraine Hickey. His father worked as a mechanic, and the family relocated to Los Angeles County in the southern part of the state. Hickey joined the U.S. Army on January 16, 1942, and served overseas; in December 1945, the Los Angles Examiner said he had a "long hitch with General George Patton's Third Army in Europe."

## Professional wrestling career

Frank Hickey started wrestling early in 1941. Over the following years, Hickey found himself competing primarily in his native California and Arizona circuit under his real name, but also found time to wrestle outside of the States in Canada. Hickey soon started wrestling under the alias Bozo Brown for the next few years.

On June 10, 1950, he won his only title, Jack Pfefer's World Heavyweight Title in Ohio, by shockingly defeating "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers. Hickey wrestled without a mask but he donned it when working as El Diablo and the Night Terror. It has been rumored that he wrestled in 10 different identities, and was also believed to have scored a pinfall victory over wrestling legend Lou Thesz.

In 1953 and 1954, he was unmasked by the likes of Joe Wolfe and Tony Consenza, and Bronko Nagurski, Jack Witzig and Tony Baillargeon, respectively. Multiple times in March 1957, he was unmasked by Sonny Meyers, Bob Orton, and Thor Hagen. In the 1960s, Hickey would compete for Deep South Wrestling in a partnership with Johnny Mae (Mae Young) for mixed tag team matches on the mid-card.

Hickey wrestled for other promotions, including a stint in the WWF during the 1960s and 1970s. During this time, he would adopt the character of Spaceman, complete with colorful gear, and a leather helmet he wore to the ring. Despite losing the majority of his matches, Hickey became a cult favorite and a fixture in preliminary matches for Capitol Wrestling in New York, promoted by Vince McMahon, Sr. and Toots Mondt.

His run with the WWF ended in 1974 and Frank wrestled on the independent circuit before going into semi-retirement and working as a referee. In May 1993, Hickey came out of retirement for a short stint in the USWA, just months before his death, and last wrestled in a tag team bout pitting him and Brian Christopher Lawler against Koko B. Ware and Frank Morrell on May 15, which the opposing team won. Hickey was a favorite of independent wrestler turned artist, Larry Monti, who made various paintings depicting him in action.

## Death

Hickey died from heart disease on December 8, 1993, at the Caverna Memorial Hospital in Horse Cave, Kentucky. He was 78 years old.
Chuck Adcox

**Charles Ray Adcox** (May 26, 1927 – December 18, 1992) was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name **Chuck Adcox.**

## Professional wrestling career

Adcox was born on May 26, 1927, and enlisted for World War II on May 28, 1945 at the age of 18. He began his wrestling career in the early 1960s, competing as Joe Adcock primarily in Missouri.

In 1968, Adcox was seen wrestling for the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), often in an enhancement talent role, where he faced the likes of Arnold Skaaland, Spiros Arion, and Haystacks Calhoun. During a taping that year on October 19, he even earned a match for the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship against Bruno Sammartino, which Sammartino won.

While with the WWWF, Adcox often went face to face or was teaming with Bob Orton, who worked as Rocky Fitzgerald at the time. He left the company soon after and the two would form a frequent tag team.

## Later years and death

Having wrestled his final match in 1972, Adcox became the pastor of the Armourdale Trinity Church in Kansas City from 1985 until his death. He had previously been the pastor for Tenth Street Tabernacle for 13 years.

On December 18, 1992, Charles "Chuck" Adcox died at the Shawnee Mission Medical Center at the age of 65.
Gino Hernandez

**Charles Eugene Wolfe Jr.** (August 8, 1957 – February 2, 1986) was an American professional wrestler. His in-ring name was **Gino Hernandez**, and his nickname was "The Handsome Half-Breed" (a reference to his Italian/Mexican-American ring name).

## Professional wrestling career

"The Handsome Halfbreed" started wrestling in 1975 in Southwest Championship Wrestling (SCW) after being trained by Jose Lothario. He formed a team with Lothario and eventually turned on him, starting a feud that saw Hernandez lose his hair to Lothario as the result of a hair vs. hair match.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Gino went to World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) where he feuded with David Von Erich over the Texas Heavyweight Title. He returned to SCW and formed a tag team called "The Dynamic Duo" with Tully Blanchard that was quite successful.

He returned to WCCW in 1984 and feuded with the Von Erichs, David, Kevin and Kerry Von Erich. He also formed a team with Chris Adams, also called the "Dynamic Duo". That version proved to be the most famous, as Adams and Hernandez drew in high revenues and television ratings for World Class in their feud with the Von Erichs.

He soon turned on Adams in December 1985 (two months after losing their hair at the Cotton Bowl) and started a feud, which was to have been the top storyline of 1986 for World Class. On January 27, 1986, during a grudge match in Fort Worth, Hernandez threw "freebird hair cream" (a "hair-removal product" previously established in WCCW storyline continuity in 1983 by Freebird Buddy Roberts) into the face of Adams, who was to sell his blinding injury so he could spend time in England with his new wife Toni and his family.

Hernandez was scheduled to compete on a house show the following Thursday and a non-televised wrestling card at the Sportatorium in Dallas the following Friday (both of which took place despite the nation going through the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, which occurred a day after Hernandez' match with Adams). Gino no-showed the matches and phone calls made to him were never returned.

## Death

On February 4, concerned with Hernandez's well-being, two World Class officials, David Manning and Rick Hazzard, and several local law enforcement officers broke into his Highland Park apartment and found Hernandez dead (he had been dead for approximately three days).

Initially Hernandez's death was ruled a homicide case, but following autopsy reports, his death was ruled as a result of an overdose of cocaine, however, many (even today) still believe Gino was murdered, because amounts of cocaine was also in his stomach.

The syndicated World Class broadcast (scheduled for a February 15 airing) was scheduled to have aired a match involving Gino Hernandez, originally taped on January 24 at the Sportatorium. That match never aired; instead, announcer Bill Mercer made the announcement of Gino's death, and a different match would air instead.
Betty Jo Hawkins

**Bettie J. Floyd** (October 22, 1930 - December 4, 1987), best known as **Betty Jo Hawkins**, was an American female professional wrestler. She is best known for teaming with Penny Banner.

## Professional wrestling career

At a young age, Floyd suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, originally misdiagnosed as childhood polio, but strenuous exercise helped her recover from the disease. She was later involved in weightlifting.

She debuted for professional wrestling in 1948, according to her longtime best friend Penny Banner. In July of 1952, Hawkins won her first NWA Florida Women's Championship, holding it until February 9, 1953. She won the title for a second time on September 28, which she held until October 12. Hawkins held the title one more time in November of that year. For the majority of her career, Hawkins specialized in tag team matches due to her arthritis, which caused severe pain but opportunities to tag out for periods of rest.

Hawkins and Banner were recognized as NWA Women's Tag Team Champions in 1956, leading to Stu Hart billing the team the Canadian Tag Team Champions on their first tour through Hart's territory in Alberta. In addition to this, she formed successful partnerships with third cousin Cora Combs and Toni Rose. By her 30s, however, Hawkins' arthritis returned, leading to her inevitable and early retirement.

Outside of the ring, Hawkins was married to wrestler Brute Bernard, and together they had a son, Tony. Their relationship was reported to have been abusive, however. One time, Betty Jo and Bernard were arguing when Bernard slapped her in the face. Penny Banner took offense to this and jumped on Bernard’s back.

## Death

After a period of detoriating health, Betty Jo Hawkins died from a heart attack on December 4, 1987.
Danny Fargo

**Audie Leon Hager** (June 13, 1959 – December 26, 2003) was an American professional wrestler, best known by his ring names **Danny Fargo** and **Dan Greer**. Hager also worked for the World Wrestling Council as El Momio, and also worked in Mexico.

## Professional wrestling career

Hager, as Dan Greer, began teaming with Eric Embry as the Fabulous Blonds, replacing Ken Timbs in Southwest Championship Wrestling (SCW). They won the SCW Southern Tag Team Championship twice.

   Hager also replaced Ken Timbs, once again, in the Fabulous Fargo tag team in World Organization of Wrestling in 1987. He also formed a long time tag team with Johnny "Bam Bam" Reeves known as The Boogie Woogie Men. They won the Mountain Wrestling Association (MWA) tag titles multiple times.

As a singles star, Hager was one of the most popular in central Kentucky. In 1995, Hager purchased Mountain Wrestling Association (MWA) from Dale Mann, but sold it in 1998.

In 1999 Hager got back into the wrestling game by starting Universal Wrestling Alliance (UWA). UWA also never reached the success of the MWA and eventually folded in 2001. Hager retired permanently in 2001.

## Death

Hager died from cancer on December 26, 2003, at the age of 44. He was survived by his wife and former wrestler Lady Crickett, three children, two sons, a daughter and five grandchildren.
Dory Funk Sr.

**Dorrance Wilhelm Funk** (May 4, 1919 – June 3, 1973), best known as **Dory Funk Sr.**, was an American professional wrestler. He is the father of wrestlers Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk, and was a promoter of the Amarillo, Texas-based Western States Sports promotion.

## Early life

Funk was born in Hammond, Indiana, on May 4, 1919, as the son of Emma E. (Gust) and Adam Funk. He was an Indiana high school state champion amateur wrestler for three years at Hammond High School in Hammond, Indiana, as well as an Indiana State University Amateur Athletic Union champion for one year.

## Professional wrestling career

Funk began his career as a professional wrestler after serving in the United States Navy during World War II, starting in the southwest United States.

He wrestled primarily in the Texas territories and the Central States territories during his career. Mainly a junior heavyweight, he fought Iron Mike DiBiase, Mike Clancy, Danny Hodge and Verne Gagne. After Dory Jr. won the NWA Heavyweight championship in 1969, he was at ringside for many of his son's title defences.

Throughout his career, Funk Sr. won the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship a total of 17 times, while also holding tag team gold.

Funk began promoting Western States Sports with Doc Sarpolis in Amarillo, Texas, where he led a thriving wrestling scene that produced many stars, including his sons Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk, as well as Stan Hansen, Harley Race, Gene Kiniski, Tully Blanchard, Ted DiBiase, Tito Santana, Bruiser Brody, Ricky Romero, Jumbo Tsuruta, and Genichiro Tenryu.

Many of his wrestlers had played football at West Texas State University in nearby Canyon, Texas. Funk had a good business relationship with All Japan Pro Wrestling founder Shohei Baba, which led Funk's talent pool to useful international experience. Funk was also heavily involved with the Cal Farley Boys Ranch in Amarillo.

On July 15, 2006, Funk was posthumously inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame at the International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Newton, Iowa. The award was accepted by Terry.

## Death

On June 3, 1973 Funk died at St. Anthony's Hospital at 12:30 AM at the age of 54, from complications of a heart attack he suffered while demonstrating a wrestling hold at his home to a visitor at his Flying Mare Ranch in Umbarger, Texas.
Rocco Rock

## Professional wrestling stats

### Known as

The Cheetah Kid, Colonel DeKlerk, The Leopard Mask, "Flyboy" Rocco Rock, The Rock, The Executioner

### Trained by

Afa Anoa'i

**Theodore James "Ted" Petty** (September 1, 1953 – September 21, 2002) was an American professional wrestler better known as **"Flyboy" Rocco Rock**, one half of The Public Enemy.

## Professional wrestling career

Petty graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in nutrition. Following a brief boxing career, Petty started wrestling in 1978 as "The Cheetah Kid".

Petty wrestled in the National Wrestling Alliance in 1990, appearing at Starrcade as Colonel DeKlerk. Along with Sergeant Krueger, he represented South Africa in a tag team match, but the team lost to The Steiner Brothers.

In 1993, under the name Rocco Rock and formed a tag team named The Public Enemy with Johnny Grunge, with a gimmick of inner city criminals. The team first wrestled in the Universal Wrestling Federation and Extreme Championship Wrestling. In ECW, the team feuded with Terry Funk and The Gangstas and won the ECW Tag Team Championship four times. The teams's success in 1995 earned him his highest placement in the annual PWI 500, in which he was ranked #90.

   In 1996, The Public Enemy signed with World Championship Wrestling, where they won the tag team title and feuded with The Nasty Boys. They continued to use some of the hardcore tactics that had made them famous in ECW, including the frequent use of tables in matches.

They were briefly in the World Wrestling Federation in 1999 and competed in the short-lived Xtreme Wrestling Federation as the "South Philly Posse" with Jasmin St. Claire as their manager. Petty then competed as a singles wrestler on the independent circuit.

## Death and legacy

Petty died after suffering a massive heart attack on September 21, 2002, at the age of 49, while en route to a Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling show. At the time, he was scheduled to wrestle against Gary Wolfe in a match for the promotion's heavyweight title. The IWA-Mid South professional wrestling promotion memorialized him by frequently holding the Ted Petty Invitational tournament; some of the winners include A. J. Styles, Matt Sydal, Low Ki, and Mike Quackenbush.
Black Angus Campbell

**Francis Patrick Hoy** (19 October 1934 – 21 April 2005) was a Scottish professional wrestler, better known by the ring names **Black Angus Campbell**, **Wild Angus**, and **Rasputin** (whilst wearing a wrestling mask).

## Professional wrestling career

Wearing a long black beard and a kilt, Hoy started his career in 1954.

Wrestling as a heel, mostly in Europe (where he featured regularly on *World of Sport* in the United Kingdom during the 1970s and 1980s), he managed one of his greatest achievements in 1978 when he captured the European Heavyweight Championship.

Hoy also wrestled in North America, initially with Stampede Wrestling and later in Central States Wrestling, where from around 1970 to 1973 he was a regular performer under the management of Percival A. Friend. Here his most notable feuds were against Buck Robley and Ox Baker.

He also wrestled in Japan, including a notable 45-minute draw in 1978 at the Hakodate City Gym, Hokkaidō featuring Billy Robinson and himself against Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk. In later life Hoy ended his involvement with wrestling and, according to Harley Race, worked as a park ranger in Scotland. His son, Steve McHoy aka Steve Casey, was also a professional wrestler.

## Death

Hoy died in his home town of Stranraer on April 21, 2005, at the age of 70.
Eric Fontaine

**Eric Todd Downey** (October 10, 1965 - December 15, 1998) was an American professional wrestler who wrestled as **Eric Fontaine** and sometimes **Zebra Kid**.

## Professional wrestling career

Eric Fontaine began his wrestling career in 1982. In a few years, he head out to the North Carolina area, competing as the Zebra Kid and managed by Christopher Love (Bert Prentice). Fontaine and Prentice would head to Wichita, Kansas to begin a promotion with Fontaine as the lead face.

During his career, Fontaine notably wrestled for the United States Wrestling Association (USWA) and the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF). Fellow wrestler Randy Rhodes would join Prentice's promotion after working for a rival promoter in Wichita. There, Fontaine won the North American title, feuding with Rhodes and Tom Prichard.

Fontaine, Prentice, and Rhodes would all move to Dallas after ditching Kansas. During a tag team championship tournament, Fontaine turned on his partner Brian Adias, while Rhodes turned on Rick Garren. This led to Fontaine and Rhodes teaming up as the Pretty Young Things, managed by Love.

He was also said to have wrestled as Dark Patriot and The Scorpion, along with a brief stint as Demolition Ax's tag team partner in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Fontaine continued to wrestle on the independent circuit during the 1990s.

## Death

On December 15, 1998, Downey died at the age of 33 in Memphis, Tennesee, the victim of a motorcycle accident.
Baron Mikel Scicluna

**"Baron" Mikel Scicluna** (July 29, 1929 – March 20, 2010) was a Maltese-born Canadian professional wrestler who gained his fame during the 1960s and 1970s.

## Professional wrestling career

Scicluna started wrestling during the 1950s,  and used the name Mike Valentino early in his career. Scicluna worked primarily in Canada until 1965, when he ventured to the World Wide Wrestling Federation, using his most famous moniker "Baron" Mikel Scicluna.

Scicluna was famous for entering the ring with a royal blue cape over his shoulders, indicating that he was of Maltese royal descent. Scicluna was also known for being a master of the "foreign object", mainly utilizing a roll of coins to bash opponents out of sight of the referee.

He enjoyed success as a tag team wrestler, winning the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship with Smasher Sloan on September 22, 1966 in Washington, D.C. (though they eventually lost the belts in the same city to Spiros Arion & Antonio Pugliese), then the WWWF World Tag Team Championship with King Curtis Iaukea on February 1, 1972 in Philadelphia.

In singles competition, Scicluna defeated Spiros Arion for Australia's IWA World Championship on June 15, 1968, and would challenge Bruno Sammartino and Pedro Morales for the WWWF Championship from time to time. One of his biggest career wins was pinning Waldo Von Erich (who was also a heel) in 6 minutes at Madison Square Garden, prior to two Garden title matches with Bruno Sammartino.

In the first match at MSG vs. Bruno he was disqualified; Sammartino scored the pin in a rematch. Scicluna went on to lose a series of matches to Spiros Arion. In June 1976, Scicluna found himself part of history, as the opponent for Gorilla Monsoon on the night Monsoon engaged in an impromptu tussle with boxing great Muhammad Ali.

Scicluna was wrestling Monsoon in a televised match, and was sent over the top rope to the floor after receiving a Manchurian Chop. Scicluna waved off his opponent and walked off, taking a countout loss. Ali entered the ring from the audience and tried to jab at Monsoon. Monsoon responded by dropping Ali with an airplane spin. This angle was a part of the buildup toward Ali's infamous boxer vs. wrestler match with Antonio Inoki later in the month.

Scicluna retired from active competition in 1984. He was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1996. In retirement, he lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

## Death

He died on March 20, 2010 after a long battle of cancer. He was 80 years old.
Chip Douglas

**Paul Michael Mason** (June 5, 1985 - August 16, 2003), better known by his ring name **Chip Douglas**, was an American professional wrestler.

## Professional wrestling career

Born on June 5, 1985, Paul Mason graduated a year early from Millard North High School and started training at the age of 16, training with the Omaha Wrestling Association for about two years, and watching VHS tapes to help him re-enact everything he saw while watching them.

Under the ring name Chip Douglas, he cultivated a cocky character which helped him generate heat from the fans, wrestling around the Midlands. His long blonde hair, a "Brad Pitt face and a Dudley do-right smile" also seemed to do the trick.

Mason also worked at Walmart, giving him the opportunity to move to Eldon for Harley Race's Wrestling Academy, and had been poised to move to Japan. Sadly, this did not come to fruition, and tragedy would occur.

## Death

On August 13, 2003, while training with Harley Race, Mason suddenly passed out and never regained consciousness as he suffered a brain anuerysm. He died three days later at a hospital in Columbia, Missouri, as a result at the age of 18. However, his family donated his organs, which helped over 100 people; the Chip Douglas Wrestler of the Year award was made in his honor.
Bullwhip Johnson

**Daniel R. Johnston** (January 6, 1954 - July 20, 2003) was a Canadian professional wrestler, known under multiple ring names including Battleship Johnson, Bull Johnson, **Bullwhip Johnson**, Danny Johnson, and Danny Sharp.

## Professional wrestling career

Dan Johnston was born on January 6, 1954 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, the son of wrestler Bull Johnson, who trained him. His love for wrestling started at the age of 15, and once he got done with high school, he started going on the road with Pedro Martinez’s wrestling promotion, based in Buffalo.

Once Johnson got in the ring, he faced some of wrestling's biggest names which included the likes of Jerry Lawler, Lars Anderson, Ernie Ladd, and the Mongols. He would often team with his brother Randy as the Sharp brothers.

According to Slam! Wrestling: *"Besides wrestling, Johnson is self-employed and does asphalt paving of driveways and runs a Bobcat service around Hamilton. Bullwhip Johnson feels that he did the best in Montreal, wrestling for Gino Brito’s International Wrestling promotion. A stint in Los Angeles in 1980 was also a success, as he won the NWA world tag titles (L.A. version) with former Cleveland Brown Walter Johnson."*

Johnson took part for the NWA Starrcade event in 1990, teaming with Troy Montour in a losing effort to Salman Hashimikov and Victor Zangiev for the Pat O'Connor International Tag Team Tournament in the first round.

## Death

Johnson's well-known alcohol addiction caused him to suffer from liver cirrhosis. On July 20, 2003, Bullwhip Johnson died at the age of 49.

According to his wife Kathy, *“He died in my arms, and the kids were around, and his mom and his sisters,” she said. “Twenty minutes before he died, he asked for the TV clicker to change the channel. He was sooo crazy about TV. He’d watch TV, he knew everything on TV, never needed a TV guide. So instead of the traditional rosary in the hand, he’s going to be buried with a TV clicker in his hand.”*
Chase Tatum

**William Chase Tatum** (November 3, 1973 – March 23, 2008) was an American professional wrestler.

## Professional wrestling career

At age 19, Tatum won the Mr. Georgia bodybuilding competition. He signed with the Atlanta-based World Championship Wrestling promotion, working as a jobber during his early days in the company

Tatum found moderate success when he became a member of rapper Master P's No Limit Soldiers, where they had a feud with the West Texas Rednecks. In 1999, he faced such wrestlers as Curt Hennig on an episode of *WCW Thunder* and WCW Television Champion Rick Steiner on *WCW Monday Nitro*.

   He lost both matches but wrestled Mikey Whipwreck to a draw on the August 23 episode of *WCW Monday Nitro*.

Tatum's wrestling career lasted less than two years and left him with severe back problems. He developed a dependence to painkillers. In 2007, Tatum found his way into the acting business and appeared in the comedy film *Who's Your Caddy?* alongside rapper Big Boi of Outkast, for whom he also worked as a road manager and personal assistant. He also worked as a personal trainer.

## Death

Tatum was found dead at his home in Atlanta, Georgia's Buckhead neighborhood after an apparent accidental drug overdose, on March 23, 2008. He was 34. His father states that Tatum was planning to enter a rehab facility to help overcome his addiction.