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David Peterson (wrestler)
Encyclopedia
David W. Peterson was an American professional wrestler, known by his ringname D.J. Peterson, who competed in North American regional promotions during the 1980s in the Universal Wrestling Federation
, the National Wrestling Alliance
and the American Wrestling Association
during its final days, most notably as the last AWA Tag Team Champion
with The Trooper
.
's World Class Championship Wrestling
defeating Jack Victory
on February 7 and Prairie States Wrestling against Ox Baker
on July 23 before wrestling in the Mid-South area and, by early 1986, for Bill Watts
' Universal Wrestling Federation facing wrestlers such as Gustavo Mendoza and, in tag team matches, teamed with Brett Sawyer against Mike Scott and Rick Steiner
, the Blade Runners
and the Fabulous Freebirds (Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy
& Buddy Roberts) in their UWF debut. He also wrestled Bart Sawyer several times, losing to him on May 3 and teamed with Chavo Guerrero
against Sawyer and Rick Steiner in the following weeks.
Later that year, he teamed with Todd Champion feuding with the Thunderfoots and faced Big Bubba Rogers and The Warlord
and The MOD Squad
during October while in Jim Crockett Promotions
as well as wrestling Arn Anderson
in St. Louis, Missouri
on November 16, 1986.
and had a brief stint in the World Wrestling Federation
(primarily being used as a jobber).
against the Texas Hangmen at SuperClash IV on April 8, 1990 and later to pursued then AWA World Champion Mr. Saito. When Larry Zbyszko
regained the title, Peterson was granted title shots although he failed to unseat the World Champion. Shortly thereafter, he formed a tag team with The Trooper which captured the AWA World Tag Team Titles from The Destruction Crew
on August 11, 1990. Defending the titles during the rest of the year, Peterson and Trooper would turn out to be the last AWA World Tag Team Champions after the promotion closed.
Universal Wrestling Federation
The name Universal Wrestling Federation may refer to:*Universal Wrestling Federation , an American professional wrestling promotion owned by Bill Watts...
, the 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 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...
during its final days, most notably as the last AWA Tag Team Champion
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 :...
with The Trooper
Del Wilkes
Del Wilkes is a former American professional wrestler. Over the span of 14 years, he performed in various promotions such as American Wrestling Association, All Japan Pro Wrestling...
.
Early career
Making his debut in 1984, Peterson started wrestling in Texas All-Star Wrestling and in the NWA Central States. During the mid 1980s, Peterson briefly appeared in Fritz von ErichFritz 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...
's World Class Championship Wrestling
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...
defeating Jack Victory
Jack Victory
Kenneth "Ken" Rinehurst is an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by his ring name, Jack Victory. He is perhaps best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling between 1998 and 2001.-Career:Rinehurst debuted in 1985 in the Universal Wrestling Federation...
on February 7 and Prairie States Wrestling against 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...
on July 23 before wrestling in the Mid-South area and, by early 1986, for Bill Watts
Bill Watts
William F. "Bill" Watts is a former American professional wrestler and promoter. Watts was famous under his "Cowboy" gimmick in his wrestling career, and then as a tough, no-nonsense promoter in the Mid-South area of the United States, which grew to become the UWF.In 1992, he was the Executive...
' Universal Wrestling Federation facing wrestlers such as Gustavo Mendoza and, in tag team matches, teamed with Brett Sawyer against Mike Scott and Rick Steiner
Rick Steiner
Robert Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Rick Steiner.Steiner is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling, where he was an eight time World Tag Team Champion...
, the Blade Runners
Blade Runners
The Blade Runners were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of future superstars, Steve Borden and Jim Hellwig, that existed in 1985 and 1986...
and the Fabulous Freebirds (Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy
Terry Gordy
Terry Ray 'Bam Bam' Gordy, Sr. was a professional wrestler who was best known in North America for being a member of the Fabulous Freebirds.-Career:...
& Buddy Roberts) in their UWF debut. He also wrestled Bart Sawyer several times, losing to him on May 3 and teamed with Chavo Guerrero
Chavo Guerrero
Salvador Guerrero III , better known as Chavo Guerrero or Chavo Guerrero, Sr., is a former professional wrestler. He is known for his work in Universal Wrestling Federation , American Wrestling Association and World Wrestling Entertainment and for being the father of third generation wrestler...
against Sawyer and Rick Steiner in the following weeks.
Later that year, he teamed with Todd Champion feuding with the Thunderfoots and faced Big Bubba Rogers and The Warlord
The Warlord
The Warlord can refer to:*The War Lord, a 1965 film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner or the film's theme music composed by Jerome Moross*The War Lord , a 1965 instrumental hit single by the legendary British band "The Shadows" based on the theme music of the film of the same name*Terry Szopinski,...
and The MOD Squad
The Mod Squad
The Mod Squad is a television series that ran on ABC from September 24, 1968, until August 23, 1973. This series starred Michael Cole, Peggy Lipton, Clarence Williams III, and Tige Andrews...
during October while in Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
as well as wrestling Arn Anderson
Arn Anderson
Martin Anthony Lunde better known by his ring name Arn Anderson, is a former American professional wrestler and author. His career has been highlighted by his alliances with Ric Flair and various members of the wrestling stable, The Four Horsemen, in the NWA/WCW...
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 November 16, 1986.
American Wrestling Association- First Stint
Jumping to the American Wrestling Association in 1987, Peterson fought Super Ninja to a time limit draw at SuperClash II on May 2, 1987. He would also form a team with J.T. Southern, attempting to gain the AWA World Tag Team titles, but ended up coming short.Other Federations
He then split his time wrestling in several territories during the next two years appearing on the debut television show of Continental Championship WrestlingContinental Championship Wrestling
Continental Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion based out of Knoxville, Tennessee from 1974 until 1988 and Dothan, Alabama from 1978 to 1990, managed by Ron Fuller. When Fuller sold the promotion to David Woods, it changed name to the Continental Wrestling Federation...
and had a brief stint in the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(primarily being used as a jobber).
American Wrestling Association- Second Stint
Peterson returned to the AWA full time in early 1990 teaming with Brad RheingansBrad Rheingans
Brad Rheingans is a former Greco-Roman and professional wrestler.-Career:Rheingans was an NCAA champion in 1975 for North Dakota State University and wrestled in the 1976 Olympics, placing fourth...
against the Texas Hangmen at SuperClash IV on April 8, 1990 and later to pursued then AWA World Champion Mr. Saito. When Larry Zbyszko
Larry Zbyszko
Lawrence "Larry" Whistler is a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Larry Zbyszko. Zbyszko is perhaps best known for his feud with his mentor, wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino during the early 1980s....
regained the title, Peterson was granted title shots although he failed to unseat the World Champion. Shortly thereafter, he formed a tag team with The Trooper which captured the AWA World Tag Team Titles from The Destruction Crew
Beverly Brothers
The Beverly Brothers were a professional wrestling tag team comprising Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom in the World Wrestling Federation. They were also known as The Destruction Crew in the American Wrestling Association and the Minnesota Wrecking Crew 2 in the National Wrestling Alliance...
on August 11, 1990. Defending the titles during the rest of the year, Peterson and Trooper would turn out to be the last AWA World Tag Team Champions after the promotion closed.
Later career
After the AWA closed in early 1991, Peterson went back to the independents until he died from a motorcycle crash on May 25, 1993.In wrestling
- Finishing moves
-
- TNT (Second rope diving shoulderblock)
- Scorpion deathlock
Championships and accomplishments
- American Wrestling AssociationAmerican Wrestling AssociationThe 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...
- AWA World Tag Team ChampionshipAWA World Tag Team ChampionshipThe 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 :...
(1 time) - with The Trooper
- AWA World Tag Team Championship
- Central States WrestlingHeart of America Sports AttractionsHeart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa...
- NWA Central States Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Central States Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship a professional wrestling championship that currently serves as the main title for the National Wrestling Alliance promotion, NWA Midwest. For most of its existence, however, the title was defended in the NWA affiliate Central States Wrestling from...
(2 times) - NWA Central States Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Central States Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Central States Tag Team Championship was the primary tag team championship for the Heart of America Sports Attractions / Central States Wrestling promotion from 1979 until the promotion ceased to exist in 1988...
(1 time) - with Todd Champion
- NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship
- Texas All-Star WrestlingSouthwest Championship WrestlingSouthwest Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was owned by Joseph Blanchard and based in San Antonio, Texas, from 1978 to 1985, when it was purchased by Texas All-Star Wrestling and absorbed into that company.-Venues:...
- TASW Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time)
- World Class Championship 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...
- WCCW Television ChampionshipWCCW Television ChampionshipThe WCWA Television Championship was a secondary championship that was used and defended in the World Class Wrestling Association. Originally created in 1979 as the WCCW Television Championship, it was primarily defended on their weekly television show...
(1 time)
- WCCW Television Championship
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him # 205 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 1991