El Mongol
Encyclopedia
Raul Molina is a Mexican-born
former professional wrestler
better known by his ring name
of El Mongol. He was most famous in the Georgia
territory during the late 1960s and early '70s.
and boxing
as well as wrestling at a young age, but ultimately chose professional wrestling as an occupation. He got his start wrestling throughout Mexico and the United States
, and by January 1966 he was in the Los Angeles
-based World Wrestling Association (WWA)
, where he captured the vacant World Tag Team Championship with partner Gorilla Monsoon
. The duo held the belts for little more than two weeks, but El Mongol recaptured a share of the title on April 18, 1966 with partner Buddy Austin, holding the championship for a further two months.
By late 1966 El Mongol had moved on to Georgia Championship Wrestling
(GCW), where he would have his most lasting success. Under the tutelage of dapper manager Dandy Jack Crawford, El Mongol quickly became one of the promotion's top heels
. Another gimmick in a long line of villanous Asia
n wrestling characters, El Mongol was a rulebreaking Mongol
trained in martial arts, who punished opponents with karate
-style chops and kicks. Molina completed the character's intimidating visual appearance with a Fu Manchu moustache
, queue
hairstyle and bare feet. The "Mongolian heel" gimmick would be used by other wrestlers in years to come, with Killer Khan
probably the best known of them.
On February 24, 1967, El Mongol won the Georgia Heavyweight Title
for the first time, defeating Buddy Fuller. He lost it after a month to Nick Kozak, but took it back three weeks later. On April 28 El Mongol lost it back again to Fuller, but claimed the title for a third time on June 16. This reign would last two months before the belt was traded with Mr. Wrestling
and then Bobby Shane, making El Mongol a five-time champion in the space of one calendar year.
In December 1967, El Mongol was suspended by GCW promoter Paul Jones for getting himself disqualified too often so he could retain the title. So for the first two months of 1968 the suspended El Mongol disappeared, at the same time as a mysterious masked wrestler known as "Dr. M" competed in the GCW. The widely held suspicion that Dr. M. was in fact El Mongol was confirmed after he lost a mask vs. mask match to Mr. Wrestling on February 27. Mr. Wrestling then defeated El Mongol again on April 12 to become GCW's undisputed Heavyweight Champion.
El Mongol feuded
with the Torres brothers throughout this time, and won the Southern Tag Team titles with partner Hans Schmidt
from Enrique
and Alberto Torres on April 26 before trading them back a month later. He also won the Atlanta version of the NWA Texas Brass Knuckles Championship
from Louie Tillet on June 29, though the Atlanta lineage is not officially recognized.
On July 6, 1968, El Mongol was partnered with stablemate Tarzan Tyler in a tag match against the Torres brothers. After losing the match, Tyler and Crawford attacked El Mongol, blaming him for the loss. El Mongol switched to a face
as he feuded with his former manager Crawford and his stable.
The feud only lasted a few weeks as El Mongol soon departed under the pretense that Crawford had sold El Mongol's contract to a Peru
vian company. He returned to the Los Angeles territory and wrestled there from August-December 1968. Again a heel, El Mongol became the WWA's last Heavyweight Champion
before the WWA merged with the NWA. Upon going back to the GCW in January 1969 and resuming his feud with Crawford's stable, El Mongol was now billed as hailing from Lima, Peru.
On February 7, 1969, El Mongol won the Heavyweight Title a sixth time, defeating Dale Lewis. After reaffirming his undisputed claim to the title following a controversial finish against Assassin #1, he dropped the belt to The Professional on May 16. He won tag gold again with The Professional on June 27 but they lost the belts two weeks later. El Mongol departed the GCW for the second time after losing in a six-man tag team match on July 18 that carried the stipulation that the wrestler who lost the fall would have to leave the promotion.
El Mongol wrestled in the Tampa
region during the second half of 1969 before returning to the GCW for a third stint starting in January 1970. He quickly re-entered the title picture and defeated Nick Bockwinkel
for the Television Championship on March 7 before losing it back two weeks later. On April 3 he re-teamed with The Professional to once again briefly hold tag team gold. In October and November 1970 he teamed with Bobo Brazil
in tag matches that were historically significant for their interracial composition: their success increased the confidence of Atlanta-region promoters to book more interracial matches in the future without fear of crowd problems.
El Mongol held the GCW Heavyweight Title twice more during 1971 and 1972, for a total of eight reigns over five years. He moved on to Ann Gunkel's short-lived All South Wrestling Alliance (ASWA), where he co-held another Tag Team Championship with Ray Candy
in 1973. El Mongol proceeded to wrestle for another decade or so, briefly holding the AWA
Southern Tag Team belts with Killer Karl Krupp during the summer of 1980 as a heel once again. He also made an appearance in the 1981 film Sharky's Machine
playing a chauffer/bodyguard.
Raul Molina retired from wrestling sometime in the 1980s. In the early 1970s Raul and his wife Maria opened a Mexican-style
restaurant
, Maria's Mexican Restaurant, in Griffin, Georgia
. They sold the business sometime around the year 2000 and are now in retirement. They had five children together.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
former professional wrestler
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...
better 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:...
of El Mongol. He was most famous in the Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
territory during the late 1960s and early '70s.
Career
Molina trained in martial artsMartial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
and boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
as well as wrestling at a young age, but ultimately chose professional wrestling as an occupation. He got his start wrestling throughout Mexico and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and by January 1966 he was in the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-based World Wrestling Association (WWA)
World Wrestling Association (Los Angeles)
World Wrestling Association was a professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles. The promotion was established in 1959 originally as the North American Wrestling Alliance...
, where he captured the vacant World Tag Team Championship with partner 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...
. The duo held the belts for little more than two weeks, but El Mongol recaptured a share of the title on April 18, 1966 with partner Buddy Austin, holding the championship for a further two months.
By late 1966 El Mongol had moved on to Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...
(GCW), where he would have his most lasting success. Under the tutelage of dapper manager Dandy Jack Crawford, El Mongol quickly became one of the promotion's top heels
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...
. Another gimmick in a long line of villanous Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n wrestling characters, El Mongol was a rulebreaking Mongol
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
trained in martial arts, who punished opponents with karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
-style chops and kicks. Molina completed the character's intimidating visual appearance with a Fu Manchu moustache
Fu Manchu moustache
A Fu Manchu moustache is a full, straight moustache that grows downward past the lips and on either side of the chin; and often, the tapered, pointed ends of the moustache hang past the jawline...
, queue
Queue (hairstyle)
The queue or cue is a hairstyle in which the hair is worn long and gathered up into a ponytail. It was worn traditionally by certain Native American groups and the Manchu of Manchuria.-Manchu Queue:...
hairstyle and bare feet. The "Mongolian heel" gimmick would be used by other wrestlers in years to come, with Killer Khan
Killer Khan
is a retired professional wrestler. Popularly known as Killer Khan, he was billed from Mongolia and had numerous high-profile matches with André the Giant in the World Wrestling Federation during the 1980s, including the first ever "stretcher match"...
probably the best known of them.
On February 24, 1967, El Mongol won the Georgia Heavyweight Title
NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship was the major title in the Georgia Championship Wrestling professional wrestling promotion. It started in 1964 and was unified in 1981 with the NWA National Heavyweight Championship....
for the first time, defeating Buddy Fuller. He lost it after a month to Nick Kozak, but took it back three weeks later. On April 28 El Mongol lost it back again to Fuller, but claimed the title for a third time on June 16. This reign would last two months before the belt was traded with Mr. Wrestling
Tim Woods
George Burrell "Tim" Woodin was an American former professional wrestler. He was best known under his ring name Mr. Wrestling.-Professional wrestling career:...
and then Bobby Shane, making El Mongol a five-time champion in the space of one calendar year.
In December 1967, El Mongol was suspended by GCW promoter Paul Jones for getting himself disqualified too often so he could retain the title. So for the first two months of 1968 the suspended El Mongol disappeared, at the same time as a mysterious masked wrestler known as "Dr. M" competed in the GCW. The widely held suspicion that Dr. M. was in fact El Mongol was confirmed after he lost a mask vs. mask match to Mr. Wrestling on February 27. Mr. Wrestling then defeated El Mongol again on April 12 to become GCW's undisputed Heavyweight Champion.
El Mongol feuded
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with the Torres brothers throughout this time, and won the Southern Tag Team titles with partner Hans Schmidt
Hans Schmidt (wrestler)
Guy Larose , better known by his ring name of Hans Schmidt, is a retired Canadian professional wrestler famous in the 1950s and '60s.-Wrestling career:...
from Enrique
Enrique Torres
Enrique Torres was a Mexican-American professional wrestler, the oldest three Torres brothers in wrestling, and a major star in the late 1940s and 1950s.-Personal Background:...
and Alberto Torres on April 26 before trading them back a month later. He also won the Atlanta version of the NWA Texas Brass Knuckles Championship
NWA Texas Brass Knuckles Championship
The NWA Texas Hardcore Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance. For most of its existence, however, the title served as the Texas territorial version of the NWA Brass Knuckles Championship and was used in matches in which brass knuckles...
from Louie Tillet on June 29, though the Atlanta lineage is not officially recognized.
On July 6, 1968, El Mongol was partnered with stablemate Tarzan Tyler in a tag match against the Torres brothers. After losing the match, Tyler and Crawford attacked El Mongol, blaming him for the loss. El Mongol switched to a 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...
as he feuded with his former manager Crawford and his stable.
The feud only lasted a few weeks as El Mongol soon departed under the pretense that Crawford had sold El Mongol's contract to a Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian company. He returned to the Los Angeles territory and wrestled there from August-December 1968. Again a heel, El Mongol became the WWA's last Heavyweight Champion
NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship was the top singles championship in the National Wrestling Alliance's Los Angeles territory, known officially as NWA Hollywood Wrestling, from 1968 until the promotion closed in 1982. The title was first established in 1967 as a secondary championship in...
before the WWA merged with the NWA. Upon going back to the GCW in January 1969 and resuming his feud with Crawford's stable, El Mongol was now billed as hailing from Lima, Peru.
On February 7, 1969, El Mongol won the Heavyweight Title a sixth time, defeating Dale Lewis. After reaffirming his undisputed claim to the title following a controversial finish against Assassin #1, he dropped the belt to The Professional on May 16. He won tag gold again with The Professional on June 27 but they lost the belts two weeks later. El Mongol departed the GCW for the second time after losing in a six-man tag team match on July 18 that carried the stipulation that the wrestler who lost the fall would have to leave the promotion.
El Mongol wrestled in the Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
region during the second half of 1969 before returning to the GCW for a third stint starting in January 1970. He quickly re-entered the title picture and defeated Nick Bockwinkel
Nick Bockwinkel
Nicholas Warren Francis "Nick" Bockwinkel is a retired American professional wrestler. He mainly competed in the American Wrestling Association in the United States...
for the Television Championship on March 7 before losing it back two weeks later. On April 3 he re-teamed with The Professional to once again briefly hold tag team gold. In October and November 1970 he teamed with 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...
in tag matches that were historically significant for their interracial composition: their success increased the confidence of Atlanta-region promoters to book more interracial matches in the future without fear of crowd problems.
El Mongol held the GCW Heavyweight Title twice more during 1971 and 1972, for a total of eight reigns over five years. He moved on to Ann Gunkel's short-lived All South Wrestling Alliance (ASWA), where he co-held another Tag Team Championship with Ray Candy
Ray Candy
Ray Canty , known by the ring name Ray Candy, was an American professional wrestler for the Jim Crockett Promotions and various other regional wrestling territories...
in 1973. El Mongol proceeded to wrestle for another decade or so, briefly holding the AWA
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...
Southern Tag Team belts with Killer Karl Krupp during the summer of 1980 as a heel once again. He also made an appearance in the 1981 film Sharky's Machine
Sharky's Machine (film)
Sharky's Machine is a 1981 motion picture directed by Burt Reynolds, who stars in the title role. The movie is an adaptation of William Diehl's first novel Sharky's Machine , with a screenplay by Gerald Di Pego....
playing a chauffer/bodyguard.
Raul Molina retired from wrestling sometime in the 1980s. In the early 1970s Raul and his wife Maria opened a Mexican-style
Mexican cuisine
Mexican cuisine, a style of food that originates in Mexico, is known for its varied flavors, colourful decoration and variety of spices and ingredients, most of which are native to the country. The cuisine of Mexico has evolved through thousands of years of blending indigenous cultures, with later...
restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
, Maria's Mexican Restaurant, in Griffin, Georgia
Griffin, Georgia
Griffin is a city in and the county seat of Spalding County in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 23,643.-Geography:Griffin is located at ....
. They sold the business sometime around the year 2000 and are now in retirement. They had five children together.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Double karate chop
- Karate Kick
- Signature moves
- Multiple pin variations
Championships and accomplishments
- All-South Wrestling Alliance
- Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ray CandyRay CandyRay Canty , known by the ring name Ray Candy, was an American professional wrestler for the Jim Crockett Promotions and various other regional wrestling territories...
- Continental Wrestling AssociationContinental 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...
- AWA Southern Tag Team ChampionshipAWA Southern Tag Team ChampionshipThe AWA Southern Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the Tennessee area from the 1940s through the late 1980s. It was originally named the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship from its inception through 1977, when it was renamed the AWA Southern...
(1 time) - with Killer Karl Krupp
- Mid-South SportsGeorgia Championship WrestlingGeorgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...
- NWA Georgia Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Georgia Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship was the major title in the Georgia Championship Wrestling professional wrestling promotion. It started in 1964 and was unified in 1981 with the NWA National Heavyweight Championship....
(8 times) - NWA Georgia Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Georgia Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship was the top tag team championship in Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1968 to 1980, when it was replaced with the NWA National Tag Team Championship....
(1 time) - with The Professional - NWA Georgia Television ChampionshipNWA National Television ChampionshipThe NWA National Television Championship was a secondary singles championship in the National Wrestling Alliance's Georgia Championship Wrestling territory. It started as the NWA Georgia Television Championship. It was later renamed the National TV Championship...
(1 time) - NWA Macon Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Macon Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Macon Tag Team Championship was a tag team professional wrestling championship in Georgia Championship Wrestling, defended exclusively on events held at the Macon City Auditorium and Macon Coliseum in Macon, Georgia. The title lasted from 1969 to 1975....
(2 times) - with Joe ScarpaJoe ScarpaJoseph Luke Scarpa is a former professional wrestler who was best known by his famous ring moniker, Chief Jay Strongbow...
(1) and Bob ArmstrongBob ArmstrongJoseph Melton James is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Bullet" Bob Armstrong. In the course of his career, which spanned five decades, Armstrong held numerous championships throughout the Southeastern United States...
(1) - NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship (Georgia version) (1 time) - with Bob ArmstrongBob ArmstrongJoseph Melton James is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Bullet" Bob Armstrong. In the course of his career, which spanned five decades, Armstrong held numerous championships throughout the Southeastern United States...
- NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Georgia version) (1 time) - with Hans SchmidtHans Schmidt (wrestler)Guy Larose , better known by his ring name of Hans Schmidt, is a retired Canadian professional wrestler famous in the 1950s and '60s.-Wrestling career:...
- World Wrestling Association (Los Angeles)
- WWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Americas Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship was the top singles championship in the National Wrestling Alliance's Los Angeles territory, known officially as NWA Hollywood Wrestling, from 1968 until the promotion closed in 1982. The title was first established in 1967 as a secondary championship in...
(1 time) - WWA World Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Americas Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Americas Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the National Wrestling Alliance's NWA Hollywood Wrestling based out of Los Angeles, California....
(2 times) - with Gorilla MonsoonGorilla MonsoonRobert James "Gino" Marella , better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American professional wrestler, play-by-play announcer, and booker...
(1) and Buddy Austin (1)