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LEGENDS OF WRESTLING 3: Bill "Superstar" Dundee

LEGENDS OF WRESTLING 3: Bill "Superstar" Dundee

Posted: Dec 5th 2017 By: Mike Russell

"I'm five foot seven, two hundred and ten pounds, but I am the baddest five foot seven you will ever be around.

Sage words from Bill Dundee, who's is not your average superstar. For 55 years, he’s made a living in the ring - wrestling everyone and anyone willing to get in the ring with him. But in a world full of Goliaths, he’s the “David” intent on slaying every giant...that stomps his way.

Dundee, from Australia, first flew into the ring with his drop-kicks and pile driver moves in 1962. It didn't take long before he was a crowd favorite, and that brought him to the U.S. There, he met and fought another star, Jerry "The King," Lawler.

"Lawler, he was the bad guy and I was the good guy," says Dundee. "So, he beats me up and gets me down and gets blood on me and we book the match on Monday night and the rest is history as they say."

Lawler -- Dundee's feud "partner" -- agrees.

"It's really hard to pick out one particular guy, except maybe Bill Dundee," says Lawler, when asked about is favorite opponents. Bill and I wrestled against -- and with -- each other over 500 times throughout our careers, so I'd have to put Bill at the top of that list."

After reaching great heights, Dundee decided it was time to join the national and international scene. He met with WWE owner Vince McMahon, and quickly discovered they didn't see eye to eye when it came to authenticity.

"Maybe its me that's goofy, I wanted it to be real," says Dundee. "Vince didn't care what he said about it, 'Naw, its showbiz.' You can't tell people its showbiz."

Showbiz or not, the fans take it very seriously. And the price of that kind of fame does at times lead to match ups with fans, like one time when Dundee, playing a bad guy, crossed paths with a female fan...and her baby.

"So, she is standing there, saying 'Dundee, you son of a dadadada,' Dundee recalls. "She is calling me all kinds of names. I said, 'Lady, you know what you should have done with that day the day it was born?' She looked at me and said, 'What?' 'Flushed it down the toilet.' And I just kept walking, and she had this thing, BAM, the scar is still on my chest, and I went 'sheesh!'

Having gone through all this and so much more in his six-decade career, Dundee sums up his views on how wrestling should be perceived.

"John Wayne believed he was John Wayne," says Dundee. His name was Marion Morrison. He believed he was John Wayne. Lawler, when he puts his crown on, he's the king of Memphis."

And in the same way, Dundee himself is fully immersed in HIS persona. He’s a superstar. And, at a age when most people are asleep in a rocking chair, HIS light...still shines.

 

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Spotlight in History

  • 1964 Mike Clancy & Al Lovelock def. Karol Krauser & Stan Pulaski for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 1969 Johnny Valentine def. Fritz Von Erich for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 1977 Stan Hansen def. Dick Murdoch for the TSW North American Champion
  • 1984 Krusher Khrushchev became the MSW Television Champion
  • 1984 The Rock-N-Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) def. The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Dennis Condrey) for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Champion
  • 2009 Ozzy Hendrix def. Shank for the SWCW Luchadore Champion
  • 2015 Gail Kim became the IWR Diamonds Champion
  • 2015 Kareem Sadat became the BCW Independent Hardcore Champion
  • 2021 Drake Gallows def. Blade [2nd] for the AIWF National Champion

Week of Sun 04-28 to Sat: 05-04

  • 04-28 1954 Red Berry def. Whitey Whittler for the TSW Tri-State Champion
  • 04-28 1976 Ted DiBiase & Dick Murdoch def. Buck Robley & Bob Slaughter for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 04-28 1980 Kevin Von Erich def. Toru Tanaka for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-28 1989 The Simpson Brothers (Steve Simpson & Shaun Simpson) def. Beauty & The Beast (Terrance M. Garvin & The Beast [2nd]) for the WCCW Texas Tag Team Champion
  • 04-28 2000 Heather Savage def. Jenna Love for the OPW Oklahoma Womens Champion
  • 04-28 2002 Summer Rain became the OCW Oklahoma Womens Champion
  • 04-28 2007 Eric Rose def. Jersey Devil for the UWF06 Light Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-28 2007 Joe Herell became the UWF06 Violent Division Champion
  • 04-28 2017 Brandon Groom def. Sam Stackhouse for the BPPW Oklahoma Champion
  • 04-28 2018 Dusty Gold def. Wesley Crane for the UWE United States Champion
  • 04-29 2006 AWOL def. Michael York for the TPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-29 2006 Natural Born Sinners (Appolyon & El Lotus) def. Pretty Young Things (Cade Sydal & Mitch Carter) for the ACW Tag Team Champions
  • 04-29 2006 Rexx Reed def. Carnage for the ACW Hardcore Champion
  • 04-29 2006 Carnage def. Rexx Reed for the ACW Hardcore Champion
  • 04-29 2007 Aaron Neil def. Tyler Bateman for the MSWA Oklahoma Champion
  • 04-29 2007 Brad Michaels def. Ryan Davidson for the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-29 2007 Bad Boy & Outlaw became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champion
  • 04-29 2011 The Unknown & Johnny USA def. Michael H & Mr. Big for the NCW Tag Team Champions
  • 04-29 2011 Mr. Big became the NCW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-29 2012 Sam Stackhouse def. Prophet for the BYEW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-29 2012 Rage Logan became the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-29 2012 Nemesis (Damien Morte & Damon Windsor) became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champion
  • 04-29 2017 Aaron Anders became the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion
  • 04-30 1954 Frenchy Roy became the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-30 1955 Ricki Starr became the TSW Oklahoma Champion
  • 04-30 2004 Shadow of Death def. Terry Montana for the TPW Hardcore Champion
  • 04-30 2011 Ryan Reed def. Rolling Thunder for the UWE United States Champion
  • 04-30 2011 Ray Martinez def. Ryan Reed for the UWE United States Champion
  • 04-30 2016 Ray Martinez became the SRPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-30 2022 Clayton Bloodstone def. Ky-Ote for the NCWO Choctaw Nation Champion
  • 04-30 2023 El Gallardo/El Vaquero def. Cappuccino Jones for the BPW Lion Heart Champion
  • 04-30 2023 Heavyweight Grappling (Dan Webber & Morrison) def. Subject To Death (Cade Fite & Leo Fox) for the BPW Oklahoma Tag Team Champion
  • 05-01 1981 Super Destroyer def. Jim Garvin for the MSW Louisiana Champion
  • 05-01 2016 Skylar Slice def. Nikki Knight for the MSWA Ladies Champion
  • 05-01 2021 Fuel def. Derek James for the UWE Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-02 1964 Mike Clancy & Al Lovelock def. Karol Krauser & Stan Pulaski for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 05-02 1969 Johnny Valentine def. Fritz Von Erich for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-02 1977 Stan Hansen def. Dick Murdoch for the TSW North American Champion
  • 05-02 1984 Krusher Khrushchev became the MSW Television Champion
  • 05-02 1984 The Rock-N-Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) def. The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Dennis Condrey) for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Champion
  • 05-02 2009 Ozzy Hendrix def. Shank for the SWCW Luchadore Champion
  • 05-02 2015 Gail Kim became the IWR Diamonds Champion
  • 05-02 2015 Kareem Sadat became the BCW Independent Hardcore Champion
  • 05-02 2021 Drake Gallows def. Blade [2nd] for the AIWF National Champion
  • 05-03 1973 Rip Tyler & Eddie Sullivan def. The Hollywood Blondes (Jerry Brown & Dale Valentine) for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 05-03 1985 Ted DiBiase & Steve Williams def. The Rock-N-Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Champion
  • 05-03 2003 El Sufamilico def. Ichiban [1st] for the TPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-03 2008 Damon Windsor def. Havoc for the SWCW Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-03 2008 Miss Sheila def. Kareem Sadat for the SWCW Hardcore Champion
  • 05-03 2014 Sam Stackhouse def. Steven Sterling for the ComPro Showtime Champion
  • 05-04 1953 Mike Clancy def. Karl Von Poppenheim for the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-04 1968 Danny Hodge & Skandar Akbar became the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 1969 Jerry Miller & Jim Osborne def. Danny Little Bear & Frank Dalton for the TSW Louisiana Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 1973 Blackjack Mulligan def. Jose Lothario for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-04 1986 Kerry Von Erich & Lance Von Erich & Steve Simpson def. The Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy, Michael Hayes, & Buddy Roberts) for the WCCW World 6-Man Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 1986 The Von Erichs (Kerry Von Erich & Kevin Von Erich & Lance Von Erich) became the WCCW World 6-Man Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 1987 The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton) became the WCCW World Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 2003 Ichiban [1st]/Rocco Valentino def. El Sufamilico for the TPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-04 2013 Tim Rockwell def. Daemon Storm for the UWE United States Champion
05-02
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