Stanley C. Fraizer (August 16, 1937 – July 1, 1992), also known as Plowboy Frazier, was an American
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 or ...
. He was primarily a regional gimmick wrestler, employed for his massive size and unique personality. He is best known as Uncle Elmer in the
World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
from 1985 to 1986. He married Joyce Stazko on an episode of ''
Saturday Night's Main Event II'', which was a major media event at the time.
Professional wrestling career
Southeastern United States (1960–1985)
At the beginning of his career, Fraizer wrestled in the
Gulf Coast
The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texas, Louisiana, Mississ ...
region of the United States, especially Alabama and Florida. He used several
ring names
Ring may refer to:
* Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry
* To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell
:(hence) to initiate a telephone connection
Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...
, including the "Pascagoula Plowboy". Because he was a local wrestler, he was very popular with the fans.
Fraizer was discovered by
Jerry Jarrett
Jerry Winston Jarrett (born September 4, 1942) is an American retired professional wrestling promoter and professional wrestler. Along with his long-term business partner Jerry Lawler, Jarrett is a key figure in the history of professional wrestli ...
and
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "The King" Lawler, is an American color commentator and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, although he has not performed as a full-time commentator since Apr ...
, who brought him to wrestle 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 ...
's (NWA) Mid-America region and later in the
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association (AWA) was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 until 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo. The territory was originally part o ...
(AWA). He used many gimmicks in Tennessee, including Giant Rebel, the Lone Ranger, Giant Hillbilly and Tiny Fraizer.
[ Despite weighing 420 pounds, he also wrestled in a ]loincloth
A loincloth is a one-piece garment, either wrapped around itself or kept in place by a belt. It covers the genitals and, at least partially, the buttocks. Loincloths which are held up by belts or strings are specifically known as breechcloth or ...
as Kamala II, a copy of Kamala
Kamala refers to:
People
* Kamala (name), given name and surname, includes list of people and characters with the name
** Kamala Harris, the 49th and current Vice President of the United States
* Kamala (wrestler) (1950–2020), American profess ...
, who wrestled in Tennessee with a Ugandan headhunter gimmick.[
Fraizer won several championships while in Tennessee. Wrestling under his own name, he won the Mid-America version of the ]NWA Southern Tag Team Championship The NWA Southern Tag Team Championship is any of a group of professional wrestling tag team championship titles in the National Wrestling Alliance.
Specific titles include:
* The NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Florida version)
* The NWA South ...
in 1971.[ Wrestling as Plowboy Frazier, he formed a ]tag team
Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...
with Lawler and won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship
The AWA Southern Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the Tennessee area from the 1940s through the late 1980s. It was originally named the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-America version)'' from its ince ...
in 1976.[ He won the belts again in 1978 while teaming with Terry Sawyer.][
Fraizer's next title success came in ]Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Atlanta, Georgia. The promotion was affiliated with what had been the world's top sanctioning body of championship titles for decades before, the National W ...
. While there, he teamed with Ted DiBiase
Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE working in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship ...
to win the NWA National Tag Team Championship
The NWA National Tag Team Championship was the major tag team title in the NWA-affiliated Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1980 until 1986. The championship was introduced in November 1980 when Georgia Tag Team Champions The Fabulous Freebirds ...
from The Fabulous Freebirds
The Fabulous Freebirds were a professional wrestling tag team who attained fame in the 1980s, performing into the 1990s. The team usually consisted of three wrestlers, although in different situations and points in its history, just two performed ...
. Their title reign lasted five days, as they dropped the titles back to the Freebirds.
World Wrestling Federation (1985–1986)
During 1985 and 1986, Fraizer wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation as Uncle Elmer. He was a member of a stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...
named the Hillbillies, which also included Hillbilly Jim
James Morris (born July 5, 1952) is an American retired professional wrestler and current radio host, better known by his ring name, Hillbilly Jim. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1984 to 1991, ...
, Cousin Junior
Lanny Neal Kean Jr. (March 19, 1960 – January 13, 2009) was an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation from 1985 to 1986 under the ring name Cousin Junior, as well as for his appea ...
, and Cousin Luke.[ The Hillbillies' gimmick was that of simple-minded country folk who performed square dances in the ring, with Uncle Elmer perpetually eating from an enormous bucket labeled "Uncle Elmer's Fried Pig Parts".] They feuded with several of the WWF's top wrestlers, including Roddy Piper
Roderick George Toombs (April 17, 1954 – July 31, 2015), better known as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, was a Canadian professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and actor.
In professional wrestling, Piper was best known to international audiences for hi ...
and Bob Orton, Jr.
Robert Keith Orton Jr. (born November 10, 1950), better known by the ring name "Cowboy" Bob Orton, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is the son of professional wrestler Bob Orton Sr., the brother of professional wrestler Bar ...
[
On the October 5, 1985, episode of '' Saturday Night's Main Event II'' (taped two days earlier), Fraizer was legitimately married to Joyce Stazko despite a storyline that saw Piper try to interfere. During the ceremony, wrestler ]Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Jesse Ventura (born James George Janos; July 15, 1951) is an American politician, actor, and retired professional wrestler. After achieving fame in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), he served as the 38th governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2 ...
heckled Fraizer from his position at the announcers table; Ventura later read a poem at the reception criticizing the wedding until Hillbilly Jim attacked him, and the evening's events led to a feud between Elmer and Ventura (years later Ventura claimed in a radio interview that to further the storyline, Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the w ...
told him to "bury them" during the ceremony). Uncle Elmer competed at the Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
part of WrestleMania 2
WrestleMania 2 was the second annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view List of WWE pay-per-view events, event produced by the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). The event took place on April 7, 1986 (a Monday), making ...
in 1986, where he lost to "Adorable" Adrian Adonis
Keith Adonis Franke (September 15, 1953 – July 4, 1988) was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Adrian Adonis. He was best known for his appearances with the American Wrestling Association and World Wrestling Federati ...
. He would remain in the WWF until May 1986, leaving the company after a quick loss to King Kong Bundy
Christopher Alan Pallies (November 7, 1955 – March 5, 2019) was an American professional wrestler, actor and stand-up comedian, better known by his wrestling gimmick and ring name, King Kong Bundy. Under this gimmick, he portrayed a pugnacious, ...
at '' Saturday Night's Main Event VI''.
Later career (1986–1989)
Fraizer continued to wrestle in Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
after leaving the WWF. As Giant Hillbilly Elmer, he teamed up with Lawler again to win the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship once more on June 23, 1986.[ Their title reign lasted less than a month, but he then regained the championship while teaming with Cousin Junior. This reign was even shorter, as they lost the title belts two days later.][ Fraizer then wrestled for the ]Continental Wrestling Association
Continental Wrestling Association (later the Championship Wrestling Association) was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually ref ...
(CWA), where he found success in the super heavyweight division. He won the CWA Super Heavyweight Championship on November 17, 1986 by defeating Goliath.[ He dropped the belt to ]Jerry Blackwell
Jerry Blackwell (April 26, 1949 – January 22, 1995) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Crusher" Jerry Blackwell. Blackwell competed in the 1979 World's Strongest Man contest, but withdrew early in the competit ...
, but was awarded the title again in 1988. He held the championship until the promotion abandoned it later that year.[
He wrestled his last matches in 1989 and for a period of time, had his own promotion, and was involved in training future star ]Hardcore Holly
Robert William Howard (born January 29, 1963) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former auto racer and wrestling trainer/host, better known by the ring name Hardcore Holly or Bob Holly. He is best known for his 16-year career with ...
.
Personal life
Fraizer was born on August 16, 1937, and lived in Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula ( ) is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula Combined Statistical Area. The population was 22 ...
.[ He was married to his wife Joyce from 1985 until his death, and she traveled with him as he wrestled.] To earn additional money, Frazier was known for selling replica Rolex
Rolex SA () is a British-founded Swiss watch designer and manufacturer based in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 1905 as ''Wilsdorf and Davis'' by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis in London, the company registered ''Rolex'' as the brand name of ...
watches and other inexpensive merchandise, and he operated a shoe store.[ He also made an appearance as himself on an ]Andy Kaufman
Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman ( ; January 17, 1949 – May 16, 1984) was an American entertainer and performance artist. While often called a "comedian", Kaufman preferred to describe himself instead as a "song and dance man". He has sometimes b ...
special on PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
in 1983, drinking raw eggs.
Fraizer suffered from diabetes
Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...
and poor health as a result of his weight.[ These problems led to ]kidney failure
Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...
, from which he died on July 1, 1992.[ Fraizer was buried in ]Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in and one of two county seats of Harrison County, Mississippi, United States (the other being the adjacent city of Gulfport). The 2010 United States Census recorded the population as 44,054 and in 2019 the estimated popu ...
.[
]
Championships and accomplishments
*Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Atlanta, Georgia. The promotion was affiliated with what had been the world's top sanctioning body of championship titles for decades before, the National W ...
**NWA National Tag Team Championship
The NWA National Tag Team Championship was the major tag team title in the NWA-affiliated Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1980 until 1986. The championship was introduced in November 1980 when Georgia Tag Team Champions The Fabulous Freebirds ...
( 1 time) – with Ted DiBiase
Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE working in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship ...
*NWA Mid-America
NWA Mid-America was a professional wrestling promotion territory under the umbrella of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) that promoted shows in Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama from the 1940s until 1981. The company was founded in the 1940s by N ...
/ Continental Wrestling Association
Continental Wrestling Association (later the Championship Wrestling Association) was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually ref ...
** NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-America version)'' ( 1 time) – with Dennis Hall[
**]AWA Southern Tag Team Championship
The AWA Southern Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the Tennessee area from the 1940s through the late 1980s. It was originally named the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-America version)'' from its ince ...
( 4 times) – with Terry Sawyer (1), Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "The King" Lawler, is an American color commentator and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, although he has not performed as a full-time commentator since Apr ...
(2), and Cousin Junior (1)
** CWA Super Heavyweight Championship (2 times
"2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...
)
*''Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four We ...
''
** Worst Tag Team (1985) with Cousin Junior
Lanny Neal Kean Jr. (March 19, 1960 – January 13, 2009) was an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation from 1985 to 1986 under the ring name Cousin Junior, as well as for his appea ...
** Worst Wrestler (1985)
References
External links
Memphis Wrestling History
Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uncle Elmer
1937 births
1992 deaths
20th-century American male actors
American male professional wrestlers
Fictional hillbillies
People from Pascagoula, Mississippi
People from Philadelphia, Mississippi
Professional wrestlers from Mississippi
Professional wrestling trainers
The First Family (professional wrestling) members
20th-century professional wrestlers
NWA National Tag Team Champions