Buddy Wolfe
Encyclopedia
Les Wolff is a retired American football
player and professional wrestler, known by his ring name
"Beautiful" Buddy Wolfe, who competed in North American regional promotions including the American Wrestling Association
, National Wrestling Alliance
and the World Wide Wrestling Federation during the 1970s and 80s. Although having a successful singles career, his found his greatest success as the tag team partner of Don Jardine
wrestling as the second incarnation of The Spoilers in the Tri-State territory. He was one of several men to team with Jardine as Spoiler #2, and arguably one of the most successful teamings, twice winning the NWA United States Tag Team Championship
during the early 1970s.
Wolfe later formed a successful tag team with "Luscious" Larry Heinimi
who together were considered one of the top "heel
" tag teams in the Midwest United States during the mid-1970s.
He was also the husband of Vivian Vachon
, a popular French-Canadian female wrestler and member of the famous Vachon wrestling family
, to whom he was married from 1978 to 1979.
for the Norfolk Neptunes. He was voted Rookie of the Year during his first year in the Continental Football League
but left the organization in 1968 to pursue a career in professional wrestling.
Trained by wrestler Verne Gagne
, Wolfe was one of several students to debut during the early 1970s including Rick "The Dragon" Steamboat, "Nature Boy" Ric Flair
and Pacific Northwest Wrestling
mainstay "Playboy" Buddy Rose
, whom he would become a mentor to during his early career. In one of his earliest matches, he lost to his future brother-in-law Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon
in Fargo, North Dakota
on December 20, 1970.
and Lars Anderson
. Wolfe dominated his feud with Ole Anderson and, to further the storyline, a real-life incident in which Ole Anderson broke his nose while the two attended college was often referenced by Anderson who frequently claimed that Wolfe was trying to end his wrestling career.
During the summer of 1971, Wolfe wrestled in the Dallas-area for promoter Jack Adkisson. On July 20, he and Bronko Lubich
fought Nick Kozak & Johnny Valentine
to a draw at The Sportatorium
. Later single matches against Bobby Shane and Johnny Valentine also resulted in draws. He scored one of his earliest victories when he defeated The Great Scott on August 10, however this was followed by a defeat in an 8-man tag team match with Bronko Lubich, Toru Tanaka and Skandor Akbar losing to Nick Kozak & Johnny Valentine, Rey Mendoza and Jose Lothario
on August 17.
He continued feuding with Kozak and Valentine, fighting to a draw with Kozak on August 31 and defeating Valentine on September 7. The following week, he lost to Wahoo McDaniel
in a best 2-of-3 pinfalls match. On September 21, he teamed with Toru Tanaka and Thunderbolt Patterson in a 6-man tag team match losing to Johnny Valentine, Jose Lothario and Fritz von Erich
. He faced Paterson and Valentine in a three-way elimination match with Valentine defeating pinning Patterson and himself on September 28. Although the Dallas Morning News reported that this match was the first "3-man free-for-all wrestling match" held in Dallas, this statement in inaccurate.
On October 5, he teamed with Lubich, Patterson, Tanaka and George Hultz in a 10-man tag team match losing to Kozak, Valentine, Jose Lothario, Sabu Singh and Bobby Burns
. He defeated Burns in a singles match later that night. In another best 2-of-3 falls match, he teamed with Wahoo McDaniel and lost to Thunderbolt Patterson and Toru Tanaka on October 26. In the following weeks, he faced Toru Tanaka, Patterson and Joe Dusek. He fought his last match in the promotion fighting former tag team partner Bronko Lubich on December 14, 1971.
on October 16, 1972. He defeated El Olympico but lost to Chief Jay Strongbow and Tony Garea during the next few weeks. He also faced his old trainer Verne Gagne at Madison Square Garden on November 27. The next month, he defeated Sonny King but lost to Victor Rivera
via disqualification on December 29.
The following year, he faced then WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Pedro Morales
at the Westchester Civic Center in White Plains, New York
on January 24, 1973. He would be the first of several major opponents to challenge Morales for the title that year. Three days later, substituting for Prof. Toru Tanaka, he faced Chief Jay Strongbow at Sunnyside Gardens in Queens, New York. Later that day, he teamed with Moondog Mayne and King Curtis
in a 6-man tag team match against Pedro Morales, Chief Jay Strongbow and Gorilla Monsoon
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
on January 27.
On February 10, he would score his first victory defeating Mike Conrad and would face Pedro Morales in several matches during the year. Teaming with Prof. Toru Tanaka & Mr. Fuji
losing to Pedro Morales, Gorilla Monsoon and Bobo Brazil
at the Baltimore Civic Center in Baltimore, Maryland on February 20 and again faced Morales in a singles match at the Zembo Mosque in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
on February 23. During the match, Wolfe sustained a serious head wound after hitting one of the turnbuckles and the referee stopped the match.
He would also face Mil Máscaras
and Lee Wong
during the next several weeks before losing to Pedro Morales in a Texas Death match on March 16 and, the following night, teamed with Moondog Mayne and Toru Tanaka in a 6-man tag team match against Gorilla Monsoon, Sonny King and El Olympico. On March 26, he lost to André the Giant
in his debut match at Madison Square Garden
on March 26 and to Pedro Morales in New London, Connecticut
on April 13.
He would again face Morales on April 21, during which time the match was again stopped by the referee due to a serious wound being sustained. He and Frank Valois would face André the Giant in a handicap match in Augusta, Maine
on April 26 as well as facing Gorilla Monsoon and "Classie" Freddie Blassie before leaving the promotion in late April 1973.
. While in the Midwest, they were one of the top tag teams in the World Wrestling Association
. They also had successful runs in the American Wrestling Association
and in the Tri-State territory. For a brief time in the mid-1970s, he and Anderson owned and operated a chain of "shirt shacks" selling tie-dye shirts
.
Wolfe also traveled to Japan along with Ric Flair, Skandor Ackbar and The Outlaws (Dick Murdoch
& Dusty Rhodes
) and toured with Isao Yoshihara's International Wrestling Enterprise promotion from June 18 to July 15, 1973. The next year, he made an appearance for Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association
fighting Greg Gagne
to a time limit draw at Comiskey Park
in Chicago, Illinois on September 7, 1974.
After Anderson lost a retirement match to Billy Robinson
forcing him to leave the AWA, Wolfe announced he had found a new tag team partner Kim Duk. He and Kim Duk had a brief but memorable run as a tag team, however they were ultimately unsuccessful in winning the AWA World Tag Team Championship
and split up soon after. In one of their last appearances as a team, they lost to Greg Gagne
& Jim Brunzell at the Omaha Civic Auditorium
on August 19, 1975.
In October, while in NWA Texas
, he scored victories over Red Bastien
, Abe Jacobs
and Bruiser Blackwell before fighting to a draw against NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion Al Madril in Dallas, Texas
on October 28. The next night, he and John Tolos
lost a tag team match to André the Giant
and Jose Lothario
in San Antonio
. On November 3, he defeated Al Madril for the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship
. He successfully defended the title against Tony Atlas
and in rematches with Al Madrill before he losing to John Tolos later that month.
In June 1976, he was a wrestling sparring partner for Muhammad Ali
and later faced him in an exhibition match at an AWA event in Chicago
. At the time, Ali was preparing for his match against Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki
. He was also a sparring partner for Kenny Jay. The next month he lost to Moose Cholak at Comiskey Park
in Chicago, Illinois on August 27, 1976. Later that year, he traveled to Japan where he faced Abdullah the Butcher
in a rare meeting.
While in NWA Florida, he teamed with "Superstar" Billy Graham and Steve Strong against Rhodes, Jack
and Jerry Brisco at North Dade Jr. College
in Miami on January 12, 1977. He also defeated Steve Keirn
in a tournament final to win the vacant NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship in March before losing it to Dusty Rhodes three months later. The following year, he and "Killer" Karl Kox
feuded with Rhodes and Wahoo McDaniel
in Florida Championship Wrestling
facing them in several tag team matches. Teaming with Ric Flair and Ox Baker
, Wolfe lost to Andre the Giant and Dick the Bruiser in a three-on-two handicap match in St. Louis, Missouri
on March 17, 1978. That same year, he and female wrestler Vivian Vachon
became married.Due to the stress of their careers the relationship failed.Vivian married Gary Carnegie the following year and had two children,Ian (1980) and Julie (1982).http://www.wwedaily.com/vivian-vachon/
on January 18, 1983. After this point, Wolfe began to slow down making brief appearances in various regional territories. He teamed with Ken Timbs
against Tojo Yamamoto
& Johnny Wilhoit at the Mid-South Coliseum
in Memphis, Tennessee
on July 16, 1984.
He eventually returned to the AWA where he spent the last years of his career. At the supercard Brawl in St. Paul, Wolfe fought Buck Zumhofe
to a time limit draw at Comiskey Park
in Chicago, Illinois on December 25, 1986. The following year at SuperClash II, with Doug Somers
& "Mr. Magnificent" Kevin Kelly
, Wolfe lost to Ray Stevens
and The Midnight Rockers (Shawn Michaels
& Marty Jannetty
) in a 6-man tag team match at the Cow Palace
in San Francisco, California
on May 2, 1987.
and formed a successful company, Banner Saver Pro 2000, which manufactures special custom brackets to keep banners from falling off signs in strong winds. He came up with the idea while watching the 2002 Winter Olympics
and saw some of the banners being blown off signs.
In 2003, he made a public appearance with the Vachon brothers at the 2003 Cauliflower Alley Club Banquet & Reunion in Las Vegas, Nevada
from April 4–6, 2003. At the event, he was one of several legends in attendance to give a speech.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and professional wrestler, known by his ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
"Beautiful" Buddy Wolfe, who competed in North American regional promotions including the American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
, National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
and the World Wide Wrestling Federation during the 1970s and 80s. Although having a successful singles career, his found his greatest success as the tag team partner of Don Jardine
Don Jardine
Don Jardine was a Canadian professional wrestler best known for his masked gimmick as "The Spoiler".-Career:Jardine began wrestling in the mid-1950s,making his wrestling debut in 1955 at the age of 15...
wrestling as the second incarnation of The Spoilers in the Tri-State territory. He was one of several men to team with Jardine as Spoiler #2, and arguably one of the most successful teamings, twice winning the NWA United States Tag Team Championship
NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version)
The NWA Tri-State Tag Team Championship was a tag team title created in 1962, and contested in the National Wrestling Alliance's Tri-State territory, which was promoted by Leroy McGuirk and Jack Curtis and Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith...
during the early 1970s.
Wolfe later formed a successful tag team with "Luscious" Larry Heinimi
Lawrence Heinemi
Larry Heinemi is a retired professional wrestler better known by the name of Lars Anderson. His career spans over a decade of performing in National Wrestling Alliance territories as well as American Wrestling Association .-Career:...
who together were considered one of the top "heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
" tag teams in the Midwest United States during the mid-1970s.
He was also the husband of Vivian Vachon
Vivian Vachon
Vivian Vachon was a female professional wrestler. She was the sister of wrestlers Maurice and Paul Vachon. She was also the aunt of wrestler Luna Vachon...
, a popular French-Canadian female wrestler and member of the famous Vachon wrestling family
Vachon family
The Vachon family is a French-Canadian family long associated with professional wrestling in Canada and the United States, headed by Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon, his brother Paul "Butcher" Vachon - both longtime NWA and AWA veterans - and their sister Vivian...
, to whom he was married from 1978 to 1979.
Early life and career
Wolfe wrestled in high school and college, later attending St. Cloud University, prior to becoming a former defensive endDefensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
for the Norfolk Neptunes. He was voted Rookie of the Year during his first year in the Continental Football League
Continental Football League
The Continental Football League was a professional minor American football league that operated in North America from 1965 through 1969. It was established following the collapse of the original United Football League, and hoped to become the major force in professional football outside of the...
but left the organization in 1968 to pursue a career in professional wrestling.
Trained by wrestler Verne Gagne
Verne Gagne
Laverne Clarence "Verne" Gagne , is a retired American professional wrestler, football player, and professional wrestling trainer and promoter. He was the former owner/promoter of the American Wrestling Association , based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was the predominant promotion throughout...
, Wolfe was one of several students to debut during the early 1970s including Rick "The Dragon" Steamboat, "Nature Boy" Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
and Pacific Northwest Wrestling
Pacific Northwest Wrestling
Pacific Northwest Wrestling is the common name used to refer to several different professional wrestling companies, both past and present, based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The first such company was founded by Herb Owen in 1925...
mainstay "Playboy" Buddy Rose
Buddy Rose
Paul Perschmann was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Playboy" Buddy Rose.-Career:Paul Perschmann was trained by Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson in the early 1970s...
, whom he would become a mentor to during his early career. In one of his earliest matches, he lost to his future brother-in-law Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon
Maurice Vachon
Maurice Vachon is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, best known by his ring name "Mad Dog" Vachon. He is the brother of wrestlers Paul and Vivian Vachon, and the uncle of wrestler Luna Vachon...
in Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
on December 20, 1970.
From Atlanta to Texas
He spent his first years in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling feuding with fellow Minnesota State alumni OleOle Anderson
Alan Robert Rogowski , better known by his ring name of Ole Anderson, is a retired professional wrestler and a promoter. He held numerous NWA World Tag Team Championships with Gene Anderson, who was portrayed as his brother...
and Lars Anderson
Lawrence Heinemi
Larry Heinemi is a retired professional wrestler better known by the name of Lars Anderson. His career spans over a decade of performing in National Wrestling Alliance territories as well as American Wrestling Association .-Career:...
. Wolfe dominated his feud with Ole Anderson and, to further the storyline, a real-life incident in which Ole Anderson broke his nose while the two attended college was often referenced by Anderson who frequently claimed that Wolfe was trying to end his wrestling career.
During the summer of 1971, Wolfe wrestled in the Dallas-area for promoter Jack Adkisson. On July 20, he and Bronko Lubich
Bronko Lubich
Bronko Sandor Lupsity was a Hungarian-born Canadian professional wrestler, manager, referee and promoter...
fought Nick Kozak & Johnny Valentine
Johnny Valentine
Johnny Valentine was a professional wrestler with a career spanning almost three decades. He has been inducted into four halls of fame for his achievements in wrestling...
to a draw at The Sportatorium
Dallas Sportatorium
The Sportatorium, located in downtown Dallas, Texas , was a barn-like arena used primarily for professional wrestling events...
. Later single matches against Bobby Shane and Johnny Valentine also resulted in draws. He scored one of his earliest victories when he defeated The Great Scott on August 10, however this was followed by a defeat in an 8-man tag team match with Bronko Lubich, Toru Tanaka and Skandor Akbar losing to Nick Kozak & Johnny Valentine, Rey Mendoza and Jose Lothario
Jose Lothario
Guadalupe Robledo is an American professional wrestler, best known by the ring name of Jose Lothario.-Career:Lothario competed in the National Wrestling Alliance for most of his career...
on August 17.
He continued feuding with Kozak and Valentine, fighting to a draw with Kozak on August 31 and defeating Valentine on September 7. The following week, he lost to Wahoo McDaniel
Wahoo McDaniel
Edward "Wahoo" McDaniel was a Choctaw-Chickasaw Native American who achieved fame as a professional American football player and later as a professional wrestler.-Early life:...
in a best 2-of-3 pinfalls match. On September 21, he teamed with Toru Tanaka and Thunderbolt Patterson in a 6-man tag team match losing to Johnny Valentine, Jose Lothario and Fritz von Erich
Fritz Von Erich
Jack Barton Adkisson was an American professional wrestler under the ring name Fritz Von Erich, better known today as a wrestling promoter and the patriarch of the Von Erich family...
. He faced Paterson and Valentine in a three-way elimination match with Valentine defeating pinning Patterson and himself on September 28. Although the Dallas Morning News reported that this match was the first "3-man free-for-all wrestling match" held in Dallas, this statement in inaccurate.
On October 5, he teamed with Lubich, Patterson, Tanaka and George Hultz in a 10-man tag team match losing to Kozak, Valentine, Jose Lothario, Sabu Singh and Bobby Burns
Bobby Burns
Bobby Burns was an American film actor and director. He appeared in 201 films between 1908 and 1952 as well as directing 13 films between 1915 and 1916....
. He defeated Burns in a singles match later that night. In another best 2-of-3 falls match, he teamed with Wahoo McDaniel and lost to Thunderbolt Patterson and Toru Tanaka on October 26. In the following weeks, he faced Toru Tanaka, Patterson and Joe Dusek. He fought his last match in the promotion fighting former tag team partner Bronko Lubich on December 14, 1971.
World Wide Wrestling Federation
In late-1972, Wolfe began competing in the World Wide Wrestling Federation. He defeated Blackjack Slade in his debut match at Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
on October 16, 1972. He defeated El Olympico but lost to Chief Jay Strongbow and Tony Garea during the next few weeks. He also faced his old trainer Verne Gagne at Madison Square Garden on November 27. The next month, he defeated Sonny King but lost to Victor Rivera
Victor Rivera
Víctor Rivera is a volleyball player from Puerto Rico, who was a member of the Men's National Team that ended up in sixth place at the 2007 FIVB Men's World Cup in Japan. In the same year the wing-spiker was named Best Spiker at the NORCECA Championship in Anaheim...
via disqualification on December 29.
The following year, he faced then WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Pedro Morales
Pedro Morales
Pedro Morales is a retired Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He began his wrestling career as a teenager in 1959 and continued through to the late 1980s...
at the Westchester Civic Center in White Plains, New York
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
on January 24, 1973. He would be the first of several major opponents to challenge Morales for the title that year. Three days later, substituting for Prof. Toru Tanaka, he faced Chief Jay Strongbow at Sunnyside Gardens in Queens, New York. Later that day, he teamed with Moondog Mayne and King Curtis
King Curtis
Curtis Ousley , who performed under the stage name King Curtis, was an American saxophone virtuoso known for rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, funk and soul jazz. Variously a bandleader, band member, and session musician, he was also a musical director and record producer...
in a 6-man tag team match against Pedro Morales, Chief Jay Strongbow and Gorilla Monsoon
Gorilla Monsoon
Robert James "Gino" Marella , better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American professional wrestler, play-by-play announcer, and booker...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
on January 27.
On February 10, he would score his first victory defeating Mike Conrad and would face Pedro Morales in several matches during the year. Teaming with Prof. Toru Tanaka & Mr. Fuji
Harry Fujiwara
Harry Fujiwara is an American former professional wrestler and manager, best known by his ring name Mr. Fuji. He was infamous for often throwing salt in the eyes of face wrestlers...
losing to Pedro Morales, Gorilla Monsoon and Bobo Brazil
Bobo Brazil
Houston Harris was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Bobo Brazil. He is credited with breaking down barriers of racial segregation in professional wrestling...
at the Baltimore Civic Center in Baltimore, Maryland on February 20 and again faced Morales in a singles match at the Zembo Mosque in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
on February 23. During the match, Wolfe sustained a serious head wound after hitting one of the turnbuckles and the referee stopped the match.
He would also face Mil Máscaras
Mil Máscaras
Aaron Rodríguez , best known as Mil Máscaras , is a semi-retired Mexican professional wrestler and actor, who has starred in several films with fellow luchadores...
and Lee Wong
Lee Wong
Lee Chan, known in the Japanese version as Rai Chou , is a fictional character from the anime and manga series of Beyblade....
during the next several weeks before losing to Pedro Morales in a Texas Death match on March 16 and, the following night, teamed with Moondog Mayne and Toru Tanaka in a 6-man tag team match against Gorilla Monsoon, Sonny King and El Olympico. On March 26, he lost to André the Giant
André the Giant
André René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride...
in his debut match at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
on March 26 and to Pedro Morales in New London, Connecticut
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
on April 13.
He would again face Morales on April 21, during which time the match was again stopped by the referee due to a serious wound being sustained. He and Frank Valois would face André the Giant in a handicap match in Augusta, Maine
Augusta, Maine
Augusta is the capital of the US state of Maine, county seat of Kennebec County, and center of population for Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota...
on April 26 as well as facing Gorilla Monsoon and "Classie" Freddie Blassie before leaving the promotion in late April 1973.
American Wrestling Association & National Wrestling Alliance
Later that year, he and Lars Anderson (under the name "Luscious" Larry Heinimi) began teaming together and billed as "cousins" although this was kayfabeKayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
. While in the Midwest, they were one of the top tag teams in the World Wrestling Association
World Wrestling Association (Indianapolis)
The World Wrestling Association was an Indianapolis-based pro wrestling promotion which was operated by Dick "The Bruiser" Afflis and his business partner Wilbur Snyder. The WWA was affiliated with the larger American Wrestling Association and recognized its champions, though the WWA also had its...
. They also had successful runs in the American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
and in the Tri-State territory. For a brief time in the mid-1970s, he and Anderson owned and operated a chain of "shirt shacks" selling tie-dye shirts
Tie-dye
Tie-dye is a process of resist dyeing textiles or clothing which is made from knit or woven fabric, usually cotton; typically using bright colors. It is a modern version of traditional dyeing methods used in many cultures throughout the world. "Tie-dye" can also describe the resulting pattern or an...
.
Wolfe also traveled to Japan along with Ric Flair, Skandor Ackbar and The Outlaws (Dick Murdoch
Dick Murdoch
Hoyt Richard "Dick" Murdoch was an American professional wrestler.-Professional wrestling career:A second-generation wrestler, the son of 1950s Texas wrestler Frankie Hill Murdoch, Dick Murdoch grew up with fellow second-generation wrestlers Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk, watching their fathers...
& Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...
) and toured with Isao Yoshihara's International Wrestling Enterprise promotion from June 18 to July 15, 1973. The next year, he made an appearance for Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
fighting Greg Gagne
Greg Gagne (wrestler)
Gregory Alan "Greg" Gagne is a former professional wrestler and the son of Verne Gagne. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he achieved his biggest success as one half of the tag team The High Flyers with Jim Brunzell...
to a time limit draw at Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
in Chicago, Illinois on September 7, 1974.
After Anderson lost a retirement match to Billy Robinson
Billy Robinson
Billy Robinson is a British professional wrestler and catch wrestling instructor. Robinson was well known in Japan where he has trained mixed martial arts fighters in catch wrestling...
forcing him to leave the AWA, Wolfe announced he had found a new tag team partner Kim Duk. He and Kim Duk had a brief but memorable run as a tag team, however they were ultimately unsuccessful in winning the AWA World Tag Team Championship
AWA World Tag Team Championship
The American Wrestling Association World Tag Team Championship was professional wrestling world tag team championship in the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991.-History :...
and split up soon after. In one of their last appearances as a team, they lost to Greg Gagne
Greg Gagne (wrestler)
Gregory Alan "Greg" Gagne is a former professional wrestler and the son of Verne Gagne. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he achieved his biggest success as one half of the tag team The High Flyers with Jim Brunzell...
& Jim Brunzell at the Omaha Civic Auditorium
Omaha Civic Auditorium
The Omaha Civic Auditorium is a multi-purpose convention center in Omaha, Nebraska. Opened in 1954, it surpassed the Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum as the largest convention/entertainment complex in the city, until the completion of CenturyLink Center Omaha in 2003....
on August 19, 1975.
In October, while in NWA Texas
World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
, he scored victories over Red Bastien
Red Bastien
Rolland Bastein is a former professional wrestler, better known as Red Bastien.-Professional wrestling career:He took part in football and swimming in high school and broke in on Midwest carnivals, fighting local toughs and learning wrestling the hard way. Turning professional, he began in...
, Abe Jacobs
Abe Jacobs
Abe Jacobs is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler. He was one of the first men to follow fellow New Zealander Pat O'Connor to the United States where, like O'Connor, Jacobs became a major star in the National Wrestling Alliance during the "Golden Age of Wrestling"...
and Bruiser Blackwell before fighting to a draw against NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion Al Madril in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
on October 28. The next night, he and John Tolos
John Tolos
John Tolos, nicknamed "The Golden Greek", was a Canadian professional wrestler, and professional wrestling manager.-Canadian Wrecking Crew:...
lost a tag team match to André the Giant
André the Giant
André René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride...
and Jose Lothario
Jose Lothario
Guadalupe Robledo is an American professional wrestler, best known by the ring name of Jose Lothario.-Career:Lothario competed in the National Wrestling Alliance for most of his career...
in San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. On November 3, he defeated Al Madril for the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship
NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title that has existed since the 1930s. Though its exact date of creation isn't known, it is among the oldest championships used in professional wrestling today...
. He successfully defended the title against Tony Atlas
Tony Atlas
Anthony White better known by his ring name "Tony Atlas" is an American bodybuilder, powerlifter, and professional wrestler who has held multiple titles and championships in each sport. He is also known by his bodybuilding title, "Mr...
and in rematches with Al Madrill before he losing to John Tolos later that month.
In June 1976, he was a wrestling sparring partner for Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
and later faced him in an exhibition match at an AWA event in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. At the time, Ali was preparing for his match against Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki
Antonio Inoki
is a Japanese professional wrestling promoter and retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist who now resides between New York City and Tokyo. He was also the founder and former owner of New Japan Pro Wrestling before selling his controlling share in the promotion to Yukes...
. He was also a sparring partner for Kenny Jay. The next month he lost to Moose Cholak at Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
in Chicago, Illinois on August 27, 1976. Later that year, he traveled to Japan where he faced Abdullah the Butcher
Abdullah the Butcher
Lawrence Robert "Larry" Shreve best known as Abdullah the Butcher, and also at times The Madman from the Sudan, is a semi-retired Canadian professional wrestler known as one of the most brutal or "hardcore" professional wrestlers of all-time...
in a rare meeting.
While in NWA Florida, he teamed with "Superstar" Billy Graham and Steve Strong against Rhodes, Jack
Jack Brisco
Freddie Joe Brisco was an American professional wrestler, better known as Jack Brisco or Uvalde Slim. He performed for various territories of the National Wrestling Alliance , becoming a two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and multi-time NWA Tag Team Champion with his brother Gerald Brisco...
and Jerry Brisco at North Dade Jr. College
Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College, or simply Miami Dade or MDC, is a state college with eight campuses and twenty-one outreach centers located throughout Miami-Dade County, Florida in the United States. It is part of the Florida College System. Miami Dade College is the largest school in the Florida College...
in Miami on January 12, 1977. He also defeated Steve Keirn
Steve Keirn
Stephen "Steve" Paul Keirn is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for being part of the tag team The Fabulous Ones, with Stan Lane, and later for a run in the World Wrestling Federation as Skinner, a gimmick that portrayed him as a tobacco spitting alligator hunter from...
in a tournament final to win the vacant NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship in March before losing it to Dusty Rhodes three months later. The following year, he and "Killer" Karl Kox
Herb Gerwig
Herb Gerwig was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name of Killer Karl Kox, who competed in the National Wrestling Alliance as well as international promotions such as All Japan Pro Wrestling, the International Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling during the...
feuded with Rhodes and Wahoo McDaniel
Wahoo McDaniel
Edward "Wahoo" McDaniel was a Choctaw-Chickasaw Native American who achieved fame as a professional American football player and later as a professional wrestler.-Early life:...
in Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling
Championship Wrestling from Florida was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it closed down. It is also referred to as Florida Championship Wrestling...
facing them in several tag team matches. Teaming with Ric Flair and Ox Baker
Ox Baker
Douglas A. Baker better known professionally as Ox Baker, is an American former professional wrestler and actor, and was feared for his dreaded finishing move, the Heart Punch, sometimes called the "Hurt Punch", after Baker's famous catchphrase "I love to hurt people!" He has appeared in several...
, Wolfe lost to Andre the Giant and Dick the Bruiser in a three-on-two handicap match in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
on March 17, 1978. That same year, he and female wrestler Vivian Vachon
Vivian Vachon
Vivian Vachon was a female professional wrestler. She was the sister of wrestlers Maurice and Paul Vachon. She was also the aunt of wrestler Luna Vachon...
became married.Due to the stress of their careers the relationship failed.Vivian married Gary Carnegie the following year and had two children,Ian (1980) and Julie (1982).http://www.wwedaily.com/vivian-vachon/
Later career and retirement
He defeated Lars Anderson for the WWL Heavyweight Championship in Joplin, MissouriJoplin, Missouri
Joplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the US state of Missouri. Joplin is the largest city in Jasper County, though it is not the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 50,150...
on January 18, 1983. After this point, Wolfe began to slow down making brief appearances in various regional territories. He teamed with Ken Timbs
Ken Timbs
Ken Timbs was an American professional wrestler who, with longtime tag team partner Eric Embry, competed as one half of the Fabulous Blondes in several regional territories including Southwest Championship Wrestling and International World Class Championship Wrestling during the early...
against Tojo Yamamoto
Tojo Yamamoto
Harold Watanabe was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Tojo Yamamoto. He was born in Hawaii.-In-ring career:...
& Johnny Wilhoit at the Mid-South Coliseum
Mid-South Coliseum
The Mid-South Coliseum, also known as "The Entertainment Capital of the Mid-South", was a multi-purpose arena, that seated 10,085 people, in Memphis, Tennessee...
in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
on July 16, 1984.
He eventually returned to the AWA where he spent the last years of his career. At the supercard Brawl in St. Paul, Wolfe fought Buck Zumhofe
Buck Zumhofe
Eugene Zumhofe is a professional wrestler better known as Buck "Rock n' Roll" Zumhofe, wrestling's self proclaimed original rock and roller.-Training:...
to a time limit draw at Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
in Chicago, Illinois on December 25, 1986. The following year at SuperClash II, with Doug Somers
Doug Somers
Doug Somers is an American retired professional wrestler known by his ring name "Pretty Boy" Doug Somers...
& "Mr. Magnificent" Kevin Kelly
Kevin Wacholz
Kevin Wacholz is a former professional wrestler who once worked for the World Wrestling Federation in 1992 as Nailz. He was also known as "Mr...
, Wolfe lost to Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
and The Midnight Rockers (Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
& Marty Jannetty
Marty Jannetty
Frederick Marty Jannetty is an American professional wrestler, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation as part of tag team The Rockers with partner Shawn Michaels, and later as a singles competitor. While in the WWF, he became a one time Intercontinental Champion and a one time...
) in a 6-man tag team match at the Cow Palace
Cow Palace
Cow Palace is an indoor arena, in Daly City, California, situated on the city's border with neighboring San Francisco, notable as a sporting arena.-History:...
in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
on May 2, 1987.
Recent years
Following his retirement, he eventually moved to Hackensack, MinnesotaHackensack, Minnesota
Hackensack is a city in Cass County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 313 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Brainerd Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
and formed a successful company, Banner Saver Pro 2000, which manufactures special custom brackets to keep banners from falling off signs in strong winds. He came up with the idea while watching the 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
and saw some of the banners being blown off signs.
In 2003, he made a public appearance with the Vachon brothers at the 2003 Cauliflower Alley Club Banquet & Reunion in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
from April 4–6, 2003. At the event, he was one of several legends in attendance to give a speech.
Championships and accomplishments
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Florida Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Florida Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship was a major title in Championship Wrestling from Florida, USA and is now the major title in NWA Florida. It started in 1937 and was abandoned in 1949. It was picked back up in 1966 by CWF and lasted until 1987 when the company was purchased by Jim Crockett...
(1 time)
- NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship
- NWA Tri-State
- NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version)NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version)The NWA Tri-State Tag Team Championship was a tag team title created in 1962, and contested in the National Wrestling Alliance's Tri-State territory, which was promoted by Leroy McGuirk and Jack Curtis and Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith...
(2 times) - with Don JardineDon JardineDon Jardine was a Canadian professional wrestler best known for his masked gimmick as "The Spoiler".-Career:Jardine began wrestling in the mid-1950s,making his wrestling debut in 1955 at the age of 15...
- NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version)
- NWA Big-Time WrestlingWorld Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
- NWA Texas Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Texas Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title that has existed since the 1930s. Though its exact date of creation isn't known, it is among the oldest championships used in professional wrestling today...
(1 time)
- NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship