Don Kent (wrestler)
Encyclopedia
Leo Joseph "Joe" Smith Jr. (June 24, 1933 – June 07, 1993) was an American professional wrestler
who wrestled as Don Kent and also as The Black Dragon, Doug Kent, Joe Smith and Super Medico III during his 20 years in professional wrestling.
Don Kent is one half of The Fabulous Kangaroos
alongside partners Al Costello
, Bruno Bekkar
or Johnny Heffernan. Despite being born in America, Kent was billed as Australian when he competed as a Kangaroo using the Kangaroos' "Ultra Australian" gimmick, complete with boomerang
s, bush hats
and "Waltzing Matilda
" as their entrance music.
When Kent was not one half of the Kangaroos, he mainly worked as "Bulldog" Don Kent in NWA Mid-America
and NWA Detroit
in the singles and the tag team divisions until his retirement in 1986.
in Battle Creek, Michigan
. He was recruited by the Boston Red Sox
as a catcher right out of high school. Kent’s father thought that Kent was too young to play professional baseball and insisted that he go to St. Benedict’s College in Kansas. After graduating, Kent worked at a Veterans Administration Medical Center in his hometown of Battle Creek while being trained by Leapin’ Larry Chene for a professional wrestling career.
(bad guy) in the Michigan area. In the first half of the 1960s Don Kent went to Arizona
and worked in the local wrestling promotion, where he was booked as a sadistic heel. In Arizona, Kent worked a storyline that drew full houses at the Phoenix Madison Square Garden against local face
(good guy) Tito Montez. The two faced off week after week in a variety of specialty matches such as a chain match, "Arizona death match" and falls count anywhere match. The angle ended with a steel cage match that saw Montez win after overcoming Kent’s cheating ways. One week after the storyline ended, attendance dropped by half and Don Kent soon left the area.
with Ray St. Clair who retired after six months with knee problems. A few months after St. Clair retired, Costello found Don Kent to don the bush hat
. Kent, who was from Michigan
, adopted the Ultra-Australian gimmick (but retained his American accent) and a second version of the Fabulous Kangaroos was formed. Costello and Kent teamed together on a regular basis from 1968 until 1974, approximately the same amount of time that Costello spent teaming with his original partner Roy Heffernan
. The Kangaroos won their first tag team championship a few months after teaming up, during a tour of Japan for “International Wrestling Enterprise". Over the years, they defended their title in promotions around the globe. In Canada, they were the first Eastern Sports Association
International Tag Team Champions
; in the World Wrestling Association
, they held the WWA World Tag Team Championship twice. In addition to winning titles all over North America, they also made appearances for the World Wide Wrestling Federation
(now known as World Wrestling Entertainment
.
The Kangaroos frequented NWA Detroit
, where they held the Detroit version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship
for most of 1971. By the end of 1972, the Kangaroos began working for Nick Gulas
’ NWA Mid-America
. In Mid-America, they held the local version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship
, the Mid-America version, on three occasions.
After a match in the Cincinnati Gardens
, Costello's hip was damaged when an enraged fan threw a fire extinguisher
from the balcony. Costello had hip replacement surgery later that year. The fan was arrested, served 15 days in jail, and was fined fifty dollars for damaging the fire extinguisher. With Costello unable to compete, the Fabulous Kangaroos split up. After the Kangaroos went their separate ways Don Kent returned to NWA Mid-America as a singles wrestler.
on two occasions, beating the teams of Frank Monte and Nick DeCarlo as well as Steve Kovac and Ricky Gibson for the title. Kent teamed up with Count Drummer to win the Mid America Tag Team title once more, defeating Jackie Fargo
and George Gulas on November 6, 1974, losing the title to Fargo and Gulas three weeks later. Kent won the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship
, the main title of the promotion, in October 1974 by defeating Tony Charles. Kent lost his first Mid-America title to Jackie Fargo and won it twice more in 1975, first from Fargo and then later from "Crazy" Luke Graham
. Graham defeated Kent on May 7, 1975 to end his third and final reign with the title.
In late 1975, Kent moved closer to home and work for The Sheik
’s "NWA Detroit" (also known as "Big Time Wrestling") using his "Bulldog" Don Kent persona. On November 1, 1975, Kent defeated Mark Lewin
to win the Detroit version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship. Lewin regained the title in December. On October 16, 1976, Kent regained the title in a bloody brawl against Pampero Firpo
and held on to it until January 8, 1977, when he lost it to Gino Hernandez
. Kent developed into a long running enemy of the Sheik, who was the most popular man in the promotion, with the two clashing many times in wild and bloody brawls.
In 1977, having recovered from hip surgery, Al Costello teamed up with Kent as The Fabulous Kangaroos for a tour of Puerto Rico with the World Wrestling Council
(WWC). In Puerto Rico, the Kangaroos were billed on arrival as the WWC World Tag Team Champions
. The Kangaroos lost the title to Carlos Colón and Jose Rivera on March 12, 1977. The Kangaroos remained in WWC throughout 1977 and into 1978, never regaining the WWC World Tag Team Championship. After their tour in Puerto Rico ended, Don Kent returned to singles wrestling and Costello focused more on managing due to his bad hip.
In 1977 Kent returned to the Alabama area to work for NWA Mid-America once more. Kent defeated Lanny Poffo
to win his fourth Mid-America Heavyweight title in December 1977 and lost it to Poffo’s brother Randy Savage
on January 3, 1978. In 1979, Kent wrestled in Puerto Rico as a singles wrestler, winning the WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship
from Chief War Cloud on January 6, 1979 and holding it for over 6 months until he lost it to Hurricane Castillo on July 21, 1979. Shortly after losing the Caribbean title, Kent moved up a level and defeated Puerto Rican legend Carlos Colón on August 3, 1979 only to lose the title to Invader I
three weeks later in Ponce, Puerto Rico
.
In the early to mid 80s, Don Kent returned sporadically to Big Time Wrestling to wrestle the Sheik's nephew Sabu.
, who was best known for working in his native New Zealand and Australia, and work a tour as The Kangaroos for the WWC with Costello serving as their manager
. Kent and Bekkar won the WWC North American Tag Team title from the team of Jack
and Jerry Brisco
on October 22, 1981. This version of the Kangaroos first lost to, then regained the titles from, Invader I and Super Gladiador before losing them for good on January 26, 1982 to Invader and Gladiador. After this tour of the Caribbean, Bruno Bekkar returned to Australia and New Zealand to work for the local promotions there.
Bekkar was replaced with "Johnny Heffernan" (Canadian Bob Della Serra), a storyline cousin of Roy Heffernan for what was the final Kangaroo version to compete. The team ended Terry
and Dory Funk, Jr.’s
year and a half long run with the WWC World Tag Team championship when they defeated them on May 1, 1982. The team held the gold for less than 2 months before losing the belts again. After ending their tour in Puerto Rico, Kent and Heffernan returned to mainland USA to work for Championship Wrestling from Florida, a promotion the Kangaroos had worked in 1962. In Florida, The Kangaroos won the NWA Florida Global Tag Team Championship
four times. The final storyline involving the Fabulous Kangaroos saw Al Costello bring in J.J. Dillon to act as his short term replacement as he "took care of business". When Costello returned from his business trip, Dillon refused to give up the Kangaroos' contracts and was backed up by both Kent and Heffernan (in storyline terms). This storyline was designed to write Al Costello out of The Fabulous Kangaroos storyline and allow him to retire from wrestling altogether. Not long after Costello retired, Kent and Della Serra went their separate ways.
. Kent was brought in as a storyline replacement for the real Super Médico III, who was played by Jose Estrada, Jr.
Médicos I & III won the WWC World Tag Team Championship on August 4, 1984 from King Tonga and Gran Apollo. When Super Médico III was unmasked in October and revealed to NOT be Jose Estrada, Jr., the team was stripped of their titles because they used an illegal man to help defend the title. After being exposed as the fake "Medico III" Kent returned to the United States and worked primarily in the Indianapolis based World Wrestling Association
where he continued to wrestle until 1986, when he went into semi-retirement. After 1986 Kent only wrestled on special occasions, stepping into the ring as late as 1992 at the age of 59. Don Kent died on June 14, 1993 after suffering from Leukemia
for a long period of time.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
who wrestled as Don Kent and also as The Black Dragon, Doug Kent, Joe Smith and Super Medico III during his 20 years in professional wrestling.
Don Kent is one half of The Fabulous Kangaroos
The Fabulous Kangaroos
The Fabulous Kangaroos is a former professional wrestling tag team that existed in various forms from 1957 until 1983. The first incarnation of The Fabulous Kangaroos was formed when Italian Australian Al Costello teamed with Australia native Roy Heffernan and adopted an "Ultra Australian" gimmick...
alongside partners Al Costello
Al Costello
Giacomo Costa was an Italian Australian professional wrestler best known by his ring name, Al Costello. Costello was the first professional wrestler to be nicknamed "The Man of a Thousand Holds" because of his innovative and very technical style.Costello was the creator and original member of the...
, Bruno Bekkar
Bruno Bekkar
Brian Ashby is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler and trainer, known by his ring name Bruno Bekkar, who competed for Steve Rickard's All Star-Pro Wrestling and for other promoters in New Zealand and Australia from the early 1960s until his retirement in 1992...
or Johnny Heffernan. Despite being born in America, Kent was billed as Australian when he competed as a Kangaroo using the Kangaroos' "Ultra Australian" gimmick, complete with boomerang
Boomerang
A boomerang is a flying tool with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport.-Description:A boomerang is usually thought of as a wooden device, although historically boomerang-like devices have also been made from bones. Modern boomerangs used for sport are often made from carbon fibre-reinforced...
s, bush hats
Slouch hat
A slouch hat is a wide-brimmed felt or cloth hat with a chinstrap, most commonly worn as part of a military uniform. It is a survivor of the felt hats worn by certain 18th century armies. Since then, the slouch hat has been worn by military personnel from many nations including Australia, Britain,...
and "Waltzing Matilda
Waltzing Matilda
"Waltzing Matilda" is Australia's most widely known bush ballad. A country folk song, the song has been referred to as "the unofficial national anthem of Australia"....
" as their entrance music.
When Kent was not one half of the Kangaroos, he mainly worked as "Bulldog" Don Kent in NWA Mid-America
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 NWA Detroit
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...
in the singles and the tag team divisions until his retirement in 1986.
Career
Kent attended St. Philip Catholic Central High SchoolSt. Philip Catholic Central High School
St. Philip Catholic Central High School, located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo is a Roman Catholic high school in Battle Creek, Michigan. Enrollment is around 138.-The Curriculum:...
in Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
. He was recruited by the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
as a catcher right out of high school. Kent’s father thought that Kent was too young to play professional baseball and insisted that he go to St. Benedict’s College in Kansas. After graduating, Kent worked at a Veterans Administration Medical Center in his hometown of Battle Creek while being trained by Leapin’ Larry Chene for a professional wrestling career.
Starting out
Kent made his professional wrestling debut in 1956 working under such names as "Don Kent", "Joe Smith" and "The Black Dragon", generally working as a heelHeel (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...
(bad guy) in the Michigan area. In the first half of the 1960s Don Kent went to Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and worked in the local wrestling promotion, where he was booked as a sadistic heel. In Arizona, Kent worked a storyline that drew full houses at the Phoenix Madison Square Garden against local face
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
(good guy) Tito Montez. The two faced off week after week in a variety of specialty matches such as a chain match, "Arizona death match" and falls count anywhere match. The angle ended with a steel cage match that saw Montez win after overcoming Kent’s cheating ways. One week after the storyline ended, attendance dropped by half and Don Kent soon left the area.
Fabulous Kangaroos
In 1967, Al Costello reformed the tag team The Fabulous KangaroosThe Fabulous Kangaroos
The Fabulous Kangaroos is a former professional wrestling tag team that existed in various forms from 1957 until 1983. The first incarnation of The Fabulous Kangaroos was formed when Italian Australian Al Costello teamed with Australia native Roy Heffernan and adopted an "Ultra Australian" gimmick...
with Ray St. Clair who retired after six months with knee problems. A few months after St. Clair retired, Costello found Don Kent to don the bush hat
Slouch hat
A slouch hat is a wide-brimmed felt or cloth hat with a chinstrap, most commonly worn as part of a military uniform. It is a survivor of the felt hats worn by certain 18th century armies. Since then, the slouch hat has been worn by military personnel from many nations including Australia, Britain,...
. Kent, who was from Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, adopted the Ultra-Australian gimmick (but retained his American accent) and a second version of the Fabulous Kangaroos was formed. Costello and Kent teamed together on a regular basis from 1968 until 1974, approximately the same amount of time that Costello spent teaming with his original partner Roy Heffernan
Roy Heffernan
Laurence Roy Heffernan was an Australian professional wrestler. Roy Heffernan toured all over the world, but is most famous for being one half of the original version of the tag team the Fabulous Kangaroos...
. The Kangaroos won their first tag team championship a few months after teaming up, during a tour of Japan for “International Wrestling Enterprise". Over the years, they defended their title in promotions around the globe. In Canada, they were the first Eastern Sports Association
Eastern Sports Association
The Eastern Sports Association, often referred to in the business simply as "the Maritimes," was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Halifax, Nova Scotia...
International Tag Team Champions
ESA International Tag Team Championship
Eastern Sports Association's International Tag Team Title was represented by a Trophy, and was defended in the Maritimes from 1969-75.- International Tag Team Champions :...
; 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 held the WWA World Tag Team Championship twice. In addition to winning titles all over North America, they also made appearances for the World Wide 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...
(now known as World Wrestling Entertainment
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...
.
The Kangaroos frequented NWA Detroit
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...
, where they held the Detroit version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship
NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version)
The Detroit, Michigan version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1964 until 1980, when the Detroit promotion closed.-Title history:...
for most of 1971. By the end of 1972, the Kangaroos began working for Nick Gulas
Nick Gulas
Nick Gulas was an American professional wrestling promoter in the Southern United States. Also known as The King of Managers and King B, Gulas helped start the careers of such wrestling stars as Tojo Yamamoto, Jackie Fargo, and Jerry "The King" Lawler in the 1960s and '70s, the Bounty Hunters with...
’ NWA Mid-America
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...
. In Mid-America, they held the local version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship
NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version)
The Mid-America version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1957 until 1977. It was defended primarily in Tennessee and Alabama.-Title history:...
, the Mid-America version, on three occasions.
After a match in the Cincinnati Gardens
Cincinnati Gardens
The Cincinnati Gardens is an indoor sports and entertainment arena located in Cincinnati, Ohio, that opened in 1949. The 25,000 square foot brick and limestone building, whose entrance is decorated with six three-dimensional carved athletic figures, was modeled after Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto,...
, Costello's hip was damaged when an enraged fan threw a fire extinguisher
Fire extinguisher
A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
from the balcony. Costello had hip replacement surgery later that year. The fan was arrested, served 15 days in jail, and was fined fifty dollars for damaging the fire extinguisher. With Costello unable to compete, the Fabulous Kangaroos split up. After the Kangaroos went their separate ways Don Kent returned to NWA Mid-America as a singles wrestler.
Working alone
When Costello retired, Kent remained with Mid-America where he developed into a main heel as the "Dog Collar" wearing, barking "Bulldog" Don Kent. Kent teamed with Chris Gallagher and won the NWA Mid-America Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship
The NWA Mid-America tag-team championship was a tag-team title promoted by the NWA Mid America promotion that ran more or less exclusively in Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky from the 1940ties until 1980...
on two occasions, beating the teams of Frank Monte and Nick DeCarlo as well as Steve Kovac and Ricky Gibson for the title. Kent teamed up with Count Drummer to win the Mid America Tag Team title once more, defeating Jackie Fargo
Jackie Fargo
Henry Faggart, known by his ringname Jackie Fargo, is a retired American professional wrestler who competed in Southeastern regional promotions and the National Wrestling Alliance during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s...
and George Gulas on November 6, 1974, losing the title to Fargo and Gulas three weeks later. Kent won the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship
NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title defended in the US states of Tennessee and Alabama.The title began in 1957 and lasted first 1980 when it was first abandoned when Jerry Jarrett took over the Mid-American titles from Nick Gulas...
, the main title of the promotion, in October 1974 by defeating Tony Charles. Kent lost his first Mid-America title to Jackie Fargo and won it twice more in 1975, first from Fargo and then later from "Crazy" Luke Graham
Grady Johnson
James Grady Johnson better known as professional wrestler Crazy Luke Graham, was a member of the Graham family, a storyline family of wrestlers.-Career:...
. Graham defeated Kent on May 7, 1975 to end his third and final reign with the title.
In late 1975, Kent moved closer to home and work for The Sheik
Ed Farhat
Edward George Farhat was an American professional wrestler best known as by his ring name The Sheik...
’s "NWA Detroit" (also known as "Big Time Wrestling") using his "Bulldog" Don Kent persona. On November 1, 1975, Kent defeated Mark Lewin
Mark Lewin
-Career:Mark Lewin broke into wrestling in the early '50s and had great early success in a matinee-idol babyface tag team with Don Curtis, headlining in major territories like New York and Chicago. The team's brief heel turn was a shock to its many fans...
to win the Detroit version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship. Lewin regained the title in December. On October 16, 1976, Kent regained the title in a bloody brawl against Pampero Firpo
Juan Kachmanian
Juan Kachmanian , better known as Pampero Firpo, is a retired Argentine professional wrestler originally from Buenos Aires....
and held on to it until January 8, 1977, when he lost it to Gino Hernandez
Gino Hernandez
Charles Eugene Wolfe, Jr. was a professional wrestler better known by his ring name Gino Hernandez. His in-ring nickname was "The Handsome Half-Breed" -Career:...
. Kent developed into a long running enemy of the Sheik, who was the most popular man in the promotion, with the two clashing many times in wild and bloody brawls.
In 1977, having recovered from hip surgery, Al Costello teamed up with Kent as The Fabulous Kangaroos for a tour of Puerto Rico with the World Wrestling Council
World Wrestling Council
The World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....
(WWC). In Puerto Rico, the Kangaroos were billed on arrival as the WWC World Tag Team Champions
WWC World Tag Team Championship
The WWC World Tag Team Championship is the tag team title contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council.-Title history:-External links:***...
. The Kangaroos lost the title to Carlos Colón and Jose Rivera on March 12, 1977. The Kangaroos remained in WWC throughout 1977 and into 1978, never regaining the WWC World Tag Team Championship. After their tour in Puerto Rico ended, Don Kent returned to singles wrestling and Costello focused more on managing due to his bad hip.
In 1977 Kent returned to the Alabama area to work for NWA Mid-America once more. Kent defeated Lanny Poffo
Lanny Poffo
Lanny Mark Poffo , better known by his ring name "Leaping" Lanny is an American professional wrestler. Poffo was born in Calgary, Canada, to Angelo Poffo, an Italian American Catholic, and Judy, a Jewish American. He is also the brother of wrestling legend "Macho Man" Randy Savage...
to win his fourth Mid-America Heavyweight title in December 1977 and lost it to Poffo’s brother Randy Savage
Randy Savage
Randall Mario Poffo , better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling .Savage held twenty championships during his professional wrestling career and was a...
on January 3, 1978. In 1979, Kent wrestled in Puerto Rico as a singles wrestler, winning the WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship
WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship
The WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship is a secondary title contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council ....
from Chief War Cloud on January 6, 1979 and holding it for over 6 months until he lost it to Hurricane Castillo on July 21, 1979. Shortly after losing the Caribbean title, Kent moved up a level and defeated Puerto Rican legend Carlos Colón on August 3, 1979 only to lose the title to Invader I
Jose Gonzalez (wrestler)
José Huertas González, better known as Invader #1, is a former professional wrestler who wrestled in the United States and around the world, especially in Puerto Rico, and the man who killed, allegedly in self-defense, Frank Goodish, also known as Bruiser Brody.-Wrestling career:Since 1973, he has...
three weeks later in Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
.
In the early to mid 80s, Don Kent returned sporadically to Big Time Wrestling to wrestle the Sheik's nephew Sabu.
Kangaroo return
In 1981, Costello teamed Kent with Bruno BekkarBruno Bekkar
Brian Ashby is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler and trainer, known by his ring name Bruno Bekkar, who competed for Steve Rickard's All Star-Pro Wrestling and for other promoters in New Zealand and Australia from the early 1960s until his retirement in 1992...
, who was best known for working in his native New Zealand and Australia, and work a tour as The Kangaroos for the WWC with Costello serving as their manager
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
. Kent and Bekkar won the WWC North American Tag Team title from the team of 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
Gerald Brisco
Floyd Gerald "Jerry" Brisco is a former American professional wrestler, and prior to June, 2009, worked as a road agent for WWE on its Raw brand....
on October 22, 1981. This version of the Kangaroos first lost to, then regained the titles from, Invader I and Super Gladiador before losing them for good on January 26, 1982 to Invader and Gladiador. After this tour of the Caribbean, Bruno Bekkar returned to Australia and New Zealand to work for the local promotions there.
Bekkar was replaced with "Johnny Heffernan" (Canadian Bob Della Serra), a storyline cousin of Roy Heffernan for what was the final Kangaroo version to compete. The team ended Terry
Terry Funk
Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
and Dory Funk, Jr.’s
Dory Funk, Jr.
Dory Ernest Funk Jr. known professionally as Dory Funk, Jr. is a professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. He is the son of Dory Funk Sr. and brother of Terry Funk. He is credited with the invention of the Texas cloverleaf submission hold and runs the Funking Conservatory, a professional...
year and a half long run with the WWC World Tag Team championship when they defeated them on May 1, 1982. The team held the gold for less than 2 months before losing the belts again. After ending their tour in Puerto Rico, Kent and Heffernan returned to mainland USA to work for Championship Wrestling from Florida, a promotion the Kangaroos had worked in 1962. In Florida, The Kangaroos won the NWA Florida Global Tag Team Championship
NWA Florida Global Tag Team Championship
The NWA Florida Global Tag Team Championship was a minor tag team title in Florida Championship Wrestling from 1982 until fall 1983, when it was replaced by the NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship.-Title history:-See also:...
four times. The final storyline involving the Fabulous Kangaroos saw Al Costello bring in J.J. Dillon to act as his short term replacement as he "took care of business". When Costello returned from his business trip, Dillon refused to give up the Kangaroos' contracts and was backed up by both Kent and Heffernan (in storyline terms). This storyline was designed to write Al Costello out of The Fabulous Kangaroos storyline and allow him to retire from wrestling altogether. Not long after Costello retired, Kent and Della Serra went their separate ways.
After The Kangaroos
After The Kangaroos split up for the last time, Kent worked mainly in Michigan with tours of Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico, Don Kent donned a mask and worked under the name "Super Médico III" alongside Super Médico IJose Estrada, Sr.
Jose Estrada, Sr. is a semi-retired Puerto Rican professional wrestler who was a longtime mainstay of the World Wrestling Council as well as having stints in North American promotions including International World Class Championship Wrestling and the World Wide Wrestling Federation holding the now...
. Kent was brought in as a storyline replacement for the real Super Médico III, who was played by Jose Estrada, Jr.
Jose Estrada, Jr.
Jose Estrada, Jr. is an American former professional wrestler.-World Wrestling Federation :Debuting in 1997, Estrada played a member of Savio Vega's faction, Los Boricuas. He lost to future star, Edge, in Edge's television debut match with the WWF in 1998. Estrada broke his neck after trying to...
Médicos I & III won the WWC World Tag Team Championship on August 4, 1984 from King Tonga and Gran Apollo. When Super Médico III was unmasked in October and revealed to NOT be Jose Estrada, Jr., the team was stripped of their titles because they used an illegal man to help defend the title. After being exposed as the fake "Medico III" Kent returned to the United States and worked primarily in the Indianapolis based 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...
where he continued to wrestle until 1986, when he went into semi-retirement. After 1986 Kent only wrestled on special occasions, stepping into the ring as late as 1992 at the age of 59. Don Kent died on June 14, 1993 after suffering from Leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
for a long period of time.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Bulldog
- Managers
- George "Crybaby" Cannon
- Sir Dudley Clement
- Al Costello
Championships and accomplishments
- 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...
(1 time)
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Florida Global Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Florida Global Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Florida Global Tag Team Championship was a minor tag team title in Florida Championship Wrestling from 1982 until fall 1983, when it was replaced by the NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship.-Title history:-See also:...
(4 times) - with Johnny Heffernan
- Eastern Sports AssociationEastern Sports AssociationThe Eastern Sports Association, often referred to in the business simply as "the Maritimes," was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Halifax, Nova Scotia...
- ESA International Tag Team ChampionshipESA International Tag Team ChampionshipEastern Sports Association's International Tag Team Title was represented by a Trophy, and was defended in the Maritimes from 1969-75.- International Tag Team Champions :...
(1 time) - with Al CostelloAl CostelloGiacomo Costa was an Italian Australian professional wrestler best known by his ring name, Al Costello. Costello was the first professional wrestler to be nicknamed "The Man of a Thousand Holds" because of his innovative and very technical style.Costello was the creator and original member of the...
- International Wrestling Enterprise
- Trans-World Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Al Costello
- NWA DetroitNational Wrestling AllianceThe 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...
- NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Detroit version) (2 times)
- NWA Mid-AmericaContinental Wrestling AssociationThe Continental Wrestling Association was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually referred to as Mid-Southern Wrestling...
- NWA Mid-America Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Mid-America Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title defended in the US states of Tennessee and Alabama.The title began in 1957 and lasted first 1980 when it was first abandoned when Jerry Jarrett took over the Mid-American titles from Nick Gulas...
(4 times) - NWA Mid-America Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Mid-America Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Mid-America tag-team championship was a tag-team title promoted by the NWA Mid America promotion that ran more or less exclusively in Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky from the 1940ties until 1980...
(3 times) – with Chris Gallager (2) and Count Drummer (1) - NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version)NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version)The Mid-America version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1957 until 1977. It was defended primarily in Tennessee and Alabama.-Title history:...
(3 times) - with Al Costello
- World Wrestling AssociationWorld 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...
- WWA World Tag Team ChampionshipWWA World Tag Team ChampionshipThe WWA World Tag Team Championship was the primary tag team title in the Indianapolis-based World Wrestling Association from the promotion's formation in 1964 until the late 1980s when the promotion closed.-Title history:...
(4 times) - with Al Costello (1), Dr. Jerry GrahamDr. Jerry GrahamJerry Martin Matthews , better known by his ring name Dr. Jerry Graham, was an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time spent in the World Wide Wrestling Federation and as the founder of the Graham wrestling family.Jerry Martin Matthews was adopted by his stepfather Harold...
(2) and Chris Carter (1)
- World Wrestling CouncilWorld Wrestling CouncilThe World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....
- WWC Caribbean Heavyweight ChampionshipWWC Caribbean Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship is a secondary title contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council ....
(1 time) - WWC Caribbean Tag Team ChampionshipWWC Caribbean Tag Team ChampionshipWWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship was a third-string Tag Team title that was defended in the World Wrestling Council.-Title history:...
(1 time) – with Bruno BekkarBruno BekkarBrian Ashby is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler and trainer, known by his ring name Bruno Bekkar, who competed for Steve Rickard's All Star-Pro Wrestling and for other promoters in New Zealand and Australia from the early 1960s until his retirement in 1992... - WWC North American Heavyweight ChampionshipWWC North American Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WWC North American Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship defended in the Puerto Rican promotion, the World Wrestling Council. Created in 1974, it was the primary singles championship of the promotion until the creation of the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship...
(1 time) - WWC North American Tag Team ChampionshipWWC North American Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA North American Tag Team Championship was a major tag team championship that was used and defended in Capitol Sports Promotions...
(4 times) - with Bruno Bekkar (1), Johnny Heffernan (2) and Super Médico IJose Estrada, Sr.Jose Estrada, Sr. is a semi-retired Puerto Rican professional wrestler who was a longtime mainstay of the World Wrestling Council as well as having stints in North American promotions including International World Class Championship Wrestling and the World Wide Wrestling Federation holding the now...
(1) - WWC World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipWWC World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a secondary championship contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council. For a time, the title was defended in the Wrestling International New Generations promotion in Japan as the W*ING/WWC World...
(1 time) - WWC World Tag Team ChampionshipWWC World Tag Team ChampionshipThe WWC World Tag Team Championship is the tag team title contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council.-Title history:-External links:***...
(2 times) - with Al Costello (1)