Les Wolff (April 11, 1941 – July 11, 2017) was an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
player and
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
, known by his
ring name "Beautiful" Buddy Wolfe, who competed in North American regional promotions including the
American Wrestling Association,
National Wrestling Alliance and the
World Wide Wrestling Federation
Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd. was an American sports promotion company. It was run by Vincent J. McMahon from 1953 to 1982. Operating as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC), the company was originally a professional wrestling and boxing ...
during the 1970s and 80s.
Wolff found his greatest success as the tag team partner of
Don Jardine
Donald Delbert Jardine (March 24, 1940 – December 16, 2006) was a Canadian professional wrestler best known for his masked gimmick as The Spoiler. Jardine was a major star in various wrestling promotions. He worked in the World Wrestling Federa ...
wrestling as the second incarnation of The Spoilers in the
Tri-State territory. He was one of several men to team with Jardine as Spoiler #2, twice winning the
NWA United States Tag Team Championship
The NWA United States Tag Team Championship is a name used for several secondary tag team championship used by various National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) members since 1958. There are eleven different versions of the NWA United States Tag Team Champ ...
during the early 1970s.
Wolff later formed a tag team with
"Luscious" Larry Heinimi, who together were considered one of the top ''"
heel"'' tag teams in the
Midwest United States
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...
during the mid-1970s.
Professional wrestling career
Early career
Trained by wrestler
Verne Gagne
Laverne Clarence Gagne (February 26, 1926 – April 27, 2015) was an American amateur and professional wrestler, football player, wrestling trainer, and wrestling promoter. He was the owner and promoter of the Minneapolis-based American Wrest ...
, Wolff was one of several students to debut during the early 1970s including
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Richard Henry Blood Sr. (born February 28, 1953), better known by his ring name Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his work with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), Jim Crockett Promot ...
,
"Nature Boy" Ric Flair and
Pacific Northwest Wrestling mainstay
"Playboy" Buddy Rose, whom he would become a mentor to during his early career.
In one of his earliest matches, he lost to his future brother-in-law
Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon in
Fargo, North Dakota on December 20, 1970.
From Atlanta to Texas
He spent his first years in
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Jim Crockett Promotions Inc. is a family-owned professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, restarted by Jim Crockett's son and Jim Crockett Jr's brother, David Crockett. Founded in 1931, the promoti ...
feuding with fellow Minnesota State alumni
Ole and
Lars Anderson. Wolff dominated his feud with Ole Anderson and, to further the storyline, a real-life incident in which Ole Anderson broke his nose while the two attended college was often referenced by Anderson who frequently claimed that Wolff was trying to end his wrestling career.
During mid-1971, Wolff wrestled in the Dallas-area for promoter
Jack Adkisson. On July 20, he and
Bronko Lubich
Bronko Sandor Lupsity (December 25, 1925 – August 11, 2007) was a Hungarian-born Serbian Canadian professional wrestler, manager, referee and promoter. Known by his ring names Bronco or Bronko Lubich, he and Aldo Bogni were veteran ''" heels"'' ...
fought
Nick Kozak
Nick may refer to:
* Nick (given name)
* A cricket term for a slight deviation of the ball off the edge of the bat
* British slang for being arrested
* British slang for a police station
* British slang for stealing
* Short for nickname
Pla ...
and
Johnny Valentine
John Theodore Wisniski (September 22, 1928 – April 24, 2001), better known by his ring name Johnny Valentine, was an American professional wrestler with a career spanning almost three decades. He has been inducted into four halls of fame fo ...
to a draw at
The Sportatorium. Later single matches against
Bobby Shane
Robert Lee Schoenberger (August 25, 1945 – February 20, 1975), better known as Bobby Shane, who also wrestled as Bobby Schoen and as The Challenger, was an American professional wrestler known for his time in NWA Florida in the late 1960s and e ...
and Johnny Valentine also resulted in draws. He scored one of his earliest victories when he defeated
The Great Scott on August 10, however this was followed by a defeat in an 8-man tag team match with Bronko Lubich,
Toru Tanaka
Charles J. Kalani Jr. (January 6, 1930 – August 22, 2000) was an American professional wrestler, professional boxer, college football player, soldier, actor, and martial artist who, in fighting rings, was also known as Professor Toru Tanaka, ...
and
Skandor Akbar
Jimmy Saied Wehba (September 29, 1934 – August 19, 2010) was an American professional wrestler and manager better known by his ring name Skandor Akbar, which translates as "Alexander the Great". Akbar led the villainous stable Devastation, Inc. ...
losing to Nick Kozak & Johnny Valentine,
Rey Mendoza and
Jose Lothario
Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods.
*Jose ben Abin
*Jose ben Akabya
* Jose the Galil ...
on August 17. He continued feuding with Kozak and Valentine, fighting to a draw with Kozak on August 31 and defeating Valentine on September 7. The following week, he lost to
Wahoo McDaniel
Edward Hugh McDaniel (June 19, 1938 – April 18, 2002) was an American Choctaw-Chickasaw professional American football player and professional wrestler better known by his ring name Wahoo McDaniel. He is notable for having held the NWA Unite ...
in a best 2-of-3 pinfalls match. On September 21, he teamed with Toru Tanaka and
Thunderbolt Patterson in a 6-man tag team match losing to Johnny Valentine, Jose Lothario and
Fritz von Erich
Jack Barton Adkisson Sr. (August 16, 1929 – September 10, 1997), better known by his ring name Fritz Von Erich, was an American professional wrestler, wrestling promoter, and the patriarch of the Von Erich family. He was a 3-time world champio ...
. He faced Paterson and Valentine in a three-way elimination match with Valentine defeating pinning Patterson and himself on September 28. Although the ''
Dallas Morning News'' reported that this match was the first ''"3-man free-for-all wrestling match"'' held in Dallas, this statement in inaccurate.
On October 5, he teamed with Lubich, Patterson, Tanaka and
George Hultz in a 10-man tag team match losing to Kozak, Valentine, Jose Lothario,
Sabu Singh and
Bobby Burns
Robert Paul Burns (September 1, 1878 – January 16, 1966) was an American film actor and director. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1908 and 1952 as well as directing 13 films between 1915 and 1916. Burns was born in Philadelphi ...
. He defeated Burns in a singles match later that night. In another best 2-of-3 falls match, he teamed with Wahoo McDaniel and lost to Thunderbolt Patterson and Toru Tanaka on October 26. In the following weeks, he faced Toru Tanaka, Patterson and
Joe Dusek
The Dusek family is a professional wrestling family. The Dusek Family real surname is Hason. The Dusek family started with four brothers Ernie, Emil, Joe, and Rudy Dusek. The other two members are Wally and Frank Dusek. Both men are not Dusek by b ...
. He fought his last match in the promotion fighting former tag team partner Bronko Lubich on December 14, 1971.
World Wide Wrestling Federation (1972–1973)
In late 1972, Wolff began competing in the World Wide Wrestling Federation. He defeated
Blackjack Slade
Blackjack (formerly Black Jack and Vingt-Un) is a casino banking game. The most widely played casino banking game in the world, it uses decks of 52 cards and descends from a global family of casino banking games known as Twenty-One. This fam ...
in his debut match at
Madison Square Garden on October 16, 1972. He defeated
El Olympico but lost to
Chief Jay Strongbow
Luke Joseph Scarpa (October 4, 1928 – April 3, 2012) was an American professional wrestler and WWE Hall of Famer who was best known by the ring name Chief Jay Strongbow. Much like his contemporary Wahoo McDaniel, he portrayed a Native Americ ...
and
Tony Garea
Anthony Gareljich (born 20 September 1946) is a New Zealand retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Tony Garea. He is best known for his appearances in the United States with the World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestl ...
during the next few weeks. He also faced his old trainer Verne Gagne at Madison Square Garden on November 27. The next month, he defeated
Sonny King but lost to
Victor Rivera via disqualification on December 29.
The following year, he faced then WWWF World Heavyweight Champion
Pedro Morales
Pedro Antonio Morales (October 22, 1942 – February 12, 2019) was a Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the United States with Worldwide Wrestling Associates (WWA) and the World Wide Wrestling Federatio ...
at the
Westchester Civic Center in
White Plains, New York
(Always Faithful)
, image_seal = WhitePlainsSeal.png
, seal_link =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Country
, subdivision_name =
, subdivision_type1 = U.S. state, State
, su ...
on January 24, 1973. He would be the first of several major opponents to challenge Morales for the title that year. Three days later, substituting for
Prof. Toru Tanaka
Charles J. Kalani Jr. (January 6, 1930 – August 22, 2000) was an American professional wrestler, professional boxer, college football player, soldier, actor, and martial artist who, in fighting rings, was also known as Professor Toru Tanaka, ...
, he faced
Chief Jay Strongbow
Luke Joseph Scarpa (October 4, 1928 – April 3, 2012) was an American professional wrestler and WWE Hall of Famer who was best known by the ring name Chief Jay Strongbow. Much like his contemporary Wahoo McDaniel, he portrayed a Native Americ ...
at
Sunnyside Gardens
Sunnyside Gardens is a community within Sunnyside, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. The area was the first development in the United States patterned after the ideas of the garden city movement initiated in England in the f ...
in
Queens, New York
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
. Later that day, he teamed with
Moondog Mayne and
King Curtis
Curtis Ousley (born Curtis Montgomery; February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971), known professionally as King Curtis, was an American saxophonist who played rhythm and blues, jazz, and rock and roll. A bandleader, band member, and session musician ...
in a 6-man tag team match against Pedro Morales, Chief Jay Strongbow and
Gorilla Monsoon
Robert James Marella (June 4, 1937 – October 6, 1999), better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American professional wrestler, play-by-play commentator, and booker.
Monsoon is famous for his run as a villainous super-heavyw ...
in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
on January 27.
On February 10, he would score his first victory defeating
Mike Conrad and would face Pedro Morales in several matches during the year. Teaming with Prof. Toru Tanaka &
Mr. Fuji
Harry Masayoshi Fujiwara (May 4, 1934 – August 28, 2016) was an American professional wrestler and manager, known professionally by his ring name Mr. Fuji (or Master Fuji to his protégés).
He was famous for often throwing salt in the ey ...
losing to Pedro Morales, Gorilla Monsoon and
Bobo Brazil
Houston Harris (July 10, 1924 – January 20, 1998) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Bobo Brazil. Credited with breaking down barriers of racial segregation in professional wrestling, Harris is considered one ...
at the
Baltimore Civic Center
CFG Bank Arena (originally the Baltimore Civic Center and formerly Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore Arena and 1st Mariner Arena) is a multipurpose arena in Baltimore, Maryland. This venue is located about one block away from the Baltimore Convention ...
in
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
on February 20 and again faced Morales in a singles match at the
Zembo Mosque
The Zembo Shrine Building, also known as the Zembo Mosque, is a Masonic building located in the Uptown neighborhood of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is significant architecturally as an example of Moorish Revival architecture. Construction on the ed ...
in
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on February 23. During the match, Wolfe sustained a serious head wound after hitting one of the turnbuckles and the referee stopped the match.
He would also face
Mil Máscaras
Mil Máscaras (born Aarón Rodríguez Arellano, July 15, 1942) is a Mexican luchador (professional wrestler) and actor. He is regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers of the lucha libre tradition in Mexico – along with El Santo and Blue Demo ...
and
Lee Wong during the next several weeks before losing to Pedro Morales in a Texas Death match on March 16 and, the following night, teamed with Moondog Mayne and Toru Tanaka in a 6-man tag team match against Gorilla Monsoon, Sonny King and El Olympico. On March 26, he lost to
André the Giant
André René Roussimoff (; 19 May 1946 – 28 January 1993), better known by his ring name André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. Roussimoff was known for his great size, which was a result of gigantism caused by excess ...
in his debut match at
Madison Square Garden on March 26 and to Pedro Morales in
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. It was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports for several decade ...
on April 13.
He again faced Morales on April 21, during which time the match was again stopped by the referee due to a serious wound being sustained. He and
Frank Valois faced André the Giant in a handicap match in
Augusta, Maine on April 26 as well as facing Gorilla Monsoon and
"Classie" Freddie Blassie before leaving the promotion in late April 1973.
American Wrestling Association & National Wrestling Alliance (1973–1978)
Later that year, he and Lars Anderson (under the name "Luscious" Larry Heinimi) began teaming together and billed as "cousins" although this was
kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe, as a noun, is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically the portrayal of competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants as being genuine and not staged ...
. While in the Midwest, they were one of the top tag teams in the
World Wrestling Association
The World Wrestling Association (WWA) (Asociación Mundial de Lucha Libre in Spanish) is a lucha libre promotion based in the Tijuana-area of Mexico. It was founded in 1986 by Benjamin Mora Jr.. It featured some of Mexico's best ''luchadores'' a ...
.
They also had successful runs in the
American Wrestling Association and in the
Tri-State territory. For a brief time in the mid-1970s, he and Anderson owned and operated a chain of "shirt shacks" selling
tie-dye shirts.
Wolff also traveled to Japan along with Ric Flair,
Skandor Akbar
Jimmy Saied Wehba (September 29, 1934 – August 19, 2010) was an American professional wrestler and manager better known by his ring name Skandor Akbar, which translates as "Alexander the Great". Akbar led the villainous stable Devastation, Inc. ...
and The Outlaws (
Dick Murdoch
Hoyt Richard Murdoch (August 16, 1946 – June 15, 1996) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names "Dirty" Dick Murdoch and "Captain Redneck". He was best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation and New Jap ...
&
Dusty Rhodes
Virgil Riley Runnels Jr. (October 11, 1945 – June 11, 2015), better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, was an American professional wrestler, booker, and trainer who most notably worked for the National Wrestling Alliance, Jim Crocket ...
) and toured with
Isao Yoshihara's
International Wrestling Enterprise
International Wrestling Enterprise (国際プロレス興行;, ''Kokusai Puroresu Kogyō'') was a professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1966 to 1981. Founded by Isao Yoshihara, it was affiliated with the American Wrestling Association ...
promotion from June 18 to July 15, 1973. The next year, he made an appearance for Verne Gagne's
American Wrestling Association fighting
Greg Gagne to a time limit draw at
Comiskey Park in
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
on September 7, 1974.
After Anderson lost a retirement match to
Billy Robinson
William Alfred Robinson (18 September 1938 – 3 March 2014) was a British professional wrestler and wrestling instructor. Robinson was one of the few wrestlers who was successful in several continents ( Europe, North America, Asia and Ocean ...
forcing him to leave the AWA, Wolff announced he had found a new tag team partner
Kim Duk
or Kim Duk ( ko, 김 덕/金 徳) (born February 7, 1948) is a retired Koreans in Japan, Zainichi-Korean Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known under his ring name . He was also known by the name Tiger Chung Lee in the World ...
. He and Kim Duk had a brief but memorable run as a tag team, however they were ultimately unsuccessful in winning the
AWA World Tag Team Championship
The American Wrestling Association (AWA) World Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991.
History
When the NWA Minneapoli ...
and split up soon after.
In one of their last appearances as a team, they lost to
Greg Gagne &
Jim Brunzell
James Brunzell (born August 13, 1949) is an American retired professional wrestler. Best known for his successful tag teams, Brunzell performed for various wrestling promotions during his 21-year career.
Early life
The son of a navy pilot, Br ...
at the
Omaha Civic Auditorium
Omaha Civic Auditorium was a multi-purpose convention center located in Omaha, Nebraska. Opened in 1954, it surpassed the Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum as the largest convention/entertainment complex in the city, until the completion of CHI Health Center ...
on August 19, 1975.
In October, while in
NWA Texas, he scored victories over
Red Bastien
Rolland "Red" Bastien (January 27, 1931 – August 11, 2012) was an American professional wrestler best known for his time in Capital Wrestling Corporation where he was a 3 time WWWF United States Tagteam champion with his kayfabe brother, ...
,
Abe Jacobs
Abe Jacobs (born June 18, 1928) is a New Zealand retired professional wrestler. He was one of the first men to follow fellow New Zealander Pat O'Connor to the United States where, like O'Connor, Jacobs became a major star in the National Wres ...
and
Bruiser Blackwell before fighting to a draw against NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion
Al Madril
Alberto "Al" Madril (born March 20, 1950) is an American retired professional wrestler.
Professional wrestling career
Madril began his wrestling career in 1970. During the first half of the decade, he competed in Pacific Northwest Wrestling, t ...
in
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
on October 28. The next night, he and
John Tolos
John Tolos, nicknamed "The Golden Greek", (September 18, 1930 – May 28, 2009) was a Canadian professional wrestler, and professional wrestling manager.
Professional wrestling career
Tolos was born on September 18, 1930, in Hamilton, Ontario ...
lost a tag team match to
André the Giant
André René Roussimoff (; 19 May 1946 – 28 January 1993), better known by his ring name André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. Roussimoff was known for his great size, which was a result of gigantism caused by excess ...
and
Jose Lothario
Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods.
*Jose ben Abin
*Jose ben Akabya
* Jose the Galil ...
in
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_t ...
. On November 3, he defeated Al Madril for the
NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title that has existed since the 1930s. Though its exact date of creation isn't known, it is among the oldest championships used in professional wrestling today. The title has us ...
. He successfully defended the title against
Tony Atlas
Anthony White (born April 23, 1954) better known by his ring name Tony Atlas is an American bodybuilder, powerlifter, and professional wrestler who has held multiple titles and championships in each sport. He is also known by his bodybuilding t ...
and in rematches with Al Madrill before he losing to John Tolos later that month.
In June 1976, he was a wrestling
sparring partner
Sparring is a form of training common to many combat sports. Although the precise form varies, it is essentially relatively ' free-form' fighting, with enough rules, customs, or agreements to minimize injuries. By extension, argumentative debate ...
for
Muhammad Ali and later faced him in an exhibition match at an AWA event in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
. At the time, Ali was preparing for his match against Japanese wrestler
Antonio Inoki. He was also a sparring partner for
Kenny Jay.
The next month he lost to
Moose Cholak
Edward S. Cholak (March 17, 1930 – October 31, 2002) was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Moose Cholak.
Cholak competed in North American regional promotions from 1952 until 1987, primarily in the Midwest and nort ...
at
Comiskey Park in
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
on August 27, 1976. Later that year, he traveled to Japan where he faced
Abdullah the Butcher
Lawrence Robert Shreve (born January 11, 1941), better known by the ring name Abdullah the Butcher, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He has a reputation for being involved in some of the most violent and bloody hardcore wrestling ma ...
in a rare meeting.
While in
NWA Florida
Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it closed down. It is also referred to as ...
, he teamed with
Superstar Billy Graham
Eldridge Wayne Coleman (born June 7, 1943), better known by his ring name "Superstar" Billy Graham, is an American former professional wrestler. He gained recognition for his tenure as the WWWF Heavyweight Champion in 1977–1978. He is a three- ...
and
Steve Strong against Rhodes,
Jack
Jack may refer to:
Places
* Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community
* Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community
* Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA
People and fictional characters
* Jack (given name), a male given name, ...
and
Jerry Brisco at
North Dade Jr. College in
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
on January 12, 1977. He also defeated
Steve Keirn in a tournament final to win the vacant NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship in March before losing it to Dusty Rhodes three months later. The following year, he and
Killer Karl Kox
Herbert Alan Gerwig (April 26, 1931 – November 10, 2011) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name of Killer Karl Kox, who competed in the National Wrestling Alliance as well as international promotions such as All ...
feuded with Rhodes and
Wahoo McDaniel
Edward Hugh McDaniel (June 19, 1938 – April 18, 2002) was an American Choctaw-Chickasaw professional American football player and professional wrestler better known by his ring name Wahoo McDaniel. He is notable for having held the NWA Unite ...
in
Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until 1987. From October 2007 to August ...
facing them in several tag team matches. Teaming with Ric Flair and
Ox Baker
Douglas Albert Baker Sr. (April 19, 1934 – October 20, 2014) was an American professional wrestler and actor, better known professionally as Ox Baker. He was famous for his distinctive eyebrows and finishing move, the Heart Punch, sometimes c ...
, Wolfe lost to André the Giant and
Dick the Bruiser
William Fritz Afflis (June 27, 1929 – November 10, 1991) was an American professional wrestler, promoter, and former NFL player, better known by his ring name, Dick the Bruiser. During his NFL days he played four seasons with the Green Bay Pac ...
in a three-on-two handicap match in
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
on March 17, 1978.
Later career and retirement (1983–1988)
He defeated Lars Anderson for the WWL Heavyweight Championship in
Joplin, Missouri
Joplin is a city in Jasper and Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. Joplin is the largest city located within both Jas ...
on January 18, 1983. After this point, Wolff began to slow down making brief appearances in various regional territories. He teamed with
Ken Timbs
Ken Timbs (January 27, 1951 – August 1, 2004) was an American professional wrestler who, with tag team partner Eric Embry, competed as one half of the Fabulous Blondes in several regional territories including Southwest Championship Wrestling a ...
against
Tojo Yamamoto
Harold Watanabe (January 6, 1927 – February 19, 1992) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Tojo Yamamoto.
Early life
Watanabe was born in Hawaii in 1927 to a Japanese father and an American mother. He served ...
&
Johnny Wilhoit
Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly, females.
Varian ...
at the
Mid-South Coliseum
Mid-South Coliseum is an indoor arena in Memphis, Tennessee. The facility was opened in 1964, and became known “The Entertainment Capitol of the Mid-South” due its significance in hosting events such as concerts, sports games and professio ...
in
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
on July 16, 1984.
He eventually returned to the AWA where he spent the last years of his career. At the supercard ''Brawl in St. Paul'', Wolff fought
Buck Zumhofe
Eugene Otto "Buck" Zumhofe (born March 21, 1951) is a convicted sex offender and former American professional wrestler better known as "The King of Rock n' Roll" Buck Zumhofe. In 2014, Zumhofe was sentenced to 25 years in prison for criminal sex ...
to a time limit draw at
St. Paul Civic Center in
St. Paul, Minnesota on December 25, 1986. The following year at
SuperClash II, with
Doug Somers
Douglas Duane Somerson (September 22, 1951 – May 16, 2017) was an American professional wrestler known by his ring name "Pretty Boy" Doug Somers. He worked in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) in the mid-1980s as part of a tag team with " ...
&
"Mr. Magnificent" Kevin Kelly, Wolff lost to
Ray Stevens
Harold Ray Ragsdale (born January 24, 1939), known professionally as Ray Stevens, is an American country and pop singer-songwriter and comedian, known for his Grammy-winning recordings " Everything Is Beautiful" and " Misty", as well as novel ...
and
The Midnight Rockers (
Shawn Michaels &
Marty Jannetty
Fredrick Martin Jannetty (born February 3, 1960) is an American professional wrestler who has worked for promotions including the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/E), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), World Championship Wres ...
) in a 6-man tag team match at the
Cow Palace
The Cow Palace (originally the California State Livestock Pavilion) is an indoor arena located in Daly City, California, situated on the city's northern border with neighboring San Francisco. Because the border passes through the property, a por ...
in
San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
on May 2, 1987.
Personal life
Wolff played football in high school and college, later attending
St. Cloud State College, prior to becoming a former
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...
for the
Norfolk Neptunes
The Norfolk Neptunes were an American football franchise based in Norfolk, Virginia that played in the Continental Football League from 1965 until 1969 and the Atlantic Coast Football League from 1970 to 1971. The team played at Foreman Field a ...
. He was voted Rookie of the Year during his first year in the
Continental Football League but left the organization in 1968 to pursue a career in professional wrestling.
He was also the husband of
Vivian Vachon
Diane Vachon (January 23, 1951 – August 24, 1991) was a Canadian professional wrestler and singer, best known by her ring name Vivian Vachon. A member of the Vachon family of wrestlers, she was the sister of Maurice and Paul Vachon, and the au ...
, a popular
French-Canadian female wrestler and member of the famous
Vachon wrestling family, to whom he was married from 1976 to 1979. He also had two daughters, Lisa and Ann, from his first marriage.
Following his retirement, he eventually moved to
Hackensack, Minnesota
Hackensack is a city in Cass County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 313 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Brainerd Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
A post office called Hackensack has been in operation since 1888. The ...
and formed a company, Banner Saver Pro 2000, which manufactures special custom
brackets
A bracket is either of two tall fore- or back-facing punctuation marks commonly used to isolate a segment of text or data from its surroundings. Typically deployed in symmetric pairs, an individual bracket may be identified as a 'left' or ' ...
to keep banners from falling off signs in strong winds. He came up with the idea while watching the
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), was an internation ...
and saw some of the banners being blown off signs.
In 2003, he made a public appearance with the Vachon brothers at the 2003
Cauliflower Alley Club Banquet & Reunion in
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
from April 4–6, 2003.
At the event, he gave a speech.
Death
On July 11, 2017, Wolff's daughter Lisa Wolff Clausen posted on her Facebook page that Wolfe had died.
Minnesota historian and decades-long friend George Schire afterwards stated that Wolfe had been battling dementia in recent years.
His brain will be donated to Boston University.
Championships and accomplishments
*
American Wrestling Association
**
AWA Midwest Heavyweight Championship
The AWA Midwest Heavyweight Championship was a title in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the American Wrestling Association. It was primarily defended in the Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and ...
(
2 times)
*
Championship Wrestling from Florida
Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it closed down. It is also referred to as ...
**
NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship was a major title in Championship Wrestling from Florida, USA and is now the major title in NWA Florida Wrestling Alliance. It started in 1937 and was abandoned in 1949. It was picked back up in 1966 by C ...
(
1 time)
*
NWA Tri-State
The Universal Wrestling Federation was a 1986 re-branding of wrestler-turned-owner Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling promotion. Watts' goal was to elevate his promotion from a relatively smaller, regional-level business, to a national-level rival ...
**
NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version)
The NWA Tri-State Tag Team Championship was a tag team title created in 1962, and contested in the National Wrestling Alliance's Tri-State territory, which was promoted by Leroy McGuirk (Arkansas and Oklahoma) and Jack Curtis and Aurelian "Gri ...
(
2 times) – with
Don Jardine
Donald Delbert Jardine (March 24, 1940 – December 16, 2006) was a Canadian professional wrestler best known for his masked gimmick as The Spoiler. Jardine was a major star in various wrestling promotions. He worked in the World Wrestling Federa ...
*
NWA Big-Time Wrestling
**
NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title that has existed since the 1930s. Though its exact date of creation isn't known, it is among the oldest championships used in professional wrestling today. The title has us ...
(
1 time)
References
External links
Wrestler: Buddy WolffLars and Les's inventions, the Tummy TwisterLes Wolff's Sports Memorabilia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolfe, Buddy
1944 births
2017 deaths
American male professional wrestlers
Sportspeople from St. Cloud, Minnesota
Professional wrestlers from Minnesota
People from Blue Earth, Minnesota
20th-century professional wrestlers
NWA Florida Heavyweight Champions