Arnold Skaaland
Arnold Skaaland | |
---|---|
Born | [1] White Plains, New York, U.S. | January 21, 1925
Died | March 13, 2007[2][3] White Plains, New York, U.S.[2] | (aged 82)
Spouse(s) | Betty Skaaland[2] |
Children | 3 |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Arnold Skaaland[2] Bobby Weaver[4] |
Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[2] |
Billed weight | 240 lb (110 kg)[2] |
Billed from | Norway[4] White Plains, New York[2] |
Debut | 1946[2] |
Retired | 1978[4] |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Marine Corps |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Arnold Skaaland (January 21, 1925 – March 13, 2007) was an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager.[2][1][3]
Following a stint in the
In 1978, Skaaland retired from in-ring competition and transitioned into a
Early life
Skaaland served in the U.S. Marines during World War II.[5] After a short-lived attempt to make a living through boxing, he decided to become a professional wrestler.[1]
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1946–1963)
Skaaland debuted in 1946 as Arnold Skaaland. He was billed early in his career as hailing from Norway. Performing throughout the northeastern United States, Skaaland gained the nickname "The Golden Boy" and was known as a small, agile wrestler who relied on speed, wits, and toughness in the ring rather than size and strength.[1][3] In the late 1950s, he wrestled in Georgia under the ring name Bobby Weaver.[5]
In the early 1960s, Skaaland unsuccessfully challenged both
World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Federation (1963–1994)
Wrestling appearances (1963–1978)
In 1963, Skaaland was a part of the newly created,
Managerial appearances
Skaaland
Skaaland appeared in the 1987 music video for the title track from
Personal life
Skaaland was married to Betty Skaaland. They had three sons: Edward Patrick, James Allen, and George (the last of whom briefly competed as a wrestler in the mid-1980s).
Death
Skaaland died on March 13, 2007, with his wife by his side. He had been sick for some time.[14] He is interred at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York.[15]
Championships and accomplishments
- Cauliflower Alley Club
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Manager of the Year(1978, 1979)
- World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Federation
- WWWF United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Spiros Arion[2]
- Class of 1994)[2]
- Slammy Award (1 time)
- Lifetime Achievement Award (1997)
- Lifetime Achievement Award (
References
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4516-0450-4.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Arnold Skaaland". WWE.com. WWE. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g Burkett, Harry (June 2007). "names makin' news (the Wrestler)". The Wrestler/Inside Wrestling. Kappa Publications. pp. 6–8. Volume 15, 2007.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8108-7926-3.
- ^ a b Variale, Philip (June 2007). "Three months of tragedies". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Kappa Publications. pp. 105–107. July, 2007.
- ^ JP (2009-07-22). "PROVING THAT SIZE DOES MATTER | WRESTLING LEGEND ANDRE THE GIANT". The Selvedge Yard. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
- ISBN 978-1-61321-696-5.
- ISBN 978-0-8317-9682-2.
- ^ "WWE Hall of Fame". www.prowrestlinghistory.com. Retrieved 2021-06-02.
- ^ Bob Backlund attacks his former manager Arnold Skaaland: Superstars, October 15, 1994, retrieved 2021-06-02
- ^ "George Skaaland's Profile". Cagematch. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29.
- ^ Todd, Terry. "To The Giant Among Us: What life is like for Andre the Giant". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
- ^ English, Richard. "The Greatest Drunk on Earth: Andre the Giant | Modern Drunkard Magazine". Retrieved 2021-07-30.
- ^ "Arnold Skaaland dead at 82". Slam Wrestling. 2007-03-14. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
- ^ "Arnold Skaaland passes away". WWE. Archived from the original on 31 December 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
- ^ "List of CAC Award Winners". Cauliflower Alley Club. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
External links
- Arnold Skaaland on WWE.com
- Arnold Skaaland at IMDb
- Arnold Skaaland's profile at Cagematch.net , Internet Wrestling Database