Buddy Wolfe

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Buddy Wolfe
Birth nameLeslie Charles Wolff
Born(1941-04-11)April 11, 1941
Blue Earth, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedJuly 11, 2017(2017-07-11) (aged 76)
Hackensack, Minnesota, U.S.
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1976; div. 1979)​
Children2
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Buddy Wolff
Spoiler #2
Billed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Billed weight260 lb (118 kg)
Trained byVerne Gagne
Debut1968
Retired1988

Leslie Charles Wolff

World Wide Wrestling Federation
during the 1970s and 80s.

Wolff found his greatest success as the tag team partner of

NWA United States Tag Team Championship during the early 1970s.[2]

Wolff later formed a tag team with

Midwest United States during the mid-1970s.[3]

Professional wrestling career

Early career

Trained by wrestler Verne Gagne, Wolff was one of several students to debut during the early 1970s including Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, "Nature Boy" Ric Flair and Pacific Northwest Wrestling mainstay "Playboy" Buddy Rose,[4] whom he would become a mentor to during his early career.[5] In one of his earliest matches, he lost to his future brother-in-law Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon in Fargo, North Dakota on December 20, 1970.[6]

From Atlanta to Texas

He spent his first years in

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling feuding with fellow Minnesota State alumni Ole and Lars Anderson. Wolff dominated his feud with Ole Anderson and, to further the storyline, a real-life incident in which Ole Anderson broke his nose while the two attended college was often referenced by Anderson who frequently claimed that Wolff was trying to end his wrestling career.[7]

During mid-1971, Wolff wrestled in the Dallas-area for promoter

Dallas Morning News
reported that this match was the first "3-man free-for-all wrestling match" held in Dallas, this statement in inaccurate.

On October 5, he teamed with Lubich, Patterson, Tanaka and

Joe Dusek. He fought his last match in the promotion fighting former tag team partner Bronko Lubich on December 14, 1971.[8]

World Wide Wrestling Federation (1972–1973)

In late 1972, Wolff began competing in the World Wide Wrestling Federation. He defeated

Victor Rivera via disqualification on December 29.[9]

The following year, he faced then WWWF World Heavyweight Champion

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
on January 27.

On February 10, he would score his first victory defeating

Zembo Mosque in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
on February 23. During the match, Wolfe sustained a serious head wound after hitting one of the turnbuckles and the referee stopped the match.

He would also face

Lee Wong during the next several weeks before losing to Pedro Morales in a Texas Death match on March 16 and, the following night, teamed with Moondog Mayne and Toru Tanaka in a 6-man tag team match against Gorilla Monsoon, Sonny King and El Olympico. On March 26, he lost to André the Giant in his debut match at Madison Square Garden on March 26 [11] and to Pedro Morales in New London, Connecticut
on April 13.

He again faced Morales on April 21, during which time the match was again stopped by the referee due to a serious wound being sustained. He and Frank Valois faced André the Giant in a handicap match in Augusta, Maine on April 26 as well as facing Gorilla Monsoon and "Classie" Freddie Blassie before leaving the promotion in late April 1973.[12]

American Wrestling Association & National Wrestling Alliance (1973–1978)

Later that year, he and Lars Anderson (under the name "Luscious" Larry Heinimi) began teaming together and billed as "cousins" although this was

Tri-State territory. For a brief time in the mid-1970s, he and Anderson owned and operated a chain of "shirt shacks" selling tie-dye shirts.[7]

Wolff also traveled to Japan along with Ric Flair,

Chicago, Illinois on September 7, 1974.[14]

After Anderson lost a retirement match to Billy Robinson forcing him to leave the AWA, Wolff announced he had found a new tag team partner Kim Duk. He and Kim Duk had a brief but memorable run as a tag team, however they were ultimately unsuccessful in winning the AWA World Tag Team Championship and split up soon after.[7] In one of their last appearances as a team, they lost to Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell at the Omaha Civic Auditorium on August 19, 1975.

In October, while in

San Antonio.[15] On November 3, he defeated Al Madril for the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship. He successfully defended the title against Tony Atlas and in rematches with Al Madrill before he losing to John Tolos later that month.[16]

In June 1976, he was a wrestling

Chicago, Illinois on August 27, 1976.[18] Later that year, he traveled to Japan where he faced Abdullah the Butcher in a rare meeting.[19]

While in

St. Louis, Missouri on March 17, 1978.[21]

Later career and retirement (1983–1988)

He defeated Lars Anderson for the WWL Heavyweight Championship in Joplin, Missouri on January 18, 1983.[22] After this point, Wolff began to slow down making brief appearances in various regional territories. He teamed with Ken Timbs against Tojo Yamamoto & Johnny Wilhoit at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee on July 16, 1984.[23]

He eventually returned to the AWA where he spent the last years of his career. At the supercard Brawl in St. Paul, Wolff fought

San Francisco, California on May 2, 1987.[25][26]

Personal life

Wolff played football in high school and college, later attending

St. Cloud State College, prior to becoming a former defensive end for the Norfolk Neptunes. He was voted Rookie of the Year during his first year in the Continental Football League but left the organization in 1968 to pursue a career in professional wrestling.[7]

He was also the husband of

French-Canadian female wrestler and member of the famous Vachon wrestling family, to whom he was married from 1976 to 1979.[27] He also had two daughters, Lisa and Ann, from his first marriage.[28]

Following his retirement, he eventually moved to

brackets to keep banners from falling off signs in strong winds. He came up with the idea while watching the 2002 Winter Olympics and saw some of the banners being blown off signs.[7]

In 2003, he made a public appearance with the Vachon brothers at the 2003

Las Vegas, Nevada from April 4–6, 2003.[7][29] At the event, he gave a speech.[5]

Death

On July 11, 2017, Wolff's daughter Lisa Wolff Clausen posted on her Facebook page that Wolfe had died.[28] Minnesota historian and decades-long friend George Schire afterwards stated that Wolfe had been battling dementia in recent years.[28] His brain will be donated to Boston University.[28]

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. ^ "LES WOLFF". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  2. ^ Miller, Bob (2002). "Regional Territories: Tri-State #2, Page #2". KayfabeMemories.com.
  3. ^ a b Edwards, John (2002). "Regional Territories: WWA – Indianapolis #17, Page #2". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
  4. Canadian Online Explorer
    . Archived from the original on July 7, 2012.
  5. ^ a b Rose, Buddy (February 2004). "Playboy's Q & A #7". PlayboyBuddyRose.com. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008.
  6. Canadian Online Explorer
    . Archived from the original on July 15, 2012.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g George Schire; Dr. Mike Lano (2004). "Old School, New School, Episode 17" (Podcast). WNBC.com.
  8. ^ "Dallas Wrestling Results – 1971". LegacyOfWrestling.com. Archived from the original on July 24, 2008. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
  9. ^ "Results: 1972". NYProWrestling.com.
  10. ^ "Memories of Studio Wrestling: Studio Wrestling & The 1970s". November 2001.
  11. ^ "The Official Site of Andre the Giant: Biography". AndretheGiant.com. 2002. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008.
  12. ^ Cawthon, Graham (November 2001). "WWWF: 1973". Graham Cawthon's History of the WWE.
  13. ^ Horie, Masanori (August 23, 1999). "View from the Rising Sun: To Be The Man, You've Got To Beat The Man!". Rob Moore, Texas Wrestling Announcer. Archived from the original on November 9, 2012.
  14. ^ "AWA Stadium Shows: Comiskey Park 1974". ProWrestlingHistory.com. 2002.
  15. Canadian Online Explorer
    . Archived from the original on July 17, 2012.
  16. ^ Dananey, John. "WCCW Results: 1975". World Class Memories. Archived from the original on October 30, 2008.
  17. ISBN 0-7434-6316-1
  18. ^ "AWA Stadium Shows: Comiskey Park 1976". ProWrestlingHistory.com. 2002.
  19. ^ Best of Abdullah The Butcher In Japan, Vol. 1. Perf. Buddy Wolff and Abdullah the Butcher. 2004. Videocassette. Coliseum of Wrestling & Boxing.
  20. Graham, Billy (2006). "1977". SuperstarBillyGraham.net. Archived from the original
    on May 20, 2008.
  21. ^ "Regional Territories: St. Louis #10, Page #2". ProWrestlingHistory.com. 2002.
  22. ^ Burke, Tom (2003). "The WAWLI Papers #758... Wrestling Results From Global Wrestling #88". WrestlingClassics.com.
  23. ^ "Mid-South Coliseum 1984 (Jarrett)". ProWrestlingHistory.com. 2006.
  24. ^ "Misc. AWA Cards: Brawl in St. Paul". ProWrestlingHistory.com. 2003.
  25. ^ "SuperClash II". ProWrestlingHistory.com. 2002.
  26. ^ Adamson, Matt (January 31, 2008). "The Best Of Times 1.31.08: May 1987". 411mania.com.
  27. ^ Will, Gary (2000). "Canadian Pro Wrestling Page of Fame: Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon, Paul "Butcher" Vachon and Vivian Vachon". GaryWill.com. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014.
  28. ^ a b c d Oliver, Greg (July 13, 2017). "Buddy Wolff dies". Slam Canoe. Archived from the original on July 16, 2017. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  29. ^ "CAC Memories: The Cauliflower Alley Club". BigBillAnderson.com.
  30. ^ "N.W.A. Florida Heavyweight Title". Puroresu Dojo. 2003.
  31. ^ "N.W.A. United States Tag Team Title (Tri-State)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003.
  32. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4
    .
  33. ^ "NWA Texas Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
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