Steve Regal
Encyclopedia
Steve Regal is a former professional wrestler, better known as "Mr. Electricity" Steve Regal, who competed in North American regional promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance
and the American Wrestling Association
during the early 1970s and 1980s.
(AWA) during the mid 1980s. During his tenure there, Regal defeated Buck Zumhofe
for the AWA World Light Heavyweight Championship
in 1984. In 1985, the AWA began teaming him with "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin
and surprisingly defeated the Road Warriors
to win the tag title with the help of the Fabulous Freebirds
. Regal also made appearances with World Class Championship Wrestling
during this time period, challenging Brian Adias
for the Texas Heavyweight Title. Regal and Garvin lost the tag title to Curt Hennig
and Scott Hall
four months later.
The pair then signed to wrestle with the National Wrestling Alliance
(NWA)'s Pacific Northwest Wrestling
, where he held the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship
twice. He vacated the title in December 1981 due to an injury.
In 1986, he joined Jim Crockett Promotions
, where Regal feuded with Denny Brown
and defeated him for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
shortly after his arrival. Regal's stay in the NWA ended abruptly; he soon vacated the title and headed for the World Wrestling Federation
(WWF).
While with the AWA and NWA, Regal's career appeared to be on the rise, but by 1985, the WWF roster was full of larger athletes and the primary focus was on brawling over science. Despite his talent, Regal essentially became a preliminary wrestler or jobber, the fate of many wrestlers at the time who could not catch on in the WWF without a colorful gimmick. After a short stay, he left the WWF, never again wrestling for a major US promotion. Regal then toured the independent circuit for the next decade, primarily focusing on the Chicago
area, until he retired in 1996.
. Currently he is an executive with General Motors in their vehicle remarketing division.
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
and the American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
during the early 1970s and 1980s.
Professional wrestling career
Born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Regal started wrestling in 1977 and later achieved his biggest success in the American Wrestling AssociationAmerican 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...
(AWA) during the mid 1980s. During his tenure there, Regal defeated Buck Zumhofe
Buck Zumhofe
Eugene Zumhofe is a professional wrestler better known as Buck "Rock n' Roll" Zumhofe, wrestling's self proclaimed original rock and roller.-Training:...
for the AWA World Light Heavyweight Championship
AWA Light Heavyweight Championship
The AWA World Light Heavyweight Championship was a title in the American Wrestling Association from 1981 until it closed in 1991. It was also a title in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling from 1989 to 1993.-AWA branch:...
in 1984. In 1985, the AWA began teaming him with "Gorgeous" 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....
and surprisingly defeated the Road Warriors
Road Warriors
The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joseph "Animal" Laurinaitis. They performed under the name "Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling, and the name Legion...
to win the tag title with the help of the Fabulous Freebirds
Fabulous Freebirds
The Fabulous Freebirds were a professional wrestling tag team that attained fame in the 1980s, performing into the 1990s. The team usually consisted of three wrestlers, although in different situations and points in its history, just two performed under the Freebirds name.-History:The Fabulous...
. Regal also made appearances with World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
during this time period, challenging Brian Adias
Brian Adias
Brian Adias was a professional wrestler best known for his time in World Class Championship Wrestling . He was a legitimate longtime friend of the Adkisson family, and was a classmate of Kerry Von Erich in high school....
for the Texas Heavyweight Title. Regal and Garvin lost the tag title to 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...
and 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...
four months later.
The pair then signed to wrestle 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...
(NWA)'s Pacific Northwest Wrestling
Pacific Northwest Wrestling
Pacific Northwest Wrestling is the common name used to refer to several different professional wrestling companies, both past and present, based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The first such company was founded by Herb Owen in 1925...
, where he held the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship
NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance and defended in its member promotion Pacific Northwest Wrestling, which promoted shows in the U.S...
twice. He vacated the title in December 1981 due to an injury.
In 1986, he joined 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:...
, where Regal feuded with Denny Brown
Dennis Brown (wrestler)
Dennis "Denny" Brown is an American retired professional wrestler.-Career:Brown debuted in 1980 in NWA Jim Crockett Promotions as "Downtown" Denny Brown. After wrestling as a jobber for several years, Brown won the vacant NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship in August 1985...
and defeated him for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
The NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world championship and secondary title in the National Wrestling Alliance that was for the lighter wrestlers. It started in 1945 and still exists today. The title was unified with the National Boxing/Wrestling Association's...
shortly after his arrival. Regal's stay in the NWA ended abruptly; he soon vacated the title and headed for 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...
(WWF).
While with the AWA and NWA, Regal's career appeared to be on the rise, but by 1985, the WWF roster was full of larger athletes and the primary focus was on brawling over science. Despite his talent, Regal essentially became a preliminary wrestler or jobber, the fate of many wrestlers at the time who could not catch on in the WWF without a colorful gimmick. After a short stay, he left the WWF, never again wrestling for a major US promotion. Regal then toured the independent circuit for the next decade, primarily focusing on the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
area, until he retired in 1996.
Personal life
He is also the son-in-law of legendary wrestler Wilbur SnyderWilbur Snyder
Wilbur Snyder was an American football player and professional wrestler.-Wrestling career:Snyder's wrestling debut occurred during the 1953 offseason. He was trained by Sandor Szabo and Warren Bockwinkel in Southern California. In 1954, Snyder retired from football completely to pursue a full-time...
. Currently he is an executive with General Motors in their vehicle remarketing division.
Championships and accomplishments
- American Wrestling AssociationAmerican Wrestling AssociationThe American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
- AWA World Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- AWA World Tag Team ChampionshipAWA World Tag Team ChampionshipThe American Wrestling Association World Tag Team Championship was professional wrestling world tag team championship in the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991.-History :...
(1 time) - with Jimmy GarvinJimmy GarvinJames 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....
- 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 Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Central States Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Central States Tag Team Championship was the primary tag team championship for the Heart of America Sports Attractions / Central States Wrestling promotion from 1979 until the promotion ceased to exist in 1988...
(2 times) – with Dewey RobertsonDewey RobertsonByron James John "Dewey" Robertson was a professional wrestler, known best for his ring name The Missing Link....
- 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 Hector GuerreroHector GuerreroHéctor Manuel Guerrero Llanes is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, better known simply by his paternal name, Héctor Guerrero...
- International Association of Wrestling
- IAW Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- IAW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Trevor Adonis
- Mid-Atlantic Championship WrestlingJim Crockett PromotionsJim 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:...
- NWA World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world championship and secondary title in the National Wrestling Alliance that was for the lighter wrestlers. It started in 1945 and still exists today. The title was unified with the National Boxing/Wrestling Association's...
(1 time)
- Pacific Northwest WrestlingPacific Northwest WrestlingPacific Northwest Wrestling is the common name used to refer to several different professional wrestling companies, both past and present, based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The first such company was founded by Herb Owen in 1925...
- NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance and defended in its member promotion Pacific Northwest Wrestling, which promoted shows in the U.S...
(2 times) - NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance and defended in its member promotion Pacific Northwest Wrestling, which promoted shows in the U.S...
(2 times) - with Matt BorneMatt OsborneMatthew "Matt" Wade Osborne is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. Osborne is a second generation wrestler, being son of "Tough" Tony Borne, but he is best known as the first wrestler to portray the character of Doink the Clown, which he still uses to this day.-Independent...
- Pro Wrestling AmericaPro Wrestling AmericaPro Wrestling America is a regional independent wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota during the 1980s and early 1990s. Founded and promoted by retired wrestler Eddie Sharkey, a longtime veteran of the American Wrestling Association and owner of the Pro Wrestling America Training...
- PWA Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- World Wrestling All-StarsWorld Wrestling All-StarsThe World Wrestling All-Stars was a professional wrestling promotion founded by Australian concert promoter Andrew McManus in 2001. The promotion was operated by McManus' International Touring Company. WWA was one of several promotions to come into existence shortly after the closings of Extreme...
- 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:...
(1 time) - with Spike Huber
- Windy City Wrestling
- WCW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Other Titles
- FWA America's Championship (1 time)
- FWA Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)