Buddy rogers wrestler

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When professional wrestling fans hear the name "Nature Boy," one wrestler comes to mind - Ric Flair. However, Flair isn't the only Nature Boy in wrestling history, and he wasn't the first. While Flair was the most successful, he owes his nickname and much of his wrestling gimmick to the original Nature Boy, Buddy Rogers. Ric Flair was a time world champion according to WWE , although he won more than that when all his world titles are taken into account. However, that doesn't discount Rogers, who himself was a time world champion. He started off wrestling as a child for the YMCA before moving on to work as a circus wrestler when he turned When he was 18, he wrestled his first match as a professional wrestler and won over a man named Moe Brazen.

Buddy rogers wrestler

His performances influenced future professional wrestlers, including "Nature Boy" Ric Flair , who used Rogers's nickname, as well as his look, attitude and finishing hold, the figure-four leglock. He is one of three men in history to have held both championships, along with Ric Flair and AJ Styles. Rogers was the son of Herman Gustav Rohde Sr. He served in the U. Navy during World War II. Rogers also excelled in football, boxing, track and swimming, winning the YMCA's three-mile swimming championship in Rogers joined the Dale Brothers Circus as a wrestler at age He later worked at a shipyard, and became a police officer. Rogers visited the offices of professional wrestling promoters Ray and Frank Hanley, who gave him his first match on July 4, , against Moe Brazen, which he won. He continued his career in Houston , where he assumed the name Buddy Rogers. Rogers would get his first title during his tenure there, winning the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship four times, once from Lou Thesz , beginning a long feud between them both in and out of the ring. Louis, Missouri , a major professional wrestling market at the time. He was pitted against Lou Thesz as a draw.

There was a lot of drama between Buddy Rogers and Lou Thesz over their career. Another Rogers contribution to modern professional wrestling was his bombastic interviewing style. He had a broken arm and suffered three strokes, two of buddy rogers wrestler occurring on the same day.

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Rogers is one of the seminal figures of the era that drew in so many parts of the United States not to mention his work in Montreal, Quebec. POST Wrestling: First off, what were some of the broad differences tackling a singular subject such as Buddy Rogers compared to some of your other books detailing the history of the NWA, the territorial system, etc.? My NWA book, and Death of the Territories , were vast projects centering on dozens of regional promotions and personalities, and it always felt like there was an infinite amount of stories to share. But once I got going, and started to apply fresh research techniques, it only opened up new avenues for information and made the book that much better. Altogether, though, writing a biography is a completely different beast than studying the history of an organization or era, and I really enjoy working on them. POST: What stood out with Rogers that made him such a captivating subject and did you find that history had not accurately reflected his legacy? Hornbaker: Buddy Rogers was a legend in and out of the wrestling ring. His innovative ring style, personality, and incredible charisma put him on another level from his contemporaries, and he made an impact in every territory he appeared. For me, it was fascinating to learn how he became such a pioneering figure, and the roads he took from Camden, New Jersey to the biggest arenas across North America. At one point early in his career, he was compared to both Gorgeous George and Gene Stanlee, who both were massively successful at the time.

Buddy rogers wrestler

Following his retirement from the ring, Rogers continued to be a major force throughout the s and into the s as a successful manager and trainer. Initially, he competed as Dutch Rhode, gaining experience as a traditional, athletic local babyface. Whether he competed in tag teams, or especially as a singles wrestler, Buddy Rogers was among the most hated villains of his day, perhaps even the most hated. At the same time, there was no denying he was also among the most talented, charismatic and, certainly, best-drawing at the box office. Louis, Montreal, Ohio and the large northeastern cities that would eventually become the WWWF After winning dozens of regional titles throughout the U.

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He had previously suffered a fall at a supermarket and subsequently underwent heart-bypass surgery. But Rogers was considered a difficult person by many peers, and was continuously embroiled in controversy. During the s, Rogers's main tag team partner was The Great Scott. Article Talk. Sadly, the GWF folded before the match could happen and Rogers died a few short months later. Howard Finkel Koko B. WWE Champions. Wrestling Observer Newsletter. After putting over Sammartino, his health problems forced Rogers to wrestle in only a limited number of short singles matches that lasted a minute or two. Archived from the original on May 12, Retrieved July 3,

When professional wrestling fans hear the name "Nature Boy," one wrestler comes to mind - Ric Flair. However, Flair isn't the only Nature Boy in wrestling history, and he wasn't the first. While Flair was the most successful, he owes his nickname and much of his wrestling gimmick to the original Nature Boy, Buddy Rogers.

In , Rogers appeared in 19 quick matches in an Ohio-based promotion called Wrestling Show Classics before he realized his health was not getting better to the point where he could wrestle. When Ric Flair began wrestling, he was far from the Nature Boy that fans know today. He even developed a great finishing move in a submission hold called the Figure Four Leg Lock. Sign up for Peacock to watch. McMahon and Toots Mondt were in a panic and hid Rogers's medical problems. With his platinum blond locks, rich tan, haughty strut and signature Figure-Four Leglock, Rogers stood out. He had that indefinable something fans responded to, and he was sharp enough to build upon what he had, paying attention to what got a reaction from the fans. Toggle limited content width. Rogers was firmly in his corner, even occasionally showing traces of the old "Nature Boy" when they paired up in tag team bouts. Sign in. Buddy Rogers: Bio. History of Wrestling. At his own request [15] he was not placed on life-support and died on June 26, , at the age of