The Fabulous Kangaroos - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

This team is not to be mistaken for the similarly named team The Royal Kangaroos
The Royal Kangaroos
The Royal Kangaroos was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of cousins “Lord” Jonathan Boyd and Norman Frederick Charles III. The duo played off their Australian heritage which included using a boomerang as their weapon of choice...

of Jonathan Boyd
Jonathan Boyd
Jonathan Barry Boyle was an Australian professional wrestler who is known worldwide under the name "Lord" Jonathan Boyd. Initially Boyd competed both in North American and international promotions as part of the Royal Kangaroos with his cousin Norman Frederick Charles III...

and Norman Frederick Charles III

The Fabulous Kangaroos is a former professional wrestling

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...

tag team

Tag team

Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...

that existed in various forms from 1957 until 1983. The first incarnation of The Fabulous Kangaroos was formed when Italian Australian

Italian Australians

-Characteristics :The 2006 Census counted 199,124 persons who were born in Italy. However, 852,417 persons identified themselves as having Italian ancestry, either alone or in combination with another ancestry . Italian is the fifth most identified ancestry in Australia behind 'Australian',...

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...

teamed with Australia native 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...

and adopted an "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 the song "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. Costello and Heffernan are arguably the most famous version of The Kangaroos, regarded as one of the top tag teams to ever compete in professional wrestling, and are often credited with popularizing tag team wrestling in the late 1950s and 1960s.

Later versions of The Kangaroos saw Al Costello team with Ray St. Clair in 1967, and then with Don Kent

Don Kent (wrestler)

Leo Joseph "Joe" Smith Jr. 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...

from 1968 until 1974. Don Kent went on to team with 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...

, and later Johnny Heffernan (a storyline

Kayfabe

In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...

cousin of Roy Heffernan) to keep The Fabulous Kangaroos name alive until 1983.

The Fabulous Kangaroos made their last appearance in 1983, but almost a decade later, the then 72 year old Al Costello managed a team known as "The New Fabulous Kangaroos" in the American Independent circuit

Independent circuit

In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...

. The New Fabulous Kangaroos consisted of little known wrestlers Mickey Doyle, Denny Kass and Al Snow

Al Snow

Allen Ray Sarven is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name of Al Snow. He is best known for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment and currently works for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a road agent.-Early career:Sarven...

; of the three, only Snow went on to national and international recognition.

Both Costello and Heffernan died before The Kangaroos were honored as the first tag team to ever be inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame

Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame

The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is an American professional wrestling hall of fame and museum located in Amsterdam, New York. It was previously located in Schenectady, New York...

in 2003, which started a tradition of inducting a new team every year.

Al Costello and Roy Heffernan

"The Fabulous Kangaroos" were the brainchild of Al Costello

Al Costello

, who had spent the first 18 years of his wrestling career as a fairly unsuccessful singles competitor. In 1956, Costello mentioned his idea of an "Ultra Australian" tag team to fellow wrestler, and future promoter

Promoter (entertainment)

An entertainment promoter i.e. music, wrestling, boxing etc is a person or company in the business of marketing and promoting live events such as concerts/gigs, boxing matches, sports entertainment , festivals, raves, and nightclubs.- Business model :Promoters are typically hired as independent...

, Joe Blanchard. Blanchard happened to be a good friend of Roy Heffernan

Roy Heffernan

, who had previously trained with Costello and became his choice for a partner. Costello and Heffernan made their debut as The Fabulous Kangaroos on 3 May 1957, for Stu Hart

Stu Hart

Stewart Edward "Stu" Hart, CM was a Canadian amateur wrestler, professional wrestler, promoter and trainer. Hart founded Stampede Wrestling, a promotion based in Calgary, Alberta, and was the father of famous wrestlers Bret and Owen Hart...

’s Stampede Wrestling

Stampede Wrestling

Stampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...

promotion

Professional wrestling promotion

A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...

of Canada, in a match against Maurice LaPointe and Tony Baillargeon. Only weeks after making their debut, The Kangaroos were working with the top tag teams of the promotion.

After working in Stampede for a while The Fabulous Kangaroos started to travel across the United States, headlining shows wherever they went due to their ability to rile up crowds with their heel

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...

(bad guy) tactics. On one occasion in August 1958, The Kangaroos, or "Kangaroo Men" as they were billed, nearly caused a riot in Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden (1925)

Madison Square Garden was an indoor arena in New York City, the third of that name. It was built in 1925 and closed in 1968, and was located on Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets in Manhattan on the site of the city's trolley car barns. It was the first Garden that was not located near...

during a match against Antonino Rocca

Antonino Rocca

Antonino Rocca was an Italian-born Argentine professional wrestler. Rocca was a popular face and in some cities with both Italian-American and especially Hispanic audiences, his following was exceptionally large and loyal.He had a love for opera and was apparently described as having an excellent...

and Miguel Pérez

Miguel Pérez (wrestler)

Miguel Jose Perez was an Puerto Rican professional wrestler who was best known for his tag team with Antonino Rocca.- Montreal Athletic Commission :...

; the fans began to throw fruit and stones at them. After the match ended without a decisive winner, the promoters stepped in, turned up the arena lights, and played the National Anthem

The Star-Spangled Banner

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...

to stop a potential riot. This was a common tactic used at the time by the New York promoters to prevent riots and help the heels leave the arena unharmed. Later that year, Costello and Heffernan started working for Dory Funk

Dory Funk

Dorrance Wilhelm "Dory" Funk was a professional wrestler. He is the father of wrestlers Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk.-Career:...

’s NWA Western States

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...

promotion based in Amarillo, Texas

Amarillo, Texas

Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...

. Here, The Kangaroos won their first title as a team when they defeated Pepper Gomez and El Medico to win the Texas version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship

NWA World Tag Team Championship (Texas version)

The Texas version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1957 to 1968, and from 1981 to 1982. This title was recognized by World Class Championship Wrestling and The Funk Dynasty's N.W.A. Western States Sports of Amarillo, TX.-Title history:...

on 17 November 1958. Their first title reign was short lived, however, as Pepper Gomez and Rito Romero

Rito Romero

Rito Romero Loza was a successful luchador who wrestled in Mexico and in the NWA territories of Texas and Los Angeles. He appeared in several films in his native country along with a number of other luchadors...

defeated them to regain the titles two weeks later.

The following year, The Fabulous Kangaroos won the main tag team titles in NWA New Mexico

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...

, as well as the Texas version of the NWA International Tag Team Championship. In 1960 the Kangaroos moved on to New York, where they worked for Capitol Wrestling

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...

(predecessor to the modern day World Wrestling Entertainment). On 21 July 1960 The Fabulous Kangaroos defeated Red and Lou Bastien to claim the North East version of the NWA United States Tag Team Championship

WWWF United States Tag Team Championship

The WWWF United States Tag Team Championship was a major tag team title in the World Wide Wrestling Federation from 1963 until 1967. Originally, the WWF was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance operating out of the Northeast and was called the Capitol Wrestling Corporation...

(which was later known as the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship). The Bastien brothers sought revenge and regained the gold during a rematch on 8 August 1960. This time, the Bastiens' title reign only lasted 16 days when The Fabulous Kangaroos beat them again in Washington, D.C to become two-time United States champions. Their second tenure as champions lasted almost three months, before they were defeated by Johnny Valentine

Johnny Valentine

Johnny Valentine was a professional wrestler with a career spanning almost three decades. He has been inducted into four halls of fame for his achievements in wrestling...

and Buddy Rogers on 19 November 1960. Costello and Heffernan won the titles for a third time only a week later and carried the gold into 1961. On 11 January 1961, The Kangaroos third title reign ended when they lost to the team of Johnny Valentine and Bob Ellis.

As was common in their day, The Kangaroos began to move around between territories to avoid overexposure. The team arrived in Championship Wrestling from Florida billed as NWA Florida United States Tag Team Champions. It was a tag team title they never technically won, but were instead awarded by the promoter. The Kangaroos stayed in Florida, defending against all challengers until the duo of Eddie Graham

Eddie Graham

Edward Gossett was a professional wrestler. He was also the promoter and booker for Championship Wrestling from Florida and President of the NWA in the 1970s. His son, Mike Graham, was also a professional wrestler.-Career:Edward F...

and Dick Steinborn took the United States titles from them in a match on 1 November 1961. In 1962, The Kangaroos once again traveled across the United States, working for the Midwest Wrestling Association of Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

where they held the Ohio version of the NWA United States tag team title. They also toured Japan with the Japan Wrestling Association and were the first to hold the Japanese version of the NWA International Tag Team Championship

NWA International Tag Team Championship

The NWA International Tag Team Championship was a National Wrestling Alliance-sanctioned title contested for in All Japan Pro Wrestling . Prior to being used in AJPW, the title was defended in the Japan Wrestling Association . The title lasted from 1962 through 1988...

. In 1964, Costello and Heffernan made their west coast

West Coast of the United States

West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...

debut, working in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

for the World Wrestling Association (WWA) where they beat Édouard Carpentier

Édouard Carpentier

Édouard Ignacz Weiczorkiewicz was a Québécois professional wrestler better known by his ring name Édouard Carpentier. In a career that spanned from the 1950s into the 1970s, he garnered several world championships.-Early life:...

and Ernie Ladd

Ernie Ladd

Ernest "Ernie" Ladd , nicknamed "The Big Cat" was an American collegiate and professional football player and a professional wrestler.-Pro Football career:...

for the WWA World Tag Team Championship. The Kangaroos held the titles for three months before losing them to the Torres brothers (Alberto and Ramon) on 28 April 1964.

The Kangaroos never forgot their roots, and continued to work in Canada off and on through the years; in addition to Stampede Wrestling, the team also worked for NWA All-Star Wrestling based in Vancouver, British Columbia. While working for All-Star Wrestling, The Kangaroos were involved in a heated storyline with Don Leo Jonathan

Don Leo Jonathan

Don Heaton , also known as Don Leo Jonathan, is an American former professional wrestler.-Professional wrestling career:...

and Roy McClarty that sold out arenas all across the territory. On 25 May 1964 The Kangaroos won the Vancouver version of the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship

NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)

The Vancouver version of the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship was established in 1962 as the top tag team title in NWA All-Star Wrestling. The title held that status until late summer 1985, when the title was renamed the UWA Tag Team Championship upon All-Star Wrestling's departure as a member of...

, and immediately had to fend off the challenges of Jonathan and McClarty. During one infamous match in Winnipeg

Winnipeg

Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...

, The Kangaroos made Stan Stasiak

Stan Stasiak

George Stipich , better known by his ring name Stan Stasiak, was a Canadian professional wrestler and fifth World Wide Wrestling Federation Champion. He is the father of professional wrestler Shawn Stasiak.-Career:...

an "honorary Kangaroo" for the night (complete with bush hat and all) for a six-man tag team match against Jonathan, McClarty and Karl Gotch

Karl Istaz

Karl Istaz was a professional wrestler and trainer born in Antwerp, Belgium, best known by his ring name Karl Gotch. The German suplex is named after Gotch....

. During the match The Kangaroos' cheating tactics aggravated the crowd so much that the fans threw chairs at the team. The Kangaroos attempted to hide under the ring to escape the flying chairs, but rabid fans tried to light the ring apron on fire to "smoke out" The Kangaroos. Peace was restored before anyone got seriously hurt and Jonathan and McClarty defeated The Kangaroos for the Canadian Tag Team titles, only to lose them back to the team from "Down Under" less than a month later. The Fabulous Kangaroos held the Canadian Tag team titles a total of four times while working for All-Star wrestling, losing them for the final time on 17 May 1965 to the team of Do Leo Jonathan and Jim Hardy. For the better part of a year The Kangaroos had been double champions, holding both the Canadian Tag Team titles and the All-Star version of the NWA International Tag Team titles.

Their time in NWA All-Star Wrestling was the last time the original Kangaroos teamed together. In June 1965, The Kangaroos lost to Don Leo Jonathan and Jim Hardy, and then split up. Heffernan had left Australia to tour the world in 1953 and wanted to return to his homeland, while Costello was determined to remain in the United States for a while longer.

Al Costello and Ray St. Clair

In 1967, after having wrestled with other partners, including a stint as The Internationals with Karl Von Brauner, Costello decided that he wanted to reform The Fabulous Kangaroos. He got in touch with a friend from Great Britain

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

, Tinker Todd, and asked him to be his new partner and reform The Fabulous Kangaroos. Todd agreed, taking the name "Ray St. Clair" and adopting an "Australian" persona. George "Crybaby" Cannon had managed Costello and Von Brauner when they wrestled as The Internationals, and he was brought in to be The Kangaroos new manager. Not long after Costello and St. Clair hit the circuit, they captured both gold and the hatred of the crowd, just like the original Kangaroos. A couple of months after reforming, Costello and St. Clair won the 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...

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:...

from Fred Curry and Billy Red Lyons

Billy Red Lyons

William Snip was a Canadian professional wrestler, who used the stage name Billy Red Lyons. He was an active wrestler between 1956 and 1984, and won numerous championship throughout his career. He worked for promotions in both Canada and the United States, particularly in Ontario, California,...

, but lost the titles to Fred Curry and Dan Miller a few weeks later. Costello and St. Clair showed the same gift for riling up the fans as Costello and Heffernan had and even caused their own share of riots. One particular event in Cincinnati, Ohio saw the predominantly African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

crowd start a riot after The Kangaroos spat in the eye of the African American 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...

during a match. The crowd rushed towards the ring when a fan fell from the balcony, causing a diversion that enabled Costello and St. Clair to escape the ring and get back to their dressing room. When fans started to break down the door to the dressing room, The Kangaroos ducked out the back, ran down an alley and hid in a half full dumpster overnight. The next morning when The Kangaroos returned to their car, they found all four tires slashed. Despite the success of the new version of The Fabulous Kangaroos, the Costello / St. Ray team did not last more than six tumultuous months. St. Clair missed his native Britain and was suffering from a debilitating knee injury that meant he had to retire from wrestling all together.

Al Costello and Don Kent

Costello was not ready to give up on The Fabulous Kangaroos concept after St. Clair retired, and a few months later he found a new man to don the bush hat: Don Kent

Don Kent (wrestler)

. 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 the two formed the third overall and second most well-known version of the Fabulous Kangaroos. Costello and Kent continued in a tradition that was reminiscent of the original Kangaroos; when a federation needed a new tag team title, the Kangaroos were brought in and acknowledged as champions on arrival instead of holding a tournament to determine the champions. In 1967, the Japanese federation "International Wrestling Enterprise" (IWE) brought the Kangaroos in as the first Trans-World Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Champions. They held this title until 10 January 1968 when IWE mainstays Toyonobori and Thunder Sugiyama beat them for the gold.

Their time in Japan was only the first of many international tours for these third generation Kangaroos; they worked all over Asia as well as in Costello's homeland of Australia. In 1969, the Kangaroos wrestled for the newly created 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...

(ESA) out of Halifax, Nova Scotia

City of Halifax

Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...

, where they were once again recognized as champions on their arrival, becoming the inaugural holders of the ESA International Tag Team Championship

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 :...

. On 5 August 1969, the Kangaroos dropped the titles to Eastern Sports Association mainstays The Beast

The Beast (wrestler)

Yvon Cormier was a Canadian professional wrestler. Competing primarily under the ring name The Beast, he and his three wrestling brothers made up the Cormier wrestling family. He wrestled in many countries but regularly returned to Canada, where he competed for the Eastern Sports Association and...

and Rudy Kay. In 1970, they joined Dick the Bruiser

William Afflis

William Fritz Afflis , best known as Dick the Bruiser, was an American football player and professional wrestler.-Early life:...

’s 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...

(WWA), where they competed regularly for nearly two years. On 26 December 1970 Costello and Kent defeated WWA World Tag Team Champions Dick the Bruiser and Bill Miller to claim the tag titles. The Kangaroos used every dirty tactic to hold on to the gold for six months before losing the titles to Wilbur Snyder and Moose Cholak. On 18 June 1971, the Kangaroos regained the titles, and held them for just over two months before Wilbur Snyder and Paul Christy beat them for their straps. After leaving the WWA, Costello and Kent made a few appearances in New York for the World Wide Wrestling Federation

World Wrestling Entertainment

(WWF), a promotion the original Kangaroos had previously worked for under the company's former name, Capitol Wrestling. In one of their headline appearances at Madison Square Garden, the Kangaroos wrestled to a 45-minute time limit draw against 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, Sr.

Dory Funk

Dorrance Wilhelm "Dory" Funk was a professional wrestler. He is the father of wrestlers Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk.-Career:...

.

The Kangaroos were not only stars in the wrestling world, they also made a series of popular "celebrity baseball" appearances in 1971–1972. At one celebrity all-star game in Three Rivers Stadium

Three Rivers Stadium

Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...

, Pittsburgh, PA, the Kangaroos became the stars of the celebrity team by going 7 for 8 collectively and entertaining the fans with their horseplay and comedy antics.

On 18 December 1971, The Fabulous Kangaroos defeated Ben Justice and the Stomper in the tournament finals for the new 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:...

. The Kangaroos worked for 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...

for most of 1971, defending the gold until Justice and the Stomper won the titles in July 1972. 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...

promotion, based in the Southern United States

Southern United States

The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...

, a promotion that Don Kent had worked for before becoming a Kangaroo. On 1 February 1973, the Kangaroos defeated "The Heavenly Bodies" (Don and Al Green; not to be confused with the 1990s team of the same name

The Heavenly Bodies

The Heavenly Bodies was a professional wrestling tag team famous for having worked in Smoky Mountain Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation, and various independent promotions...

) to add yet another 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, to their long list of title accomplishments. The Kangaroos held that title three times between February and 22 September 1973, when they lost to the team of Lorenzo Parente and Randy Curtis. During 1973 George Cannon was replaced as the Kangaroos manager by "Sir" Dudley Clements.

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,...

, an enraged fan took 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...

off the wall and threw it at Costello and Kent from the balcony of the Gardens. The extinguisher hit Costello in the hip, damaging it so much that he needed hip replacement surgery later that year. The fan was arrested, served 15 days in jail, and fined $50 for damaging the fire extinguisher. The hip injury meant that Costello was unable to compete and The Fabulous Kangaroos split up once again. Don Kent returned to NWA Mid-America to work as a singles wrestler, while Costello had a full hip replacement, and was forced to retire from active competition. In 1975, Costello surprised everyone by returning to professional wrestling as the manager of a team known as "The Love Brothers" (Hartford and Reggie Love). He actually stepped into the ring on occasion as part of special six-man tag team matches.

After recovering from his hip surgery, Costello returned to active competition at the age of 56, teaming up with Tony Charles to form yet another version of The Fabulous Kangaroos. The team defeated Dominic DeNucci

Dominic DeNucci

Dominic DeNucci is an Italian-American professional wrestler. He is also an accomplished trainer, counting former World Heavyweight champions Mick Foley and Shane Douglas, as well as referee Brian Hildebrand, among his students.-Early career:...

and Chris Markoff to win the Detroit version of the NWA World Tag Team title, the same title that Costello and Kent had previously held. The Kangaroos title run was short, however, and they lost their gold to "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:...

and Ripper Collins. In 1977 Tony Charles was replaced by Don Kent and the two reunited for a tour of Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

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 arrived billed 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:***...

, once more to give a newly created title legitimacy. They dropped the titles to Carlos Colón and Jose Rivera on 12 March 1977. The Kangaroos remained in the WWC till 1978, chasing, but never regaining the WWC World Tag Team Championship. After their tour in Puerto Rico ended, Don Kent returned to singles wrestling, and Costello refocused on managing.

Don Kent and Bruno Bekkar

In 1981, Don Kent donned the bush hat and picked up the boomerang once more after not having worked as a Kangaroo since 1974, except for the short run in 1977. Costello asked Kent to team up with Bruno Bekkar

Bruno Bekkar

, who was mostly known from working in his native New Zealand and Australia. Kent and Bekkar worked a tour for the WWC while Costello served as their manager. The team won the WWC North American Tag Team titles from 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 22 October 1981. They then lost the titles 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...

and Super Gladiator but quickly gained them back before dropping the titles for good to Invader and Gladiator on 26 January 1982. The Kent and Bekkar team only lasted through one tour of the Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

, after which Bruno Bekkar returned to Australia and New Zealand to work for the local promotions there.

Don Kent and Johnny Heffernan

After Bekkar went back to Australia, Kent found a new partner to create yet another version of the Fabulous Kangaroos that turned out to be the last incarnation of the team. In mid 1982, Kent teamed up with Lutte Internationale mainstay Bob Della Serra, who took the wrestling name "Johnny Heffernan" (or "Bobby Heffernan" at times) - a storyline cousin of Roy Heffernan. The team ended Terry

Terry Funk

and Dory Funk, Jr.

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...

's year and a half run with the WWC World Tag Team championship on 1 May 1982. Kent and Heffernan held the gold for less than two months before losing the WWC World Tag Team titles to Invader I and Pierre Martel. After a tour in Puerto Rico, Costello Kent and Heffernan returned to work for Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF), a promotion the Kangaroos last worked for in 1962. On 5 January 1983, the Kangaroos defeated Barry Windham

Barry Windham

Barry Clinton Windham is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and the son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan. He is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling ....

and Ron Bass

Ronald Herd

Ronald Heard is a former American professional wrestler, best known under the name Ron Bass. His gimmick was a Texan cowboy who entered World Wrestling Federation rings to the sound of a bullwhip.-Career:...

to win 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:...

. They held the titles four times between January and 13 April 1983, losing to and winning titles from such teams as Terry Allen

Magnum T.A.

Terry Wayne Allen is a retired American professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Magnum T.A..-Early years:...

and Scott McGhee, Terry Allen and The Midnight Rider

Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)

Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...

, and Terry Allen and Brad Armstrong. The final storyline involving The Fabulous Kangaroos saw Al Costello bring in J.J. Dillon to act as his short term replacement while he was "away on business". When Costello returned from his business trip, Dillon (kayfabe

Kayfabe

) refused to give up the Kangaroos contracts and was backed up by both Kent and Heffernan. The angle was designed to write Al Costello out of The Fabulous Kangaroos' storyline, and allow him to retire from wrestling all together. Not long after Costello retired, Kent and Della Serra went their separate ways. Don Kent retired in 1986, but made guest appearances in the ring from time to time as late as 1992.

New Fabulous Kangaroos

After retiring from wrestling, Al Costello became the head of security at College Harbor, Florida. In 1992, at the age of 71, Costello retired from his job in Florida and began teaching wrestling. He also started to manage "The New Fabulous Kangaroos" in 1993 consisting of Mickey Doley and Denny Kass who worked for "Motor City Wrestling" (MCW). By the fall of 1993 Mickey Doyle had been replaced by a young wrestler by the name of Al Snow

Al Snow

, and with Costello's help The New Fabulous Kangaroos defeated "Canadian Lighting" (Otis Apollo and "Irish" Bobby Clancy) on 29 December 1993 to win the MCW Tag Team Championship. On 14 May 1994, after Al Snow had started working for the World Wrestling Federation

World Wrestling Entertainment

(WWF), Kass and Snow defeated Canadian Lighting to win the Border City Wrestling

Border City Wrestling

Border City Wrestling was an independent professional wrestling promotion once based in Windsor, Ontario. It was the base promotion for several Total Nonstop Action Wrestling wrestlers, including all of the former Team Canada, Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley. Many BCW employees were trained by Scott...

(BCW) Can-Am Tag Team Championship

BCW Can-Am Tag Team Championship

The BCW Can-Am Tag Team Championship is the tag team title contested for in the Ontario-based professional wrestling promotion Border City Wrestling.-Title history:...

, unifying the two tag team championships. A week later, The New Fabulous Kangaroos lost both sets of titles to Scott D'Amore

Scott D'Amore

Scott Francis D'Amore is a Canadian professional wrestler, manager, promoter, booker and entrepreneur. He formerly managed Team Canada in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. He was also the former head of the creative team...

and "Irish" Bobby Clancy. After losing the unified MCW/BCW Tag Team championships, The New Kangaroos split up. Snow focused on his WWF career, while Costello retired for good.

Kangaroo legacy

The Fabulous Kangaroos are considered by many in the wrestling world as one of the best tag-teams in the history of wrestling. In fact, many people in the past held the mistaken belief that The Fabulous Kangaroos invented tag team wrestling, which was not true since tag team wrestling had been seen as early as 1936. The reason for this belief lies in the fact that The Kangaroos were one of the first teams to popularize tag team wrestling, and because tag teaming was often referred to as "Australian rules" or "Australian tag team". The Kangaroos themselves were not slow to play off this belief, often claiming (kayfabe) that they were such a well coordinated tag team because "Amateur team wrestling was very popular in Australia". The term "Australian rules" had been coined long before 1957 debut of The Kangaroos. Records indicate that tag team wrestling was already being referred to as "Australian rules" already in the mid 1940s. The Fabulous Kangaroos were among the first people in wrestling to play up the sports entertainment

Sports entertainment

Sports entertainment is a type of spectacle which presents an ostensibly competitive event using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation, with the purpose of entertaining an audience...

elements in professional wrestling; beyond being talented wrestlers, Costello especially was also very good at playing up their characters. The Kangaroos showed their "advertising" skills through promotional literature, which stated that The Fabulous Kangaroos had "fashioned a razor-edged aluminum boomerang to cut the jugular of a Kodiak bear from afar". They also frequently threw cardboard boomerangs with their name and pictures on them into the crowd as they walked to the ring. The team carried a huge Australian banner with the name "The Fabulous Kangaroos" on it as part of their entrance rituals as well.

Kangaroos today

Roy Heffernan died on 24 September 1992 in his home in Sydney, Australia from a heart attack. Don Kent died on 14 June 1993 after a long battle with 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...

. On 22 January 2000, the last of the original Fabulous Kangaroos died. Costello had been suffering from pneumonia, and was diagnosed with heart problems, the combination of which took his life at age 80.

Only Roy St. Clair (Tinker Todd), Bruno Bekkar and Johnny Heffernan remain alive, with managers Red Berry, George Cannon and Dudley Clement having passed on as well.

In 2003, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame

Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame

The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is an American professional wrestling hall of fame and museum located in Amsterdam, New York. It was previously located in Schenectady, New York...

inducted Al Costello and Roy Heffernan collectively as The Fabulous Kangaroos, the first tag team to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Since that time, the Hall of Fame has honored other tag teams, but The Fabulous Kangaroos were given the honor of being the first. In the tradition of The Kangaroos, they were "billed as champions on arrival" one last time.

In wrestling

Finishing moves
Boomerang (Catapult into a knockout punch)

Managers
"Wild" Red Berry
Red Berry (wrestler)
Ralph L. Berry was an American professional wrestler known by his ring name "Wild" Red Berry. He was a multiple time World Light-Heavyweight Champion and an important smaller wrestler of the 1930s to the 1950s, as well as a famous wrestling manager in his later years.-Professional wrestling...
George "Crybaby" Cannon
George Cannon (wrestler)
George Arnold McCarther , better known as George "Crybaby" Cannon, was a Canadian pro wrestler and wrestling manager, best known as manager of the Fabulous Kangaroos....
"Sir" Dudley Clement
Al Costello

Costello and Heffernan

Alex Turk Promotions (Winnipeg)
International Tag Team Championship (2 times)

Capitol Wrestling
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...
NWA United States Tag Team Championship
WWWF United States Tag Team Championship
The WWWF United States Tag Team Championship was a major tag team title in the World Wide Wrestling Federation from 1963 until 1967. Originally, the WWF was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance operating out of the Northeast and was called the Capitol Wrestling Corporation...

(Northeast version) (3 times)

Championship Wrestling from Florida
NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship
NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship
The Florida version of the United States Tag Team Championship was a major professional wrestling tag team championship. The title was defended sporadically in the National Wrestling Alliance affiliated Championship Wrestling from Florida from 1961 to 1962, 1978 to 1980, and then 1983 until 1986...

(1 time)
NWA World Tag Team Championship
NWA World Tag Team Championship (Florida version)
The Florida version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1961 until 1969.-Title history:-See also:*National Wrestling Alliance*NWA World Tag Team Championship*Florida Championship Wrestling...

(Florida version) (1 time)

Japan Wrestling Association
NWA International Tag Team Championship
NWA International Tag Team Championship
The NWA International Tag Team Championship was a National Wrestling Alliance-sanctioned title contested for in All Japan Pro Wrestling . Prior to being used in AJPW, the title was defended in the Japan Wrestling Association . The title lasted from 1962 through 1988...

(1 time)

Midwest Wrestling Association
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 United States Tag Team Championship (Ohio Version) (1 time)

NWA All-Star Wrestling
NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship
NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)
The Vancouver version of the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship was established in 1962 as the top tag team title in NWA All-Star Wrestling. The title held that status until late summer 1985, when the title was renamed the UWA Tag Team Championship upon All-Star Wrestling's departure as a member of...

(Vancouver version) 4 times)

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...
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:...

(Detroit version) (2 times)

NWA New Mexico
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...
Rocky Mountain Tag Team Championship (1 time)

NWA Western States (Amarillo)
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 International Tag Team Championship (Texas version) (1 time)¹
NWA World Tag Team Championship
NWA World Tag Team Championship (Texas version)
The Texas version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1957 to 1968, and from 1981 to 1982. This title was recognized by World Class Championship Wrestling and The Funk Dynasty's N.W.A. Western States Sports of Amarillo, TX.-Title history:...

(Texas version) (1 time)

World Wrestling Association (Los Angeles)
WWA World Tag Team Championship
NWA Americas Tag Team Championship
The 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....

(1 time)

Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is an American professional wrestling hall of fame and museum located in Amsterdam, New York. It was previously located in Schenectady, New York...
Class of 2003

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...

(Class of 1996)

Costello and St. Clair

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...
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:...

(Detroit version) (1 time)

Costello and Kent

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...
ESA International Tag Team Championship
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 :...

(1 time)

International Wrestling Enterprise
Trans-World Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Championship (1 time)

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...
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:...

(Mid-America version) 3 times)

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...
WWA World Tag Team Championship
WWA World Tag Team Championship
The 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:...

(2 times)

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 World Tag Team Championship
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:***...

(1 time)

Kent and Bekkar

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 Caribbean Tag Team Championship
WWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship
WWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship was a third-string Tag Team title that was defended in the World Wrestling Council.-Title history:...

(1 time)
WWC North American Tag Team Championship
WWC North American Tag Team Championship
The NWA North American Tag Team Championship was a major tag team championship that was used and defended in Capitol Sports Promotions...

(1 time)

Kent and Heffernan

Championship Wrestling from Florida
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:...

(4 times)

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 World Tag Team Championship
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:***...

(1 time)

New Fabulous Kangaroos

Border City Wrestling
Border City Wrestling
Border City Wrestling was an independent professional wrestling promotion once based in Windsor, Ontario. It was the base promotion for several Total Nonstop Action Wrestling wrestlers, including all of the former Team Canada, Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley. Many BCW employees were trained by Scott...
BCW Can-Am Tag Team Championship
BCW Can-Am Tag Team Championship
The BCW Can-Am Tag Team Championship is the tag team title contested for in the Ontario-based professional wrestling promotion Border City Wrestling.-Title history:...

(1 time)

Motor City Wrestling
MCW Tag Team Championship (1 time)

¹The NWA International Tag Team Championship (Texas version) was also recognized by 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...

External links

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