Jake Milliman
Encyclopedia
Jake Milliman is a semi-retired American professional wrestler who competed in North American regional promotions during the 1980s including stints in the National Wrestling Alliance
, the World Wrestling Federation
and, most notably, as a longtime mainstay of the American Wrestling Association
.
in one of his earliest appearances in the promotion on November 29. During the next month, he would lose to Hulk Hogan
in a handicap match with Chris Curtis
on December 6 and, with Tom Stone
, in a rematch on December 12, 1981. He lost several single matches to Jerry Blackwell
, Brad Rheingans
, Rene Goulet, Bobby Duncum, Sr. and manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
as well as tag team matches with "Sodbuster" Kenny Jay against Ken Patera & Bobby Duncum, Sr. and Sheik Adnan
& Jerry Blackwell during late 1982.
Absent from the promotion during early 1983, he lost to Nick Bockwinkel
and Ken Patera
although he later teamed with Wahoo McDaniel
to defeat Blackjack Lanza and Jesse Ventura by disqualification on May 15. However, he would continue losing single matches with losses against Chris Markoff, Mr. Saito and Brad Rheingans and, teaming with Sonny Rogers, lost to Ken Patera & Jerry Blackwell on May 29. He would also appear on an event for the Indianapolis-based World Wrestling Association
losing to Rooster Griffen and, teaming with Bob Harmon
, losing to Jerry Valiant & Great Abdullah later during the main event on August 6, 1983.
His losing streak would continue into the following year losing to Brad Rheingans, Jerry Blackwell, Curt Hennig
, Larry Zbyszko
, Billy Robinson
, Nick Bockwinkel
and The Crusher
in early 1984. He also teamed with Tony Leone against Greg Gagne
& Jim Brunzell as well as with Jesse "The Body" Ventura
, Steven Regal, Kevin Kelly
facing The Freebirds in several tag team matches. He would also wrestle against Thomas Ivey at an NWA Central States event in Kansas City, Missouri
on June 23, 1984.
A regular on All Star Wrestling, the AWA's weekly ESPN
television program, he would appear on its first episode facing Scott Hall
in his debut match at Chicago's UIC Pavilion
on July 8, 1984. During the match, he was pinned by Hall due to outside interference by Larry "The Ax" Hennig
and his son Curt
being hit with a steel chair allowing Hall to take the pinfall.
In early 1986, Milliman defeating Larry Zbyszko in Rockford, Illinois
on January 11 although he lost to The Barbarian & The Mongolian Stomper
in a tag team match that same night with Rick Ganter. Losing to Zbyszko in a rematch on January 19, he also lost matches to Marty Jannetty
, Col. DeBeers, Boris Zukhov, Earthquake Ferris and Ken Timbs
.
during mid 1987, appearing on WWF Superstars of Wrestling
facing Adrian Adonis
in Adonis's last televised appearance following WrestleMania III
on April 23, 1987. He later took part in a handicap match with Arthur Washington against One Man Gang on August 29 and in a 6-man tag team with against One Man Gang, Butch Reed
and Nikolai Volkoff
with Sivi Afi and Jerry Allen
on October 10, Milliman returned to the AWA.
In 1989, Milliman returned to the WWF losing to Tito Santana
in Duluth, Minnesota
on May 17 before teaming with Boris Zhukov losing to the Hart Foundation on July 9 and, with Tom Stone, on August 27. In his last appearance with the WWF, he and Zhukov lost a tag team match to Demolition
on WWF Superstars on September 9, 1989.
Milliman also participated in the final match in the TSC. That match was a royal rumble-style battle royal featuring Brad Rheingans, Col. DeBeers, The Trooper
, The Destruction Crew
(Mike Enos
& Wayne Bloom
), the Texas Hangmen and others. Milliman again came away with the win by eliminating DeBeers at the end, winning the Series and supposed $1,000,000 check for his team Larry's Legends.
on December 14, 2001. He would also face Chris Jericho
in the first televised broadcast of Northern Premiere Wrestling, a Minnesota-based independent promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance
, on February 2, 2002.
He has since wrestled in various independent promotions making an appearance with former UFC competitor Adrian Serrano at an event for Brew City Wrestling in March 2004 and the following year at the National Wrestling Federation
supercard Rumble in the Wolves Den: Part 2 on May 1, 2005
In 2007, he teamed with Jan Jones in a 6-man tag team match against Tough Tom and Trevor Adonis for an IAW event in Eagle, Wisconsin
on September 1, 2007. The following month, in AWA Superstars of Wrestling
, Milliman and Frankie DeFalco entered an 18-team championship tournament for the AWA World Tag Team Championship
defeating Team Vision (Chasyn Rance & Mister Saint Laurent
) to advancing to the semi-finals where they lost to the Heartbreak Express
(Phil and Sean Davis) in Shawano, Wisconsin
on October 6, 2007. DeFalco and Milliman won the titles from the Heartbreak Express on February 8, 2008 in Waukesha, Wisconsin, but were stripped of the titles on February 25 in a Dusty finish as DeFalco was retroactively disqualified for throwing a member of the Heartbreak Express over the top rope.
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...
, 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...
and, most notably, as a longtime mainstay of 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...
.
Early career
Making his debut in the American Wrestling Association during the early 1980s, he lost to Ken PateraKen Patera
Ken Patera is a former professional wrestler, Olympic weightlifter, and Strongman competitor.-Weightlifting/Strongman career:Patera is a former Olympic weightlifter and American powerlifter...
in one of his earliest appearances in the promotion on November 29. During the next month, he would lose to Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
in a handicap match with Chris Curtis
Chris Curtis
Chris Curtis was an English drummer and singer with the 1960s pop band, The Searchers. He originated the concept behind Deep Purple and formed the band in its original incarnation of 'Roundabout'.-Early years:...
on December 6 and, with Tom Stone
Tom Stone
Tom Stone may refer to:* Tom Stone , head coach of the women's soccer team at Texas Tech University* Tom Stone , American documentary photographer...
, in a rematch on December 12, 1981. He lost several single matches to Jerry Blackwell
Jerry Blackwell
Jerry Blackwell was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Crusher" Jerry Blackwell. Blackwell competed in the 1979 World's Strongest Man contest, but withdrew early in the competition due to an injury...
, Brad Rheingans
Brad 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...
, Rene Goulet, Bobby Duncum, Sr. and manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Bobby Heenan
Raymond Louis "Ray" Heenan , better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan , is a former American professional wrestling manager and color commentator, best known for his time with the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation...
as well as tag team matches with "Sodbuster" Kenny Jay against Ken Patera & Bobby Duncum, Sr. and Sheik Adnan
Adnan Al-Kaissie
Adnan Bin Abdulkareem Ahmed Alkaissy El Farthie , better known professionally as Adnan Al-Kaissie, is a former iraqi professional wrestler and a manager best known as Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissy, Billy White Wolf, or General Adnan...
& Jerry Blackwell during late 1982.
Absent from the promotion during early 1983, he lost to 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...
and Ken Patera
Ken Patera
Ken Patera is a former professional wrestler, Olympic weightlifter, and Strongman competitor.-Weightlifting/Strongman career:Patera is a former Olympic weightlifter and American powerlifter...
although he later teamed with Wahoo McDaniel
Wahoo McDaniel
Edward "Wahoo" McDaniel was a Choctaw-Chickasaw Native American who achieved fame as a professional American football player and later as a professional wrestler.-Early life:...
to defeat Blackjack Lanza and Jesse Ventura by disqualification on May 15. However, he would continue losing single matches with losses against Chris Markoff, Mr. Saito and Brad Rheingans and, teaming with Sonny Rogers, lost to Ken Patera & Jerry Blackwell on May 29. He would also appear on an event for 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...
losing to Rooster Griffen and, teaming with Bob Harmon
Bob Harmon
Robert Green Harmon , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played nine seasons in the majors, between 1909 and 1918, for the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates....
, losing to Jerry Valiant & Great Abdullah later during the main event on August 6, 1983.
His losing streak would continue into the following year losing to Brad Rheingans, Jerry Blackwell, Curt Hennig
Curt Hennig
Curtis Michael "Curt" Hennig , also known by the ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator who worked for, among other promotions, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World...
, 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....
, Billy Robinson
Billy Robinson
Billy Robinson is a British professional wrestler and catch wrestling instructor. Robinson was well known in Japan where he has trained mixed martial arts fighters in catch wrestling...
, 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...
and The Crusher
Reginald Lisowski
Reginald Lisowski was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, The Crusher ....
in early 1984. He also teamed with Tony Leone against Greg Gagne
Greg Gagne (wrestler)
Gregory Alan "Greg" Gagne is a former professional wrestler and the son of Verne Gagne. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he achieved his biggest success as one half of the tag team The High Flyers with Jim Brunzell...
& Jim Brunzell as well as with Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
, Steven Regal, Kevin Kelly
Kevin Kelly
Kevin Kelly is the founding executive editor of Wired magazine, and a former editor/publisher of the Whole Earth Catalog. He has also been a writer, photographer, conservationist, and student of Asian and digital culture.-Biography:...
facing The Freebirds in several tag team matches. He would also wrestle against Thomas Ivey at an NWA Central States event in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
on June 23, 1984.
A regular on All Star Wrestling, the AWA's weekly ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
television program, he would appear on its first episode facing Scott Hall
Scott Hall
Scott Hall is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation in the early and mid 1990s under the ring name Razor Ramon, as well as for his period in the mid 1990s and early 2000s with World Championship Wrestling under his real name...
in his debut match at Chicago's UIC Pavilion
UIC Pavilion
The UIC Pavilion is a 6,958-seat multi-purpose arena, located at 525 S. Racine Street on the West Side in Chicago, Illinois, USA, which opened in 1982. It is home to the University of Illinois at Chicago Flames basketball team and the former home of the Chicago Sky WNBA team...
on July 8, 1984. During the match, he was pinned by Hall due to outside interference by Larry "The Ax" Hennig
Larry Hennig
Larry "The Axe" Hennig is an American retired professional wrestler. He is the father of the late "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig, the grandfather of Joe Hennig, and is best known for his work in the American Wrestling Association, National Wrestling Alliance and World Wide Wrestling Federation...
and his son Curt
Curt Hennig
Curtis Michael "Curt" Hennig , also known by the ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator who worked for, among other promotions, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World...
being hit with a steel chair allowing Hall to take the pinfall.
In early 1986, Milliman defeating Larry Zbyszko in Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
on January 11 although he lost to The Barbarian & The Mongolian Stomper
Mongolian Stomper
Archie Gouldie is a Canadian professional wrestler better known by his ring name The Mongolian Stomper.-Stampede Wrestling:Gouldie held the North American heavyweight title a record ten times between 1968 and 1984, quite a streak of longevity for that time frame...
in a tag team match that same night with Rick Ganter. Losing to Zbyszko in a rematch on January 19, he also lost matches to Marty Jannetty
Marty Jannetty
Frederick Marty Jannetty is an American professional wrestler, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation as part of tag team The Rockers with partner Shawn Michaels, and later as a singles competitor. While in the WWF, he became a one time Intercontinental Champion and a one time...
, Col. DeBeers, Boris Zukhov, Earthquake Ferris and Ken Timbs
Ken Timbs
Ken Timbs was an American professional wrestler who, with longtime tag team partner Eric Embry, competed as one half of the Fabulous Blondes in several regional territories including Southwest Championship Wrestling and International World Class Championship Wrestling during the early...
.
World Wrestling Federation
After a brief stint in World Wrestling FederationWorld 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 mid 1987, appearing on WWF Superstars of Wrestling
WWF Superstars of Wrestling
WWF Superstars of Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It debuted on September 6, 1986...
facing Adrian Adonis
Adrian Adonis
Keith A. Franke was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Adorable" Adrian Adonis.-Career:Franke trained under Fred Atkins and debuted in 1974, wrestling under his own name...
in Adonis's last televised appearance following WrestleMania III
WrestleMania III
WrestleMania III was the third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . The event was held on March 29, 1987 at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan....
on April 23, 1987. He later took part in a handicap match with Arthur Washington against One Man Gang on August 29 and in a 6-man tag team with against One Man Gang, Butch Reed
Butch Reed
Butch Reed is an American professional wrestler best known for his stints in the World Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance/World Championship Wrestling.-Career:...
and Nikolai Volkoff
Nikolai Volkoff
Josip Nikolai Peruzović , better known by his ring name of Nikolai Volkoff, is a professional wrestler who is best known for his performances for the World Wrestling Federation...
with Sivi Afi and Jerry Allen
Jerry Allen
Gerald Allen is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Colts. He played college football at the [Omaha University, now University of Nebraska-Omaha] and was drafted in the eighth round of the 1966 NFL Draft...
on October 10, Milliman returned to the AWA.
In 1989, Milliman returned to the WWF losing to Tito Santana
Tito Santana
Merced Solis better known by his ring name Tito Santana, is an American professional wrestler whose heyday spanned from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, though he continues to appear on the independent circuit. He is best known from his time in the World Wrestling Federation...
in Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
on May 17 before teaming with Boris Zhukov losing to the Hart Foundation on July 9 and, with Tom Stone, on August 27. In his last appearance with the WWF, he and Zhukov lost a tag team match to Demolition
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
on WWF Superstars on September 9, 1989.
Return to the AWA
Returning to the AWA in late 1989, Milliman defeated Todd Becker at SuperClash IV on April 8, 1990. However, his most famous match was one with Col. DeBeers, known as the "Great American Turkey Hunt". The match was part of the AWA Team Challenge Series, where the wrestler who got a stuffed, uncooked turkey off of the top of a pole first would win. In what was considered at the time a major upset, Milliman took the turkey from DeBeers when the referee's back was turned and was declared the winner. The match took place in a TV studio without an audience (the announcers claimed it was in an effort to stop wrestlers from interfering, but it was actually due to poor ticket sales).Milliman also participated in the final match in the TSC. That match was a royal rumble-style battle royal featuring Brad Rheingans, Col. DeBeers, 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...
, 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...
(Mike Enos
Mike Enos
Mike Enos is a retired professional wrestler who wrestled mainly as a tag-team wrestler in World Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association and the World Wrestling Federation between 1989 and 2000....
& Wayne Bloom
Wayne Bloom
Wayne Bloom is a former professional wrestler who wrestled in World Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association, and the World Wrestling Federation between 1988 and 1999....
), the Texas Hangmen and others. Milliman again came away with the win by eliminating DeBeers at the end, winning the Series and supposed $1,000,000 check for his team Larry's Legends.
Later career
Following the close of the AWA in December 1990, Milliman remained inactive for much of the 1990s however, in 2001, he would make an appearance wrestling against Rocky Stone in a charity event to raise money for the Waukesha's Valley of the Kings animal sanctuary on March 24. He and Tom Stone would later reunite to defeat Daryk St. Holmes, Esq. & Brad Hunter at a NAWF Pro Wrestling event in Jefferson, WisconsinJefferson, Wisconsin
Jefferson is a city in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, and is its county seat. It is located at the confluence of the Rock and Crawfish Rivers. The population was 7,338 at the 2000 census. The city is located partially within the Town of Jefferson.-History:...
on December 14, 2001. He would also face Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
in the first televised broadcast of Northern Premiere Wrestling, a Minnesota-based independent promotion affiliated with 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...
, on February 2, 2002.
He has since wrestled in various independent promotions making an appearance with former UFC competitor Adrian Serrano at an event for Brew City Wrestling in March 2004 and the following year at the National Wrestling Federation
National Wrestling Federation
The original National Wrestling Federation was a wrestling promotion based in Buffalo, New York and owned by promoter Pedro Martínez. It ran from 1970-1974. The promotion was then revived in 1986 by Robert Raskin...
supercard Rumble in the Wolves Den: Part 2 on May 1, 2005
In 2007, he teamed with Jan Jones in a 6-man tag team match against Tough Tom and Trevor Adonis for an IAW event in Eagle, Wisconsin
Eagle, Wisconsin
Eagle is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,707 at the 2000 census. The village is located within the Town of Eagle.-Museums:...
on September 1, 2007. The following month, in AWA Superstars of Wrestling
AWA Superstars of Wrestling
Wrestling Superstars Live is a governing body for a group of independent professional wrestling promotions and sanctions various championships. It was founded in 1996 by Dale Gagner and Jonnie Stewart.-History:...
, Milliman and Frankie DeFalco entered an 18-team championship tournament for the AWA World Tag Team Championship
AWA World Tag Team Championship
The American Wrestling Association World Tag Team Championship was professional wrestling world tag team championship in the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991.-History :...
defeating Team Vision (Chasyn Rance & Mister Saint Laurent
Mister Saint Laurent
Mister Saint Laurent , is an American musician and professional wrestler.-Music career:Mister Saint Laurent is a singer-songwriter best known for his long running feud with Guns N' Roses lead singer Axl Rose...
) to advancing to the semi-finals where they lost to the Heartbreak Express
Heartbreak Express
-Chart performance:-External links:*...
(Phil and Sean Davis) in Shawano, Wisconsin
Shawano, Wisconsin
Shawano is a city in Shawano County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 9,305 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Shawano County...
on October 6, 2007. DeFalco and Milliman won the titles from the Heartbreak Express on February 8, 2008 in Waukesha, Wisconsin, but were stripped of the titles on February 25 in a Dusty finish as DeFalco was retroactively disqualified for throwing a member of the Heartbreak Express over the top rope.