Gary Sabaugh
Encyclopedia
Gary Sabaugh is an American professional wrestler, known by his ringname The Italian Stallion, who has competed in North American independent promotions throughout the 1980s and 1990s including stints in both the World Wrestling Federation
and National Wrestling Alliance
, specifically Jim Crockett Promotions
and World Championship Wrestling
.
He is also the co-owner of the Charlotte-based Professional Wrestling Federation and its wrestling school with longtime rival George South
. Among the wrestlers he and South have trained over the years include Henry Godwin
, Ron Killings
and the The Hardy Boyz
.
and "Pistol" Pez Whatley
against Bob Roop
and NWA National Tag Team Champions Arn Anderson
& Tully Blanchard
on May 11, he would face a number of veteran wrestlers throughout 1985 including Terry Flynn, Black Bart
, and appeared at the first Starcade '85
losing to Thunderfoot#1
on November 28. Two days later, he also teamed with Rocky King against the Midnight Express on November 30, 1985.
Teaming with Koko B. Ware during the first annual Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tournament in April 1986, they were defeated in the opening round by Buzz Sawyer
and Rick Steiner
.
The following year, he and Ricky Lee Jones lost to Ronnie & Jimmy Garvin
in the opening rounds of the second annual Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tournament on April 11, 1987.
In his third appearance at the Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tournament, he and Kendall Windham
would defeat Green Machine and Terminator by forfeit on before losing to Arm Anderson & Tully Blanchard
in the quarterfinals in April 1988.
facing the Mike Rotundo in late 1988 and teamed with "Dr. Death" Steve Williams and Nikita Koloff
in a 6-man tag team match against Rotundo, Rick Steiner
and Al Perez
on September 25 before losing to Steve Williams at Clash of the Champions IV on December 7, 1988.
During that year, he was the wrestling advisor for the short-lived sitcom Learning the Ropes
and, along with "Dr. Death" Steve Williams, was a stunt double for the Lyle Alzado
's character the Masked Maniac.
He would team with Brett Sawyer and The Nasty Boys
in an 8-man tag team match against Johnny Ace
, The Terminator and Southern Force on March 11, 1989.
teamed with Reno Riggins against The Freebirds on January 19, he was absent from WCW television for much of 1991.
In 1992, Sabaugh started the Professional Wrestling Federation with George South although he stayed with World Championship Wrestling
during 1993 often appearing on WCW Saturday Night
losing to the Wrecking Crew in a tag team match with Larry Santo on January 23 as well as title matches against WCW Television Champion "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff
on April 3 and WCW World Tag Team Champions the Hollywood Blonds on April 27 before making his last appearance with George South in a tag team match against Kent & Keith Cole
at a house show at the Brushfork Armory in Bluefield, West Virginia
on August 20, 1993.
Sabaugh would also wrestle for a time in the World Wrestling Federation
during the mid-1990s. Though he would never get higher than lower mid-card status, he did help a very young Matt
& Jeff Hardy
break into the WWF as jobbers
. Though the Hardy's would make $150 per appearance as jobbers, Sabaugh would charge them $100 per appearance. According to Matt Hardy in the 2008 DVD Twist of Fate: The Matt & Jeff Hardy Story, Sabaugh ended up leaving the Hardy's stranded in Charlotte, North Carolina
where the three were supposed to meet before traveling to a show in Macon, Georgia
. In the process, Sabaugh left the Hardy's to fend for themselves, but still wanted to collect the $100 per appearance fee from the boys. Matt later told Bruce Prichard
about what happened, and the WWF would contact the Hardy's directly thereafter for jobbing before the two would eventually sign with WWF full-time in 1998. Sabaugh was released afterwards partially due to the incident.
Originally based in Rutherford County, North Carolina
, the promotion ran shows in the old Crockett territories in North and South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia until its close in 1999. Sabaugh and South would continue their decade long feud while in the promotion, which involved female wrestlers Mad Maxine
and her mother Mama Maxine for a time, trading the PWF heavyweight title several times and at one point formed a tag team with South winning the tag team titles before they began fighting each other again.
In September 2000, Sabaugh accepted a challenge from referee turned wrestler "High Maintenance" Shawn Blanton who had recently won the PWF Junior Heavyweight Champion after a three month absence from the promotion. Losing to Blanton in a non-title match in Kings Mountain, North Carolina
, he was again defeated in a rematch the following week in Hamlet, North Carolina
.
In 2008 Gary Sabaugh is planning to do a shoot interview with Highspots.com (producers of the high selling Ric Flair Shoot Interview.) The interview will feature Sabaugh's response to the comments made by Matt and Jeff Hardy on the "Twist Of Fate: The Matt and Jeff Hardy Story" DVD set from WWE.
Gary Sabaugh is now a HAAG Certified PROPERTY ADJUSTER
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...
and 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...
, specifically 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:...
and World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
.
He is also the co-owner of the Charlotte-based Professional Wrestling Federation and its wrestling school with longtime rival George South
George South
George South is a professional wrestler who has appeared as a preliminary wrestler in World Championship Wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions and the World Wrestling Federation.-Professional wrestling career:...
. Among the wrestlers he and South have trained over the years include Henry Godwin
Mark Canterbury
Mark Canterbury is an American professional wrestler, best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Henry O. Godwinn.-Career:...
, Ron Killings
Ron Killings
Ronald Aaron "Ron" Killings is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE working on its Raw brand. Since working for the company, he has been a one time United States Champion under the ring name R-Truth and a two time Hardcore Champion under the ring name K-Kwik...
and the The Hardy Boyz
Hardy Boyz
The Hardy Boyz are a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy...
.
Jim Crockett Promotions
Teaming with Buzz SawyerBuzz Sawyer
Bruce Woyan was a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Buzz Sawyer. Throughout his career, he was also known by the nickname "Mad Dog". He was characterized by his crazy antics inside the ring and out.-Career:Sawyer started wrestling in 1979 in the National Wrestling Alliance 's...
and "Pistol" Pez Whatley
Pez Whatley
Pezavan Whatley was a professional wrestler in the 1980s and early 1990s who wrestled primarily under the ring name Pez Whatley.-Career:...
against Bob Roop
Bob Roop
Bob Roop is a retired amateur and professional wrestler whose career has spanned high school, college, Army, amateur and professional wrestling. He was an American Heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler at the 1968 Summer Olympics.-Amateur career:...
and NWA National Tag Team Champions 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...
& Tully Blanchard
Tully Blanchard
Tully Arthur Blanchard is a semi-retired second generation American professional wrestler. He is best known as an original member of the Four Horsemen....
on May 11, he would face a number of veteran wrestlers throughout 1985 including Terry Flynn, Black Bart
Rick Harris
Rick Harris is a former professional wrestler better known by his ring name , Black Bart. He is the son of the late George "Two Ton" Harris.-Career:Rick Harris started wrestling in 1975...
, and appeared at the first Starcade '85
Starrcade (1985)
Starrcade '85: The Gathering was the third annual Starrcade professional wrestling event produced by Jim Crockett Promotions under the National Wrestling Alliance banner...
losing to Thunderfoot#1
Joseph Jones (wrestler)
Joel Lofton Jones better known as Joel Deaton is a professional wrestler. He is most noticed for being one of the members of a tag team in Jim Crockett Promotions known as the Thunderfoots. He was the original Thunderfoot. He was briefly engaged to Delta Burke in early 1987.-Career:Joel Jones was...
on November 28. Two days later, he also teamed with Rocky King against the Midnight Express on November 30, 1985.
Teaming with Koko B. Ware during the first annual Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tournament in April 1986, they were defeated in the opening round by Buzz Sawyer
Buzz Sawyer
Bruce Woyan was a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Buzz Sawyer. Throughout his career, he was also known by the nickname "Mad Dog". He was characterized by his crazy antics inside the ring and out.-Career:Sawyer started wrestling in 1979 in the National Wrestling Alliance 's...
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 following year, he and Ricky Lee Jones lost to Ronnie & Jimmy Garvin
Jimmy Garvin
James Williams is a retired American professional wrestler. He is best known by his ring name "Gorgeous" Jimmy "Jam" Garvin and as a member of the legendary Fabulous Freebirds....
in the opening rounds of the second annual Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tournament on April 11, 1987.
In his third appearance at the Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tournament, he and Kendall Windham
Kendall Windham
Kendall Windham is a former professional wrestler. He is the son of Blackjack Mulligan and the brother of Barry Windham.-Florida Championship Wrestling:...
would defeat Green Machine and Terminator by forfeit on before losing to Arm Anderson & Tully Blanchard
Tully Blanchard
Tully Arthur Blanchard is a semi-retired second generation American professional wrestler. He is best known as an original member of the Four Horsemen....
in the quarterfinals in April 1988.
World Championship Wrestling
Following the close of Jim Crockett Promotions, Sabaugh would wrestle members of the Varsity ClubVarsity Club
The Varsity Club was a professional wrestling heel stable in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions and World Championship Wrestling. The stable was formed in 1987 and lasted until 1989...
facing the Mike Rotundo in late 1988 and teamed with "Dr. Death" Steve Williams and Nikita Koloff
Nikita Koloff
Nikita Koloff is a retired American professional wrestler,. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, he wrestled as "The Russian Nightmare" Nikita Koloff, which was a play on the nickname of fan favorite "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes .Nikita was brought into the National...
in a 6-man tag team match against Rotundo, 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...
and Al Perez
Al Perez
Al Perez is a retired American professional wrestler.-Professional wrestling career:Perez began wrestling as an amateur in high school and was one of the top athletes in his home state of Florida. He started professional wrestling in 1982.He formed a team in ICW with Joe Savoldi known as the "New...
on September 25 before losing to Steve Williams at Clash of the Champions IV on December 7, 1988.
During that year, he was the wrestling advisor for the short-lived sitcom Learning the Ropes
Learning the Ropes
Learning the Ropes is a Canadian-produced sitcom that aired on CTV in Canada and in syndication in the United States from September 1988 to March 1989. The series stars Lyle Alzado as Robert Randall, a teacher who works as a professional wrestler in the evening. Although his children knew about...
and, along with "Dr. Death" Steve Williams, was a stunt double for the Lyle Alzado
Lyle Alzado
Lyle Martin Alzado was a professional American football defensive lineman of the National Football League famous for his intense and intimidating style of play....
's character the Masked Maniac.
He would team with Brett Sawyer and The Nasty Boys
The Nasty Boys
The Nasty Boys are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags, active from the mid to late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. Their gimmick was that of anti-social punks who specialized in hardcore wrestling and brawling...
in an 8-man tag team match against Johnny Ace
John Laurinaitis
John Joseph Laurinaitis is the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations for WWE and appears on WWE's Raw Brand as interim General Manager. He was previously a professional wrestler under the ring name Johnny Ace, and wrestled for such promotions as the National Wrestling Alliance and All...
, The Terminator and Southern Force on March 11, 1989.
Later career
Appearing less often during the early 1990s, making an appearance on WCW Power HourWCW Power Hour
WCW Power Hour was the original Friday night wrestling show for World Championship Wrestling, airing on TBS.Unlike most television shows that started their program either at the top or bottom of the hour, WCW Power Hour aired 10 minutes before the bottom of the hour at 10:20 p.m...
teamed with Reno Riggins against The Freebirds on January 19, he was absent from WCW television for much of 1991.
In 1992, Sabaugh started the Professional Wrestling Federation with George South although he stayed with World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
during 1993 often appearing on WCW Saturday Night
WCW Saturday Night
WCW Saturday Night was a weekly Saturday night TV show on TBS produced by World Championship Wrestling. The program existed through various incarnations under different names before becoming WCW Saturday Night in 1992...
losing to the Wrecking Crew in a tag team match with Larry Santo on January 23 as well as title matches against WCW Television Champion "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff
Paul Orndorff
Paul Parlette Orndorff, Jr. is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling as "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff...
on April 3 and WCW World Tag Team Champions the Hollywood Blonds on April 27 before making his last appearance with George South in a tag team match against Kent & Keith Cole
Cole Twins
The Cole Twins were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of twin brothers Kent and Keith Cole. They competed in North American regional and independent promotions, however the twins were best known for their stint in World Championship Wrestling during the early 1990s...
at a house show at the Brushfork Armory in Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. It is also the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,342.-Geography & Climate:...
on August 20, 1993.
Sabaugh would also wrestle for a time 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...
during the mid-1990s. Though he would never get higher than lower mid-card status, he did help a very young Matt
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
& Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
break into the WWF as jobbers
Job (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling slang, the term job describes a losing performance in a wrestling match. It is derived from the euphemism "doing one's job", which was employed to protect kayfabe. As professional wrestling is scripted, inevitably a wrestler will be required to lose to an opponent.The term...
. Though the Hardy's would make $150 per appearance as jobbers, Sabaugh would charge them $100 per appearance. According to Matt Hardy in the 2008 DVD Twist of Fate: The Matt & Jeff Hardy Story, Sabaugh ended up leaving the Hardy's stranded in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
where the three were supposed to meet before traveling to a show in Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
. In the process, Sabaugh left the Hardy's to fend for themselves, but still wanted to collect the $100 per appearance fee from the boys. Matt later told Bruce Prichard
Bruce Prichard
Bruce Prichard is a professional wrestling personality, best known as a manager and producer for World Wrestling Entertainment , where he portrayed Brother Love, the original manager of The Undertaker...
about what happened, and the WWF would contact the Hardy's directly thereafter for jobbing before the two would eventually sign with WWF full-time in 1998. Sabaugh was released afterwards partially due to the incident.
Originally based in Rutherford County, North Carolina
Rutherford County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 62,899 people, 25,191 households, and 17,935 families residing in the county. The population density was 112 people per square mile . There were 29,535 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile...
, the promotion ran shows in the old Crockett territories in North and South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia until its close in 1999. Sabaugh and South would continue their decade long feud while in the promotion, which involved female wrestlers Mad Maxine
Mad Maxine
Mad Maxine was a female professional wrestler. She is best known for her height and having a green mohawk during her stint in the World Wrestling Federation...
and her mother Mama Maxine for a time, trading the PWF heavyweight title several times and at one point formed a tag team with South winning the tag team titles before they began fighting each other again.
In September 2000, Sabaugh accepted a challenge from referee turned wrestler "High Maintenance" Shawn Blanton who had recently won the PWF Junior Heavyweight Champion after a three month absence from the promotion. Losing to Blanton in a non-title match in Kings Mountain, North Carolina
Kings Mountain, North Carolina
Kings Mountain is a small suburban city of Gastonia and Charlotte in Cleveland and Gaston counties, North Carolina, United States. The population was 9,693 at the 2000 census....
, he was again defeated in a rematch the following week in Hamlet, North Carolina
Hamlet, North Carolina
Hamlet is a town in Richmond County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 6,018 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hamlet is located at ....
.
In 2008 Gary Sabaugh is planning to do a shoot interview with Highspots.com (producers of the high selling Ric Flair Shoot Interview.) The interview will feature Sabaugh's response to the comments made by Matt and Jeff Hardy on the "Twist Of Fate: The Matt and Jeff Hardy Story" DVD set from WWE.
Gary Sabaugh is now a HAAG Certified PROPERTY ADJUSTER
Championships and accomplishments
- Pro Wrestling Federation
- PWF Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
- PWF Tag Team Championship (4 times) with Ron Garvin and George South
- 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 # 213 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 1994
- two time world spaghetti eating champion genius book twice
- Wrestled in the 4 country tournament in Japan
- Acted in several sitcoms
- Stunt double for several television stars
- PWI ranked him # 213 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 1994