Ernie Ladd
Ernie Ladd | |||||
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Born | Ernest Ladd November 28, 1938 Rayville, Louisiana, U.S. | ||||
Died | March 10, 2007 Franklin, Louisiana, U.S. | (aged 68)||||
Alma mater | Grambling State University | ||||
Spouse | Roslyn Ladd | ||||
Children | 4 | ||||
American football career |
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No. 77, 99 | |||||
Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||
Personal information | |||||
Height: | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | ||||
Weight: | 290 lb (132 kg) | ||||
Career information | |||||
High school: | Wallace (Orange, Texas) | ||||
College: | Grambling State | ||||
NFL draft: | 1961 / Round: 4 / Pick: 48 | ||||
AFL draft: | 1961 / Round: 15 / Pick: 119 | ||||
Career history | |||||
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Career highlights and awards | |||||
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Career AFL statistics | |||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |||||
Trained by | Bobo Brazil | ||||
Debut | 1961 | ||||
Retired | 1988 |
Ernest Ladd (November 28, 1938 – March 10, 2007), nicknamed "the Big Cat", was an American professional
As a professional wrestler, Ladd became one of the top heels in the business. For the majority of his career, he played a villainous character who would arrogantly taunt both opponents and crowds. Ladd feuded with many popular wrestlers of the time, including Wahoo McDaniel, André the Giant, Bobo Brazil, Dusty Rhodes, and Mr. Wrestling, before retiring from the ring in 1986.
For his American football career, Ladd was inducted into the
Ladd was diagnosed with
Early life
Ladd was born in Rayville, Louisiana, and raised in Orange, Texas, where he was a high school football and basketball star.[2] His football coach was William Ray Smith Sr., father of NFL star Bubba Smith. Ladd subsequently attended Grambling State University on a basketball scholarship.[3] He was the nephew of Grambling and Houston Oilers teammate Garland Boyette.
Professional football career
Ladd was drafted in the fourth round of the
At 6′9″ and 290 pounds, Ladd was said to be the biggest and strongest man in professional football during his era. His physical measurements included a 52-inch chest, 39-inch waist, 20-inch biceps, 19-inch neck, and size 18D shoes.[3]
Ladd played in four
Although Ladd found success with the Chargers, he had a contentious relationship with the Chargers front office.
Ladd stated he and teammate Earl Faison would play out their contract options, opting to take a 10 percent cut in salary in exchange for becoming free agents at the end of the season.[10] A planned trade with the Oilers in early 1966 would have sent Faison and Ladd to Houston.[11] However, both were declared free agents by AFL commissioner Joe Foss, who ruled Oilers owner Bud Adams had tampered in trade dealings with the Chargers.[12] Ladd refused to re-sign with the Chargers and suggested he might instead turn to professional wrestling full-time.[13]
Eventually, Ladd signed with the Oilers and spent the 1966 season playing for them before moving in
Professional wrestling career
Ladd started wrestling in 1961. As a publicity stunt, some wrestlers in the San Diego area challenged Ladd to a private wrestling workout. Before long, Ladd was a part-time competitor in Los Angeles, during football's off-season.[5] Ladd became a huge draw in short order. When knee problems cut his football career short, Ladd turned to the more financially lucrative business of wrestling full-time in 1969. After a run as a fan favorite, Ladd became one of wrestling's most hated heels during the 1970s, as well as one of the first African American wrestlers to portray a heel character.[2] He riled crowds with his arrogant and colorful demeanor during interviews, especially with his derogatory nicknames for opponents such as Wahoo McDaniel (whom he referred to as "the Drunken Indian"), and Mr. Wrestling (whom he called "the Masked Varmint" and insisted he was an escaped criminal). Ladd also controversially employed a taped thumb, claiming the support was needed due to an old football injury.[5] Often when Ladd appeared to be in serious trouble during a match, he would walk out of the arena and accept a countout loss, known since as "pulling an Ernie Ladd".
Ladd wrestled for a number of different professional associations, including the
promotion.Known for his immense size and power, it was a natural for Ladd to engage in feuds with other giants, including famously with André the Giant (whom Ladd antagonizingly referred to as "Andre the Dummy" or "The Big Fat French Fry" during interviews).
In certain areas, Ladd's wrestling nickname was "The King", and he would wear an ornate crown.[5] In other wrestling associations, he was "The Big Cat", and entered wearing a big cowboy hat.
After handily pinning Earl "Mr. Universe" Maynard the month prior, Ladd challenged Bruno Sammartino at Madison Square Garden for the WWWF title on March 1, 1976. In 1978, he wrestled WWWF champion Bob Backlund. When the International Wrestling Association had its brief run in the New York area, Ladd lost a two out of three falls match at Roosevelt Stadium, in Jersey City, New Jersey, to champion Mil Mascaras, two falls to one (he pinned Mascaras the first fall, was disqualified in the second, and was pinned by Mascaras in the third).
After leaving the WWWF, Ladd ventured to the Mid-South territory promoted by
Ladd retired from wrestling in 1986 due to recurring knee problems.
He wrestled one more match on January 3, 1988, at a WWF house show in Long Island, New York in a 20-man battle royal won by Bam Bam Bigelow.
He was inducted into the
Later years
Ladd was a longtime friend of the
Death
Ladd was diagnosed with
Championships and accomplishments
- Cauliflower Alley Club
- Other honoree (2005)
- Central States Wrestling
- Bruiser Brody
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- Georgia Championship Wrestling
- Hollywood Wrestling / Worldwide Wrestling Associates
- NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (3 times)[19][20]
- WWA International Television Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Edouard Carpentier
- WWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Edouard Carpentier
- National Wrestling Alliance
- NWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2013)[21]
- National Wrestling Federation
- NWF Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time)
- NWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWF North American Heavyweight Championship (6 times)
- NWA Big Time Wrestling
- NWA Tri-State / Mid-South Wrestling Association
- 1 time)
- 2 times) – with Leroy Brown
- NWA Arkansas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- 5 times)
- 1 time) – with The Assassin
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him # 205 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2018[29]
- Southern California Pro-Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Inducted 2020[30]
- World Championship Wrestling
- World Wrestling Association
- 1 time)
- WWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Baron von Raschke[31]
- World Wrestling Council
- World Wrestling Federation
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
See also
- List of American Football League players
- List of gridiron football players who became professional wrestlers
References
- ^ a b c "Ernie Ladd". WWE.com. WWE. 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
- ^ a b c d Johnson, Stephen; Oliver, Greg (March 11, 2007). ""The Big Cat" was seldom tamed". Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c d e Litsky, Frank (March 14, 2007). "Ernie Ladd, Hall of Famer in Football and Pro Wrestling, Dies at 68". New York Times. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
- ^ Mayer, Larry (April 25, 2013). "These Bears draft picks gained fame in other areas". Chicago Bears. Archived from the original on April 28, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Burkett, Harry (June 2007). "names makin' news (the Wrestler)". The Wrestler/Inside Wrestling. Kappa Publications. pp. 6–8. Volume 15, 2007.
- ^ Lassilla, Alan (May 27, 1977). "Big Ernie A Happy Ladd Now". Sarasota Daily News.
- ^ "Ernie 'Big Cat' Ladd dead at 68". USA Today. Associated Press. March 14, 2007. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
- ^ Magee, Jerry (March 13, 2007). "Pioneer Chargers DT Ladd dies at 68". San Diego Union-Tribune Publishing. Copley. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
- ^ Barron, David (January 16, 2005). "Protest of race-related slights, brought '65 game here". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- ^ "Ladd Suspended By Chargers". UPI. Williamson Daily News. August 3, 1965.
- ^ "Ladd, Faison Go To Oilers". Palm Beach Post. Associated Press.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Foss Throws Out Oilers Chargers Deal". UPI. The Times-News. January 24, 1996.
- ^ "More Wrestling, Less Football Likely For Ernie Ladd". St. Petersburg Times. May 9, 1966.
- ^ "GSU Alumni Previous Honorees". Archived from the original on December 2, 2007. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
- ^ 2010 San Diego Chargers Media Guide (PDF). San Diego Chargers. 2010. p. 231. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 22, 2010.
- ^ Oliver, Greg (July 26, 2000). "The Cat in Bush's corner – Ernie Ladd is a proud supporter of the Republican Presidential candidate". Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "'The Big Cat' Ernie Ladd was seldom tamed". Slam Wrestling. March 11, 2007. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
- ^ "Ernie Ladd, hall of fame football player and wrestler, has died". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved March 11, 2007.
- ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ "NWA United States Heavyweight Title (1967-1968/05) - American Heavyweight Title (1968/05-1986/02)". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
- ^ "2013". www.walkertexaslawyer.com. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ^ Hoops, Brian (May 11, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history (May 11): Von Erichs vs. Verne & Don Leo Jonathan, Shane Douglas vs 2 Cold Scorpio". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
- ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ "Texas Brass Knucks Title [East Texas]". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
- ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ "NWA Texas Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
- ^ Hoops, Brian (January 18, 2019). "Pro wrestling history (01/18): Ivan Koloff defeats Bruno Sammartino for WWWF title". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
- ^ Hoops, Brian (January 16, 2019). "Pro wrestling history (01/16): Arn Anderson & Bobby Eaton win WCW Tag Team Titles". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
- Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the originalon December 8, 2017. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- ^ Bryant, Steven (April 10, 2020). "2020 Southern California Pro-Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductees Announced". SoCalUncensored.com.
- ^ "W.W.A. World Tag Team Title (Indianapolis)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003.
External links
- Ernie Ladd on WWE.com
- Ernie Ladd's profile at Cagematch.net , Wrestlingdata.com , Internet Wrestling Database
- TRIBUTE PAGES for Ernie Ladd
- Ernie Ladd at Find a Grave