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Pro Wrestling World Loses Humperdink

Posted: Mar 22nd 2011 By: CMBurnham

Legendary pro wrestling manager Sir Oliver Humperdink passed away Sunday at the age of 62.

Humperdink, whose real name was John Sutton, had battled kidney and bladder cancer in recent months.

Humperdink began his career during the mid-'60s, working as an usher and security official at matches at the Minneapolis Auditorium, and made his official ring debut in 1973. He worked as a wrestler and a referee, but was best known as a colorful and eccentric manager whose "House of Humperdink" stable included some of the most notorious heels in the business.

Among those he managed included The Hollywood Blonds (Jerry Brown and Dale Roberts), Abdullah The Butcher, Bam Bam Bigelow, Mark Lewin, One Man Gang, Ivan Koloff, Greg Valentine and Paul Jones.

The Minnesota native enjoyed his greatest runs in the Mid-Atlantic area and Florida, with arch-ring nemesis Dusty Rhodes calling Humperdink one of the two greatest managers in wrestling history.

Humperdink officially retired from the ring in the mid-'90s and relocated to the Florida Keys before returning to Minnesota.

Former AWA announcer Mick Karch, who first met Humperdink as a youngster, told the SLAM Wrestling website that "Hump" was one of the most fascinating individuals he had ever met in the business.

"I will miss doing Wally Karbo and Stan Kowalski impressions for him; he was my greatest audience. I will miss laughing about Laurel and Hardy with him. I will miss his generosity, his integrity and his warmth. There is no one more completely opposite of his 'heel' persona. He was a gem and I was blessed to call him my friend."

Tags: Oliver Humperdink, Hollywood Blonds, Jerry Brown, Buddy Roberts, Abdullah the Butcher, Bam Bam Bigelow, Mark Lewin, One Man Gang, Greg Valentine, Paul Jone 2nd, AWA, Stan Kowalski