|
June 28, 1966 –
McDaniel teams with Jose Lothario to capture the “NWA” World tag
team championship in Jacksonville, FL (Championship Wrestling from
Florida).
July 1966 –
McDaniel & Lothario are forced to vacate the “NWA” World tag
belts when Wahoo is ordered by his primary employer, the NFL’s Miami
Dolphins, to stop competing in wrestling matches (Championship
Wrestling from Florida).
|
"As
far as I'm concerned, Wahoo was what wrestling should be all about.
A legitimately tough guy with a ring persona and image that was true
to what he really was. And a great athlete who was proud to be a
professional wrestler... and a damn good one at that."
James
Beard
Referee/Announcer/Promoter
|
May 1, 1967 –
Wahoo beats Louie Tillet in Orlando to capture the “NWA” Florida
title (Championship Wrestling from Florida).
May 9, 1967 –
McDaniel and Lothario reunite and recapture the “NWA” World tag
team championship, beating Rocket & Sputnik Monroe (Championship
Wrestling from Florida).
May 25, 1967 –
Wahoo & Jose lose the “NWA” World tag belts back to the
Monroes in Jacksonville, FL (Championship Wrestling from Florida).
May 16, 1967 –
McDaniel loses the “NWA” Florida title to Boris Malenko in Tampa
(Championship Wrestling from Florida).
December 10, 1968 –
Wahoo teams with Jose Lothario once again to enter a one-night
tournament in Tampa to crown the first-ever “NWA” Florida tag team
champions. They make it to the finals but lose to the infamous masked
team known as The Medics (Jim Starr & Billy Garrett), managed by
Ken Ramey (Championship Wrestling from Florida).
“I
worked with him in the Amarillo territory some years ago. I believe
he had just left the NY Jets at that time to return to wrestling
full time. He was fast and furious ... in great shape.”
Dick
Steinborn
Wrestler/Booker/Promoter
June 27, 1969 –
The Chief teams with Thunderbolt Patterson in Houston, TX to win a
tournament to crown new “NWA” American tag team champions, beating
Baron Von Raschke & Buster Lloyd (later Rufus R. Jones) in the
finals (Gulf Athletic Club).
Summer 1969 –
McDaniel & Patterson lose the “NWA” American tag belts to
Dusty Rhodes & Baron Von Raschke in Fort Worth, TX (Southwest
Sports).
August 1969 –
McDaniel & Patterson regain the American tag belts from Rhodes
& Von Raschke (Southwest Sports).
October 1969 –
Wahoo beats the man who would be become perhaps his greatest foe,
Johnny Valentine, in Corpus Cristi, TX to capture the “NWA” Texas
title (Southwest Sports).
“Then,
an Indian war chant started in the arena. By the time Valentine's
opponent, Wahoo McDaniel, stepped out of the dressing room, the roof
blew off the dump, cameras flashed all around and the sight of a man
wearing an Indian headdress and beads, marching into battle with a
cocky, robe wearing sociopath sealed my fate for a lifetime. If
someone who hates wrestling doesn't understand it's appeal, then the
best thing I can do is describe that moment and the emotions it
inspired. Watching two artists turn a crappy little recreation hall
in the middle of nowhere into a canvas for a surreal, violent,
psychotic painting. How could you not love it?”
Richard
Sullivan
This Week In Wrestling
October 29, 1969 –
McDaniel loses the “NWA” Texas title back to Valentine in Austin,
TX (Southwest Sports).
January 26, 1970 –
The Chief beats Valentine to regain the “NWA” Texas title in Fort
Worth, TX for the final time of his career (Southwest Sports).
March 5, 1971 –
McDaniel beats Professor Toru Tanaka to win the “NWA” American
heavyweight title in Houston, TX (Gulf Athletic Club).
1971 –
In a stunning move, McDaniel teams with old foe Johnny Valentine to
beat Chris Markoff & Bronco Lubich, managed by George “Two
Ton” Harris III, for the “NWA” American tag belts. They later
drop the belts back, but then regain them again (Southwest Sports).
July 19, 1971 –
McDaniel & Valentine lose the “NWA” American tag belts to
Professor Toru Tanaka & Thunderbolt Patterson in Fort Worth, TX
(Southwest Sports).
December 11, 1971 –
Wahoo loses the “NWA” American title to The Spoiler (Don Jardine)
in San Antonio, TX (Southwest Championship Wrestling).
1973 –
McDaniel teams with British great Billy Robinson in a series of
matches to challenge Ray Stevens & Nick Bockwinkel for the AWA
World tag team championship (Minneapolis Boxing & Wrestling Club).
“In
1973, I went to the AWA and hyped myself as the arm wrestling
champion of the world. Gagne wanted to shoot an angle and Wahoo was
the man. We did the arm wrestling angle, which set up the grudge
matches. The blowoff came when Wahoo demanded an Indian Strap match.
These matches set attendance records in the AWA for that era. Wahoo
was the perfect opponent for me. He was a great bleeder! Our success
was the catalyst that propelled my career and led to Vince Sr.
giving me the call to come to New York. Thanks to the Chief's hard
work in the ring, he helped make my career! Thanks, Wahoo. A great
guy!”
Superstar
Billy Graham
WWF
World heavyweight champion
November 9, 1973 –
McDaniel beats Strong Kobayashi to capture the IWA World heavyweight
championship in Wakayama, Japan (International Wrestling Enterprises).
November 30, 1973 –
Wahoo loses the IWA World title back to Kobayashi in Tokyo
(International Wrestling Enterprises).
| By
1974, McDaniel has become the top draw for Jim Crockett
Promotions, and uses his stroke with JCP booker George Scott to
bring in a rookie he met in the AWA ... a man by the name of Ric
Flair. Within a year, it would prove to be one of the best
decisions the braintrust of any wrestling company ever made. |
1975 –
The Chief comes eye-to-psychotic-eye with an old enemy, as he beats
Johnny Valentine to capture the “NWA” Mid-Atlantic heavyweight
championship (Jim Crockett Promotions).
September 20, 1975
– McDaniel loses the “NWA” Mid-Atlantic title to Ric Flair at
the Hampton (VA) Coliseum (Jim Crockett Promotions).
October 1975 –
In a recreation of a legendary Eddie Graham angle first done in
Florida, McDaniel knocks the false teeth of Boris Malenko out of his
mouth and stomps them. This sets up a feud with Malenko and his team,
the feared Mongols (Jim Crockett Promotions).
In
early 1976, McDaniel is granted a series of title shots with a
familiar face, newly-crowned NWA World champion Terry Funk. Well
acquainted from their early days in the Amarillo territory, the two
had battled in JCP for the U.S. title just a few weeks prior to Funk
winning the “ten pounds of gold.”
January 31, 1976 –
Ric Flair returns to action following a broken back suffered in the
plane crash that ended Johnny Valentine’s career, beating Wahoo
McDaniel via countout at the Greensboro Coliseum (Jim Crockett
Promotions).
March 19, 1976 –
Wahoo wins a tournament at the Richmond (VA) Coliseum to win a brand
new Cadillac (Jim Crockett Promotions).
Due to
the loss of top draw Johnny Valentine, the war between McDaniel and
Ric Flair is turned up a notch in 1976. After Flair makes his return
to TV (tearing up get-well cards sent by fans during an interview
with Ed Caperal), he seconds Angelo Mosca in his series of matches
with Wahoo, and helped the former Canadian footballer prevail over
his arch enemy. In classic angles, Flair tears up McDaniel’s
Native American headress on television and nearly blinds the Chief.
This sets up a several-month long feud that breaks attendance
records throughout the JCP circuit and literally causes crowds to
riot.
March
1976
– The Chief teams with Rufus R. “Freight Train” Jones to defeat
“The Minnesota Wrecking Crew” Ole & Gene Anderson for the
“NWA” World tag team championship (Jim Crockett Promotions).
March
1976 –
McDaniel & Jones lose the “NWA” World tag belts back to the
Andersons (Jim Crockett Promotions).
May
3, 1976
– McDaniel regains the “NWA” Mid-Atlantic title from Ric Flair
at the old Charlotte Coliseum (Jim Crockett Promotions).
May
24, 1976
– McDaniel loses the “NWA” Mid-Atlantic title to Ric Flair at
the Charlotte Coliseum (Jim Crockett Promotions).
September
11, 1976 – Wahoo
regains the “NWA” Mid-Atlantic title from Ric Flair at the
Greenville (SC) Memorial Auditorium (Jim Crockett Promotions).
November
16, 1976
– The Chief loses the “NWA” Mid-Atlantic title to Ric Flair at
the Greensboro Coliseum (Jim Crockett Promotions).
December
27, 1976 – McDaniel
regains the “NWA” Mid-Atlantic title from Ric Flair at the
Richmond (VA) Coliseum (Jim Crockett Promotions).
In
early 1977, McDaniel is pushed in a feud with NWA World champion
Harley Race after pinning the champ in a televised non-title bout at
WRAL studios in Raleigh, NC. Wahoo takes on the persona of uncrowned
“People’s Champion,” as he continuously battles the champ but
comes up short.
May
8, 1977 – Wahoo serves as the special guest referee for a steel
cage match at the old Charlotte Coliseum pitting Ole & Gene
Anderson against Ric Flair & Greg Valentine for the “NWA”
World tag title. After McDaniel tolls the three count, allowing the
Andersons to regain the belts, Flair and Valentine attack him.
McDaniel’s old partner Paul Jones, who had been out of the territory
for several months, makes a dramatic return for the save (Jim Crockett
Promotions).
June
11, 1977 – McDaniel loses the “NWA” Mid-Atlantic title to
Greg Valentine at a taping of the syndicated Mid-Atlantic
Championship Wrestling at Raleigh’s WRAL studios. The ref stops
the match when Valentine applies a stepover grapevine and “breaks
McDaniel’s leg” (Jim Crockett Promotions).”
Like
he had done three years earlier with Flair, McDaniel pushes for
another newcomer, Ricky Steamboat, to be brought into the mix in
1977. A trainee of Verne Gagne, Steamboat (real name: Richard Blood)
is billed as the “son” of longtime JCP favorite Sam Steamboat
and becomes Wahoo’s pet project. McDaniel puts him over on
interviews as his protege and helps set up a feud with Flair, thus
launching a rivalry that would last some two decades and change the
way wrestling matches would be worked forever.
April 2,
1978 – McDaniel regains the “NWA” Mid-Atlantic title for the
last time of his career, beating Greg Valentine at the Greensboro
Coliseum (Jim Crockett Promotions).
April 9,
1978 – Wahoo loses the “NWA” Mid-Atlantic belt to Ken Patera
at the old Charlotte Coliseum (Jim Crockett Promotions).
1978 –
The Chief beats The Spoiler (Don Jardine) for the “NWA” Southern
heavyweight championship (Championship Wrestling from Florida).
November
12, 1978 – McDaniel loses the “NWA” Southern title to the
unpredictable Dick Slater (Championship Wrestling from Florida).
December
25, 1978 – McDaniel makes his New Orleans Superdome debut,
teaming with Jim Shields in a tournament to crown new “NWA” U.S.
tag team champions. They beat The Assassins in the first round, but
lose to Bobby Jaggers & Jerry Brown in the semi-finals. The
eventual winners of the tourny are Dusty Rhodes & Andre the Giant
(Leroy McGuirk Championship Wrestling).
May 13,
1979 – Wahoo beats The Spoiler (Don Jardine) in Houston, TX to
win the “NWA” American heavyweight championship (Gulf Athletic
Club).
May 14,
1979 – The Chief beats the Masked Superstar (Bill Eadie),
managed by Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, in Augusta, GA to capture the
“NWA” Georgia title (Georgia Championship Wrestling).
May 18,
1979 – McDaniel teams with Tommy “Wildfire” Rich in
Atlanta’s Omni to beat Ole Anderson & Ivan Koloff for the
“NWA” Georgia tag straps (Georgia Championship Wrestling).
June 2,
1979 – The Spoiler (Don Jardine) is awarded the “NWA”
American title in Houston due to an injury suffered by McDaniel (Gulf
Athletic Club).
June 8,
1979 – McDaniel & Rich drop the “NWA” Georgia tag belts
back to Anderson & Koloff at the Omni (Georgia Championship
Wrestling).
September
1, 1979 – Wahoo battles to a double disqualification in the
first round of a tournament to crown a new “NWA” U.S. champion at
the old Charlotte Coliseum (Jim Crockett Promotions).
July 25,
1980 – McDaniel loses to Ken Mantell in the finals of a
tournament to crown a new Louisiana heavyweight champion in
Shreveport, LA (Mid-South Sports).
July 30,
1979 – McDaniel loses the “NWA” Georgia title back to the
Masked Superstar in Augusta, GA (Georgia Championship Wrestling).
August
2, 1980 – The Chief loses to The Grappler (Len Denton) before
26,000 fans at the New Orleans Superdome (Mid-South Sports).
August
23, 1980 – McDaniel beats Tully Blanchard in San Antonio, TX to
capture the “NWA” Southwest heavyweight championship (Southwest
Championship Wrestling).
November
27, 1980 – McDaniel teams with Ray Candy to down The Turk &
The Mexican Angel at the New Orleans Superdome (Mid-South Sports).
February
27, 1981 – Wahoo wrestles NWA World champion Harley Race to 60
minute draw in Houston, TX (Gulf Athletic Club).
February
28, 1981 – McDaniel challenges Race for the NWA World title once
again, this time in San Antonio, TX (Southwest Championship
Wrestling).
1981 –
McDaniel beats “The Continental Lover” Eddy Mansfield to win the
Florida TV title (Championship Wrestling from Florida).
March
28, 1981 – McDaniel’s hunt for the “ten pounds of gold”
continues, this time in St. Petersburg, FL, as he battles Race at the
Bayfront Center (Championship Wrestling from Florida).
1981 –
The Chief teams with Terry Funk to down “The Dynamic Duo” (Tully
Blanchard & Gino Hernandez) for the Southwest tag straps. They
later drop the belts back to the same team (Southwest Championship
Wrestling).
1981 –
McDaniel beats former NWA World champion Terry Funk to regain the
Southwest heavyweight championship (Southwest Championship Wrestling).
May 1981
– McDaniel teams with “Polish Power” Ivan Putski to beat
Dory Funk Jr. & Larry Lane (subbing for an injured Terry Funk) to
capture the World tag team championship in San Antonio, TX (Southwest
Championship Wrestling).
July
1981 – McDaniel & Putski drop the World tag belts to Tully
Blanchard & Gino Hernandez (Southwest Championship Wrestling).
August
8, 1981 – Wahoo captures the “NWA” U.S. heavyweight
championship for the first time of his career, downing Rowdy Roddy
Piper at the Greensboro Coliseum (Jim Crockett Promotions).
September
1981 – During a taping of Mid-Atlantic
Championship Wrestling, McDaniel is attacked by Piper’s bounty
hunter Abdullah the Butcher, who uses a foreign object to render Wahoo
so bloody, several TV stations carrying the show receive complaints
from viewers. Due to the injury angle, McDaniel is stripped of the
U.S. title. A tournament is held on October 4, 1981 in Charlotte, with
Sgt. Slaughter pinning Ricky Steamboat in the finals to win the belt
(Jim Crockett Promotions).
December
26, 1981 – McDaniel wrestles NWA World champion Ric Flair to a
60 minute draw at the Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg, FL
(Championship Wrestling from Florida).
February
18, 1982 – McDaniel loses to NWA World champion Ric Flair in
Tampa (Championship Wrestling from Florida).
May 12,
1982 – Wahoo comes back to Tampa for another shot at Flair
(Championship Wrestling from Florida).
May 21,
1982 – The Chief regains the “NWA” U.S. title for the second
time, beating Sgt. Slaughter at the Richmond (VA) Coliseum (Jim
Crockett Promotions).
May 29,
1982 – McDaniel challenges Ric Flair once again for the NWA
World title at the Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg, FL (Championship
Wrestling from Florida).
June 7,
1982 – McDaniel loses the “NWA” U.S. title to Sgt. Slaughter
at the Greenville (SC) Memorial Auditorium (Jim Crockett Promotions).
August
22, 1982 – Wahoo regains the “NWA” U.S. title from Sgt.
Slaughter at the Charlotte Coliseum in a Canadian lumberjack match
with wrestlers surrounding the ring with leather straps (Jim Crockett
Promotions).
November
4, 1982 – McDaniel loses the “NWA” U.S. title to Greg “The
Hammer” Valentine, managed by Sir Oliver Humperdink, at The Scope in
Norfolk, VA. Valentine pins Wahoo after nailing him with a foreign
object (Jim Crockett Promotions).
April
24, 1983 – McDaniel beats Eddie Boulder (later Brutus “The
Barber” Beefcake) before 20,000 fans at the St. Paul (MN) Civic
Center, and another 10,000 watching on closed-circuit TV (Minneapolis
Boxing & Wrestling Club).
May 26,
1983 – Wahoo competes at the Houston Summit in a tournament
endorsed by former NWA champs Lou Thesz and Terry Funk to crown a new
World heavyweight champion (as recognized by Joe Blanchard’s
promotion, which is seen at this time nationwide on the USA network).
McDaniel beats Bobby Jaggers in the first round, but loses to Adrian
Adonis (the eventual winner) in the semi-finals (Southwest
Championship Wrestling).
July 10,
1983 – McDaniel battles to a double-countout with “NWA” U.S.
champ Greg Valentine before 20,000 fans at Exhibition Stadium in
Toronto (Queensbury Athletic Club).
August
27, 1983 – McDaniel loses to Mr. Wrestling II in the first round
of a Cadillac tournament in Atlanta’s Omni. Wrestling II was the
eventual winner of the event (Georgia Championship Wrestling).
November
24, 1983 – Wahoo teams with Mark Youngblood to lose to Dick
Slater & Cowboy Bob Orton Jr. at Starrcade
’83, broadcast live from the Greensboro Coliseum (Jim Crockett
Promotions).
March 4,
1984 – McDaniel teams with Mark Youngblood to down Cowboy Bob
Orton Jr. & Don Kernodle, managed by Playboy Gary Hart, at the old
Charlotte Coliseum, to capture the “NWA” World tag title (Jim
Crockett Promotions).
March
29, 1984 – McDaniel teams with Butch Reed in Kansas City to
enter a one-night tournament to crown new “NWA” Central States tag
team champions. They beat Hacksaw Jim Duggan & Earthquake Ferris
in the opening round, but lost to the eventual winners, The Grapplers
(Len Denton & Tony Anthony) in the semi-finals (Heart of America
Sports Attractions).
April 4,
1984 – McDaniel & Youngblood drop the “NWA” World tag
belts to Jack & Jerry Brisco at a TV taping for the syndicated Mid-Atlantic
Championship Wrestling at the Spartanburg (SC) Memorial Auditorium
(Jim Crockett Promotions).
June 30,
1984 – The Chief teams with Junkyard Dog and Jimmy Valiant to
beat Angelo “King Kong” Mosca, Outlaw Ron Bass, and Black Bart
before 20,000 fans at Lord of
the Rings in Miami’s Orange Bowl (Championship Wrestling from
Florida).
June 22,
1984 – McDaniel loses to NWA World champion Ric Flair at the
Kiel Auditorium (St. Louis Wrestling Club).
June 24,
1984 – McDaniel beats fellow babyface Ricky Steamboat to regain
the “NWA” U.S. title at the Greensboro Coliseum after Tully
Blanchard interferes. Blanchard attempts to hit Wahoo with a chair,
but McDaniel ducks and Blanchard nails Steamboat instead. McDaniel
then shocks the crowd by pinning Steamboat, furthering his heel turn
(Jim Crockett Promotions).
July
1984 – The NWA strips McDaniel of the U.S. title due to the
controversy surrounding the Steamboat match and orders a tournament to
determine a new champion (Jim Crockett Promotions).
August
1984 – Wahoo beats Keith Larson in the first round of a Cadillac
tourny in Atlanta’s Omni, but loses to Black Bart in the second
round (Georgia Championship Wrestling).
September
15, 1984 – The Chief teams with Jay & Mark Youngblood to
beat the The Super Medics before 29,000 fans at Roberto Clemente
Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico (Capital Sports).
October
7, 1984 – McDaniel beats “The Raging Bull” Manny Fernandez
in the finals of the tourny at the old Charlotte Coliseum to capture
the “NWA” U.S. title for the fifth and final time of his career
(Jim Crockett Promotions).
November
22, 1984 – McDaniel pins former WWF World champion Superstar
Billy Graham to retain the “NWA” U.S. title in one of the featured
bouts at Starrcade ’84, broadcast live from the Greensboro Coliseum (Jim
Crockett Promotions).
March
23, 1985 – The Chief loses the “NWA” U.S. title to Magnum
T.A. in an intense steel cage match at the old Charlotte Coliseum.
Televised on the syndicated World
Wide Wrestling (Jim Crockett Promotions).
July 9,
1985 – McDaniel teams with Billy Jack Haynes to best Ravishing
Rick Rude & Jesse Barr in Tampa for the “NWA” U.S. tag belts
(Championship Wrestling from Florida).
July 23,
1985 – Wahoo goes to a time-limit draw with The Grappler (Len
Denton) in the opening round of a tournament to crown a new “NWA”
Florida heavyweight champion in Tampa. The eventual winner of the
tourny that night was Barry Horowitz.
| “I’ve
known Wahoo since 1983. First working for Jim Crockett
Promotions, then for Florida, where he was the booker. He was
always nice and fair to me. I really liked him a lot. Always a
lot of respect. I remember one time, we were flying from Florida
to Atlanta on a small twin-engine plane. It was me, Billy Jack,
Wahoo, and Rick Rude. Well, to make a long story short, one of
the engines goes out or a fuel tank runs out or whatever ... and
Wahoo goes nuts. He’s got that fast way of talking when he
expresses himself, and all the sudden, he just cuts this promo
on the pilot that was hilarious. I usually panic in situations
like that myself, but the way Wahoo went crazy on the pilot,
made me not even think of crashing.”
Barry
Horowitz
Former
WWF and WCW wrestler |
September
2, 1985 –
McDaniel loses to NWA World champion Ric Flair in a two-out-of-three
falls match at the Sundome in Tampa. This is the main event of the
syndicated live TV special, Battle
of the Belts (Championship Wrestling from Florida).
October
2, 1985 –
McDaniel beats Ravishing Rick Rude, managed by Percy Pringle (later
Paul Bearer) in Tampa to win the “NWA” Southern title for the
second time (Championship Wrestling from Florida).
November
19, 1985 –
McDaniel loses the “NWA” Southern title in Tampa to “The Total
Package” Lex Luger, managed by Hiro Matsuda (Championship Wrestling
from Florida).
November
28, 1985 –
Wahoo teams with Billy Jack Haynes to unsuccessfully challenge “The
Minnesota Wrecking Crew” Ole & Arn Anderson for the “NWA”
National tag team championship at Starrcade
’85 from Atlanta’s Omni (Jim Crockett Promotions).
January
26, 1986 –
McDaniel competes in the first-ever Texas Cup tournament in San
Antonio, TX. Beats The Mighty Zulu in the first round and Angel Blanco
Jr. in the second, but loses in the quarter-finals to the eventual
winner, Gentleman Chris Adams (Texas All-Star Wrestling).
February
14, 1986 –
McDaniel battles to a double countout with Bruiser Brody in one of the
featured bouts from the syndicated Battle
of the Belts II broadcast live from the Eddie Graham Sports Arena
in Orlando (Championship Wrestling from Florida).
April
26, 1986 –
McDaniel loses to Colonel DeBeers via disqualification at AWA Wrestle Rock before 22,000 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
in Minneapolis, MN (Minneapolis Boxing & Wrestling Club).
July
5, 1986 –
Wahoo beats Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin in an Indian strap match before
20,000 at Memorial Stadium in Charlotte during the Great
American Bash (Jim Crockett Promotions).
July
18, 1986 –
McDaniel challenges Ric Flair once again for the NWA World heavyweight
championship (Jim Crockett Promotions).
August
28, 1986 –
McDaniel beats Tully Blanchard at the Forum in Los Angeles to capture
the “NWA” National heavyweight championship (Jim Crockett
Promotions).
September
28, 1986 –
The Chief loses the “NWA” National title to “NWA” U.S.
champion Nikita Koloff in a unification match at Atlanta’s Omni (Jim
Crockett Promotions).
November
27, 1986 –
McDaniel beats Ravishing Rick Rude in an Indian strap match at Starrcade
’86 from Atlanta’s Omni (Jim Crockett Promotions).
April
16, 1988 –
McDaniel beats AWA World champion Curt Hennig in a non-title cage
match at AWA Rage in the Cage II
from The Showboat Sports Pavillion in Las Vegas, NV (Minneaplois
Boxing & Wrestling Club).
September
18, 1988 –
Wahoo beats Dan Spivey before 23,000 fans at Juan Lobriel Stadium in
Bayamon, Puerto Rico (Capital Sports).
December
13, 1988 –
McDaniel beats “The Raging Bull” Manny Fernandez in a bloody
Indian strap match in one of the headline matches at the AWA
Super Clash 3 pay-per-view from the UIC Pavillion in Chicago
(Minneapolis Boxing & Wrestling Club).
| "Wahoo
McDaniel is one of the greatest legends to ever step into a
wrestling ring. I am honored to have competed with and to know
such a man."
The
Maestro
Former
WCW Wrestler |
October
2, 1991 – Wahoo
teams with Jay Eagle to beat the Hollywood Blondes for the National
tag team championship in Inman, SC (National Championship Wrestling).
January
11, 1992 – McDaniel
loses to Helmut Hessler in the televised finals of a tournament in
Roseboro, NC to crown a new South Atlantic heavyweight champion (South
Atlantic Pro Wrestling).
October
23, 1992 – McDaniel
teams with Jay Eagle to down Ivan & Vladimir Koloff in North
Wilkesboro, NC for the National tag team championship (National
Championship Wrestling).
May
23, 1993 – The Chief
teams with Blackjack Mulligan and Jumping Jim Brunzell to battle
“Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, Don Muraco, and Dick Murdoch to a
no-contest at the WCW Slamboree
pay-per-view from Atlanta’s Omni (World Championship Wrestling).
July
1993 – McDaniel
beats Buddy Shane to win the NAWA heavyweight championship in Chester,
SC (North American Wrestling Alliance).
April
4, 1995 – McDaniel
loses the AWF title to The Barbarian in High Point, NC (American
Wrestling Federation).
May
21, 1995 – Wahoo
pins Dick Murdoch at the WCW
Slamboree PPV broadcast live from St. Petersburg, FL. Later that
night, McDaniel is inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame.
The
organization that would eventually become known as World
Championship Wrestling (WCW), now a subsidiary of the World
Wrestling Federation, evolved from a Charlotte, NC-based office
called Jim Crockett Promotions.
It
was a company that McDaniel and regular opponent Johnny Valentine
helped revitalize in the early-to-mid 70’s while working under the
direction of acclaimed booker George Scott.
Maintaining
a brutal and psychologically correct style, McDaniel and Valentine
essentially reinvented an entire subgenre of the wrestling arts and
impacted the business in ways that are still being felt today.
In
addition to his artistic contributions, McDaniel’s
behind-the-scenes influence as a booker, trainer, and talent scout
has helped shape the course that the wrestling industry has taken in
the past three decades. He is a legend. He is a champion.
He
is the Leader of the Tribe.
Richard
Sullivan is a well-respected wrestling historian. His work appears
regularly in This Week In
Wrestling.
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