Ib Solvang Hansen (1 August 1934 – 16 November 1978) was a Danish professional wrestler, known by his ring name Eric the Red, who competed in North American and international regional promotions during the 1960s and 70s, including

Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling Grand Prix Wrestling (GPW) is a professional wrestling promotion run and owned by Emile Duprée. Grand Prix Wrestling has recently finished the 2013 Rising Sun In The Maritimes Tour. Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling tours parts of New Brunswick, P ...

Maple Leaf Wrestling Maple Leaf Wrestling was the unofficial name in the 1970s and 1980s of the professional wrestling promotion run by Frank Tunney in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. History Queensbury Athletic Club The promotion, initially known as the Queensbury Athle ...

and

National Wrestling Federation The original National Wrestling Federation (NWF) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Buffalo, New York and owned by promoter Pedro Martínez. It ran from 1970 to 1974. The promotion was then revived in 1986 by Robert Raskin. The revive ...

. One of the major stars in the short-lived International Wrestling Association, he was one of the few to find success in the

National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and former professional wrestling governing body operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA ...

following the IWA's closure, forming a successful tag team with

Pak Song Pak Song Nam (April 11, 1943 or 1945 – 1980 or April 1982It is uncertain when Song was born or died. He was born either in 1943 or 1945. It was claimed that he wrestled his last match around October 20, 1980. Some believed he died in 1980 or 19 ...

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 ...

before his death in 1978.

Career

Early career

Born in

Odense, Denmark Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (behind Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2022, the city proper had a population of 180,863 while Odense Municipality had a population of 2 ...

, Hansen emigrated to Canada during the mid-1950s and eventually became involved in professional wrestling making his debut in the Toronto-area for

Frank Tunney Francis Martin Tunney (November 12, 1912 - May 10, 1983) was a Canadian professional boxing and wrestling promoter, based in Toronto. Biography Early life He was educated in Markham, Ontario, and went to a business college after high school. Hi ...

's Maple Leaf Wrestling in 1968. As Eric the Red, a modern-day

Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

, Hanson faced veterans such as Dutch Momberg, The Assassin,

Wild Bull Curry Fred Thomas Koury Sr. (May 2, 1913 – March 8, 1985) was an American of Lebanese descent who was best known as a professional wrestler under the name ”Wild Bull” Curry. He is recognized as the originator of the hardcore style predating leg ...

and

Tiger Jeet Singh Jagjeet Singh Hans (born April 3, 1944) is an Indo-Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler, known better by his ring name Tiger Jeet Singh. He was known for his elaborate ring entrances, and generally performed as a heel. He wrestled in Japan ...

during his first year and also formed a short-lived tag team with Whipper Billy Watson. After becoming a "

heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower Human leg, leg. Structure To distribute the compressive for ...

" in early 1969, he would face the former

NWA World Heavyweight Champion The NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship is a world heavyweight professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), an American professional wrestling promotion. The current champion is Tyrus, who is i ...

in a series of matches throughout the year as well as some of the most popular wrestlers in the territory such as

Paul Diamond Thomas Boric (born May 11, 1961) is a Croatian retired professional wrestler better known by his ring name Paul Diamond. He is best known for being one half of the tag team Badd Company with Pat Tanaka and for his time in the World Wrestling F ...

and Edouard Carpentier. Later that year, he also appeared in 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 ...

facing "The Canadian Wildman" Gene Dubois,

Tony Altomare Anthony C. Altomare (July 24, 1928 – February 18, 2003) was an American professional wrestler, trainer, and marketer. He is perhaps best known as one half of the tag team "The Sicilians" with Lou Albano, from his debut in 1960 to 1970. Early l ...

and

Jack Vansky 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, ...

although he was mainly used as a preliminary wrestler and had left the promotion by late 1970. He would however make occasional appearances during the next several years, most notably facing 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 Federation ...

in September 1973 and, the following year, teaming with

Baron Mikel Scicluna Mikel Scicluna (July 29, 1929 – March 20, 2010) was a Maltese professional wrestler who gained his fame during the 1960s and 1970s. He reached the peak of his success in WWWF where he was 2-time tag-team champion, having held the United S ...

to defeat WWWF World Heavyweight Champion

Bruno Sammartino Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino (October 6, 1935 – April 18, 2018) was an Italian-born American professional wrestler, best known for his work with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, now WWE). There, he held the WWWF World Heavywei ...

Johnny DeFazio Johnny DeFazio (November 30, 1940 February 26, 2021) was an American professional wrestler from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Professional wrestling career DeFazio was a fan favorite and was popular in the 1960s and 1970s. He wrestled for the old ...

Hubbard, Ohio Hubbard is a city in southeastern Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. It is formed from part of Hubbard Township, which was formed from the Connecticut Western Reserve. The population was 7,636 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb of the Youn ...

on November 1, 1974.

National Wrestling Federation

Hansen soon began wrestling for the

, regularly appearing in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

and

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

against many of the promotions top stars such as Chief White Owl and

Dominic DeNucci Domenico A. Nucciarone (January 23, 1932 – August 12, 2021) was an Italian-American professional wrestler and trainer better known under his ring name of Dominic DeNucci. He held over a dozen championships around the world in the 1960s and 197 ...

during the early 1970s. He also became a well known face in the Pittsburgh-area during this time, facing

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 ...

, Frank Durso and Victor Rivera in memorable matches. Briefly returning to Toronto to face

Angelo Mosca Angelo Valentino Mosca (February 13, 1937 – November 6, 2021) was an American professional football player and professional wrestler. He was a defensive lineman in the Canadian Football League (CFL). As a wrestler, Mosca was known by the nick ...

, Vic Rossitani and

Prince Pullins A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

during the summer, he would return to the NWL by October 1972 under manager Tony Angelo as Eric the Animal, a wildman who carried a large bone to the ring and used as a foreign object. Feuding with NWF North American Heavyweight Champion Johnny Powers defeating him for the title in Buffalo on February 17, 1973 although he would lose it back to him within several weeks. He would also be involved in a controversial storyline violently attacking

Jacques Ancient and noble French family names, Jacques, Jacq, or James are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over ...

and

Raymond Rougeau Raymond Rougeau (born February 18, 1955) is a Canadian politician, former professional wrestler and French language commentator. He most notably worked for the World Wrestling Federation between 1986 and 2002, firstly as one of The Fabulous Rou ...

with his bone and subsequently resulting in a feud between the two for several weeks. After a brief tour of

the Maritimes The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The Maritimes had a population of 1,899,324 in 2021, which makes up 5.1% of Ca ...

in June, he also headlined several events at the

Maple Leaf Gardens Maple Leaf Gardens is a historic building located at the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building was initially constructed in 1931 as an arena to host ice hockey games, though it has sinc ...

facing

Leo Burke Léonce Cormier (born June 29, 1948) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He was born in Dorchester, New Brunswick. He competed across Canada, in several American promotions, and wrestled internationally for both Puerto Rico's World Wr ...

, The Sheik and NWA World Heavyweight Champion

Jack Brisco Freddie Joe "Jack" Brisco (September 21, 1941 – February 1, 2010) was an American amateur wrestling, amateur and Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. As an amateur for Oklahoma State, Brisco was two-time All-American and won the Natio ...

on September 23. The following year, he would make occasional appearances in the

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

-area for

Ed Farhat Edward George Farhat (June 7, 1926 – January 18, 2003) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name The Sheik (often called The Original Sheik to distinguish him from The Iron Sheik, who debuted in 1972). Farhat is cred ...

losing to

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 ...

on April 27, 1974. Facing

Ernie Ladd Ernest Ladd (November 28, 1938 – March 10, 2007), nicknamed "The Big Cat", was an American professional football player and professional wrestler. A standout athlete in high school, Ladd attended Grambling State University on a basketball sch ...

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 o ...

on the Cleveland-Buffalo circuit during the year, he also toured Japan during February–March including facing

Antonio Inoki Muhammad Hussain Inoki (born ; February 20, 1943 – October 1, 2022) was a Japanese professional wrestler, martial artist, politician, and promoter of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. He was best known by the ring name , a homag ...

and, returning to Ontario, faced Luis Martinez and

Dewey Robertson Byron James John "Dewey" Robertson (February 28, 1939 - August 16, 2007) was a professional wrestler, known best by his ring name The Missing Link. As The Missing Link, Robertson wore blue and green face paint and shaved portions of his head wh ...

later that year. In early 1975, Hansen began his first tour of the southeastern United States competing for

Dick Steinborn Dick, Dicks, or Dick's may refer to: Media * ''Dicks'' (album), a 2004 album by Fila Brazillia * Dicks (band), a musical group * ''Dick'' (film), a 1999 American comedy film * "Dick" (song), a 2019 song by Starboi3 featuring Doja Cat Names ...

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

where he very quickly becoming one of the promotions top "heels". However, he was soon hired by Pedro Martinez to return to Cleveland to compete in the newly established International Wrestling Association which Martinez and TV sports mogul

Eddie Einhorn Eddie Einhorn (January 3, 1936 – February 24, 2016) was minority owner and vice chairman of the Chicago White Sox. Biography Einhorn grew up in a Jewish family in Paterson, New Jersey, the son of Mae (née Lippman) and Harold B. Einhorn and resi ...

were organizing to compete directly against the

as the first national professional wrestling promotion in the United States. Remaining one of the top stars in the promotion under manager George "Crybaby" Cannon, he feuded with IWA Heavyweight Champion

Mil Mascaras Mil, mil, or MIL may refer to: Places * Mil, Syria, a village in Syria * Mil, Azerbaijan, a municipality in Beylagan Rayon * Mil, Markazi, a village in Markazi Province, Iran * Metropolitan area of Milan ( IATA code: MIL), Italy * Mill Hill Broa ...

throughout the country as the promotion toured the United States. During the tour, Hansen faced

Lou Thesz Aloysius Martin "Lou" Thesz (April 24, 1916 – April 28, 2002) was an American professional wrestler. He was a three-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion and held the title for a combined total of 10 years, three months and nine days (3,749 ...

losing to the then 59-year-old former NWA World Heavyweight Champion at the

Roosevelt Stadium Roosevelt Stadium was a baseball stadium at Droyer's Point in Jersey City, New Jersey. It opened in April 1937 and hosted high-minor league baseball, 15 major league baseball games, plus championship boxing matches, top-name musical acts, an a ...

Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.booker for the

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. It ran during the spring and summer months from 1969 to 1976. History The ...

From San Juan to Tulsa

Like many other wrestlers who competed for the IWA, Hansen found little work in the

and began wrestling overseas, eventually becoming a major star in the Puerto Rican-based

World Wrestling Council The World Wrestling Council (WWC) (Spanish: "Consejo Mundial de Lucha"), is a Puerto-Rican professional wrestling promotion based in Puerto Rico. It was originally established as Capitol Sports Promotions in 1973 by Carlos Colón Sr., Victor J ...

. Capturing both the Puerto Rican and WWC North American titles, he also became involved in a violent feud with

Carlos Colon Carlos may refer to: Places ;Canada * Carlos, Alberta, a locality ;United States * Carlos, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Carlos, Maryland, a place in Allegany County * Carlos, Minnesota, a small city * Carlos, West Virginia ;Elsewhere ...

which would result in several riots during late 1976. Leaving the WWC in April 1977, Hansen returned to Toronto for a short while before moving on to

World Class Championship Wrestling World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), later known as the World Class Wrestling Association (WCWA) (1986–1991) was an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed ...

where he feuded with the

Von Erich family The Von Erich family is an American professional wrestling family. Originally from Texas, their actual surname is Adkisson, but every member who has been in the wrestling business has used the ring name "Von Erich," after the family patriarch, Fri ...

for several months. The following year, he joined The Assassin in the Tri-State area in his feud with Randy Tyler during the spring on 1978. His allies soon turned against him however, when The Assassin and The Brute attacked him during a television taping in early July. Teaming with Steven Little Bear, he eventually lost a loser-leaves-town match against The Assassin and The Brute at the

Louisiana Superdome The Caesars Superdome, commonly known as the Superdome (formerly known as Mercedes-Benz Superdome), is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the home stadium of the New Orleans Saints ...

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

on July 22, 1978 with a record 31,000 in fans in attendance.

Championship Wrestling from Florida

On October 4, Hansen made his debut in

defeating Phil Mercado at the

Jai-Alai Fronton Jai alai (: ) is a sport involving bouncing a ball off a walled-in space by accelerating it to high speeds with a hand-held wicker ''cesta''. It is a variation of Basque pelota. The term ''jai alai'', coined by Serafin Baroja in 1875, is also of ...

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

. Defeating Steve Brody in Ft. Lauderdale two days later, he was soon recruited by manager Sonny King for his stable along with

. Although defeating Rick Oliver in

West Palm Beach West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...

on October 9, Hansen would be disqualified in matches against Steve Brody and

Jimmy Garvin James Williams (born September 25, 1952) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring names "Gorgeous Jimmy" Garvin and Jimmy "Jam" Garvin. A member of The Fabulous Freebirds, Garvin is best known for his appearances wit ...

the following week. He soon began teaming with Pak Song and, only two weeks after Hansen's debut, they captured the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship from Mike Graham &

Steve Keirn Stephen Paul Keirn (born September 10, 1951) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in multiple National Wrestling Alliance territories as Steve Keirn as one-half of the tag team The Fabulous Ones, as we ...

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal c ...

on October 14. Although losing to Graham & Keirn after his partner

Bobby Duncum Bobby Edward Duncum (born August 14, 1944) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances for the World Wide Wrestling Federation, National Wrestling Alliance and American Wrestling Association from the late-1 ...

was pinned during a tag match in West Palm Beach two days later, he and Pak Song would retain the tag team titles defeating Eddie Graham &

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 ...

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

on October 17. The following night, he and Pak Song would defend their titles twice in one night defeating Rick Oliver and Prince Tonga in

and Killer Karl Kox & Steve Keirn in Miami later that night. Breaking his leg during the match, Keirn's injury was written into the storyline as Keirn later claimed he had been attacked by Hansen and other members of Sonny King's stable while training at a local gym with Graham. Hansen and Pak Song continued their winning streak, continuing to feud with Mike Graham & Killer Karl Kox in tag team and singles matches during the next several weeks. On October 25, they again wrestled to matches in one night defeating

Prince Tonga Tonga 'Uli'uli Fifita (born 10 February 1959) is a Tongan professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as Haku. He is also known for his time in World Champions ...

Sonny Driver Sonny is a common nickname and occasional given name. Often it can be a derivative of the English word "Son", a name derived from the Ancient Germanic element *sunn meaning "sun", a nickname derived from the Italian name Salvatore (especially in N ...

at a television taping in Tampa and, later that night, teamed with The Spoiler and Bobby Duncum losing a 6-man tag team match against Jerry Brisco, Jim Garvin and Dusty Rhodes in Miami. After losing Killer Kox & The Grahams a 6-man tag team elimination match with Pak Song and Sonny King in St. Petersburg three days later, he later interfered in the main event helping NWA Heavyweight Champion

Harley Race Harley Leland Race (April 11, 1943 – August 1, 2019) was an American professional wrestler, promoter, and trainer. Race wrestled in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federatio ...

defeat Dusty Rhodes. Facing Rhodes in a non-sanctioned "Lights Out" match in Tampa on October 31, he nearly defeated Rhodes with outside interference by his manager Sonny King however Killer Kox would also interfere in the match knocking out Hansen and allowing Rhodes to pin Hansen to win the match. Despite this loss, he and Pak Song would continue defending their titles during October and early-November. On November 7, he and Pak Song would face Killer Karl Kox & Dusty Rhodes, both longtime rivals, later defeating the challengers via disqualification after Killer Kox attempted to hit Hansen with a steel chair.

Death

On November 8, he and Pak Song defeated Jimmy Garvin & Prince Tonga at a television taping in Tampa. Later that night at the Miami Jai-Alai Fronton, he and Pak Song would face Mike Graham & Dusty Rhodes defeating them by disqualification. Following the match, Hansen flew back to the

Tampa International Airport Tampa International Airport is an international airport west of Downtown Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA)., effective December 30, 2021. T ...

and was driving through the Town ‘N Country area when his car stalled on West Hillsborough Boulevard. After telephoning for assistance, Hansen was struck by a car while crossing the median. His head hitting the windshield of the car, he suffered severe brain damage as well as numerous bodily injuries. Taken to St. Joseph's Hospital, Hansen remained in a coma for a week before he died from his injuries on November 16, 1978.

Championships and accomplishments

NWA Florida Tag Team Championship The NWA Florida Tag Team Championship is the primary tag team title in NWA Florida Underground Wrestling. It started out in 1968 as the main tag team title in Championship Wrestling from Florida Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) was ...

( 1 time) - with

NWF North American Heavyweight Championship The NWF North American Heavyweight Championship was a secondary singles title in the American professional wrestling promotion, the National Wrestling Federation. The title started in 1968 as a National Wrestling Alliance title, named the NWA ...

( 1 time) :*

NWF World Tag Team Championship The NWF World Tag Team Championship was the top tag team championship in the National Wrestling Federation The original National Wrestling Federation (NWF) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Buffalo, New York and owned by promoter ...

( 1 time) - with

Kurt Von Hess William Terry (April 10, 1942 – March 13, 1999) was a Canadian professional wrestler, known by his ring name Kurt Von Hess, who competed in North American and international promotions during the 1970s and 1980s, including International Wrest ...

WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship The WWC Puerto Rico Championship is the secondary professional wrestling championship that is defended in the World Wrestling Council based in Puerto Rico. The title was created in January 1974 and, as its name suggests, is defended exclusively wi ...

( 1 time) :*

WWC North American Heavyweight Championship The WWC North American Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship defended in the Puerto Rican promotion, the World Wrestling Council. Created in 1974, it was the primary singles championship of the promotion until the crea ...

( 1 time)

References

External links

Profile at Online World of Wrestling
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hansen, Ib Solvang 1934 births 1978 deaths 20th-century professional wrestlers Danish emigrants to Canada Danish male professional wrestlers Road incident deaths in Florida Sportspeople from Odense Stampede Wrestling alumni WWC Puerto Rico Champions NWF North American Heavyweight Champions NWF World Tag Team Champions NWA Florida Tag Team Champions