Don Kent (wrestler)
Don Kent | |
---|---|
Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana | |
Died | June 7, 1993 Battle Creek, Michigan | (aged 59)
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | The Black Dragon "Bulldog" Kent Don Kent Doug Kent Joe Smith Ray Kent Super Médico III |
Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
Billed weight | 250 lb (110 kg) |
Billed from | Australia (Kangaroos) Indiana |
Trained by | Larry Chene |
Debut | 1956 |
Retired | 1992 |
Leo Joseph "Joe" Smith Jr. (June 24, 1933 – June 7, 1993) was an American professional wrestler who wrestled as Don Kent and also as The Black Dragon, Doug Kent, Joe Smith and Super Medico III during his 36 years in professional wrestling.[1]
Don Kent is one half of
When Kent was not one half of the Kangaroos, he mainly worked as "Bulldog" Don Kent in NWA Mid-America and Big Time Wrestling in the singles and the tag team divisions until his retirement in 1986.[1]
Professional wrestling career
Kent attended St. Philip Catholic Central High School in Battle Creek, Michigan. He was recruited by the Boston Red Sox as a catcher right out of high school. Kent's father thought that Kent was too young to play professional baseball and insisted that he go to St. Benedict's College in Kansas. After graduating, Kent worked at a Veterans Administration Medical Center in his hometown of Battle Creek while being trained by Leapin’ Larry Chene for a professional wrestling career.[1]
Early career (1956–1967)
Kent made his professional wrestling debut in 1956 working under such names as "Don Kent", "Joe Smith" and "The Black Dragon", generally working as a heel (bad guy) in the Michigan area.[1] In the first half of the 1960s Don Kent went to Arizona and worked in the local wrestling promotion, where he was booked as a sadistic heel. In Arizona, Kent worked a storyline that drew full houses at the Phoenix Madison Square Garden against local face (good guy) Tito Montez. The two faced off week after week in a variety of specialty matches such as a chain match, "Arizona death match" and falls count anywhere match. The angle ended with a steel cage match that saw Montez win after overcoming Kent's cheating ways. One week after the storyline ended, attendance dropped by half and Don Kent soon left the area.[2]
Fabulous Kangaroos (1967–1974)
In 1967, Al Costello reformed the tag team
The Kangaroos frequented NWA Detroit, where they held the Detroit version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship for most of 1971.[3] By the end of 1972, the Kangaroos began working for Nick Gulas’ NWA Mid-America. In Mid-America, they held the local version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship, the Mid-America version, on three occasions.[3]
After a match in the Cincinnati Gardens in 1974, Costello's hip was damaged when an enraged fan threw a fire extinguisher from the balcony. Costello had hip replacement surgery later that year. The fan was arrested, served 15 days in jail, and was fined fifty dollars for damaging the fire extinguisher. With Costello unable to compete, the Fabulous Kangaroos split up.[4] After the Kangaroos went their separate ways Don Kent returned to NWA Mid-America as a singles wrestler.[1]
Working alone (1974–1981)
When Costello retired, Kent remained with Mid-America where he developed into a main heel as the "Dog Collar" wearing, barking "Bulldog" Don Kent. Kent teamed with Chris Gallagher and won the
In late 1975, Kent moved closer to home and work for
In 1977, having recovered from hip surgery, Al Costello teamed up with Kent as The Fabulous Kangaroos for a tour of Puerto Rico with the
In 1977 Kent returned to the Alabama area to work for NWA Mid-America once more. Kent defeated
In the early to mid 80s, Don Kent returned sporadically to Big Time Wrestling to wrestle the Sheik's nephew
Kangaroo return (1981–1983)
In 1981, Costello teamed Kent with Bruno Bekkar, who was best known for working in his native New Zealand and Australia, and work a tour as The Kangaroos for the WWC with Costello serving as their manager.[1] Kent and Bekkar won the WWC North American Tag Team title from the team of Jack and Jerry Brisco on October 22, 1981. This version of the Kangaroos first lost to, then regained the titles from, Invader I and Super Gladiador before losing them for good on January 26, 1982, to Invader and Gladiador.[3] After this tour of the Caribbean, Bruno Bekkar returned to Australia and New Zealand to work for the local promotions there.[1]
Bekkar was replaced with "Johnny Heffernan" (Canadian Bob Della Serra), a storyline cousin of Roy Heffernan for what was the final Kangaroo version to compete.
Later career (1983–1992)
After The Kangaroos split up for the last time, Kent worked mainly in Michigan with tours of Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico, Don Kent donned a mask and worked under the name "Super Médico III" alongside
Death
Don Kent died on June 14, 1993, after suffering from Leukemia for a long period of time.[6]
Championships and accomplishments
- Big Time Wrestling
- Central States Wrestling
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Florida Global Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Johnny Heffernan[3]
- Eastern Sports Association
- International Wrestling Enterprise
- Trans-World Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Al Costello[3]
- NWA Mid-America
- NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
- NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Chris Gallager (2) and Count Drummer (1)
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version) (3 times) – with Al Costello[3]
- World Wrestling Association
- WWA World Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Al Costello (2), Dr. Jerry Graham (2) and Chris Carter (1)[3]
- World Wrestling Council
- WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- WWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bruno Bekkar
- WWC North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- WWC North American Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Johnny Heffernan (2) and Bruno Bekkar (1)[3]
- WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Super Médico I (1)[3]
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
- Class of 1996[7]
References
- ^ ISBN 978-1-5502-2683-6.
- ^ Arizona Wrestling Legends.com. "Legend Profile: Don Kent". Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
- ^ ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ a b Siler, Bob. "Al Costello, "THE" Fabulous Kangaroos". 1Wrestlinglegends.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
- ^ "Bodyslammin' WWC Tag Team Title". bodyslammin.com. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
Titles vacated on October 8, 1984 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico when Medico III (Don Kent) loses his mask.
- ^ "Don Kent profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
June 07, 1993: Don Kent passes away as a result of Leukemia at the age of 59
- ^ https://www.cagematch.net/en/?id=2&nr=3274&page=12 [bare URL]