Moondog Rex

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Moondog Rex
Birth nameRandy Colley
Born(1950-05-02)May 2, 1950
Alexander City, Alabama, U.S.
DiedDecember 14, 2019(2019-12-14) (aged 69)[1]
Jackson, Tennessee, U.S.
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Assassin #1[2]

Assassin #2[3]
Deadeye Dick[3]
Detroit Demolition[3]
Dr. X[2]
Moondog Hawkins [3]
Moondog Rex[3]
The Nightmare[2]
Randy Collins[2]
Randy the Mountaineer[3]
Ripper Hawkins
Shadow #1

Smash[3]
Billed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)[3]
Billed weight290 lb (130 kg)[3]
Debut1970
Retired1997

Randy Colley (May 2, 1950 – December 14, 2019) was an American

The Moondogs, and as the original Smash of Demolition.[3]

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1970–1980)

Colley made his debut wrestling as Jack Dalton. Teaming with Jim Dalton, he lost to Bob Boyer and Joe Turner on September 21, 1970, in Panama City, Florida, at a Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling event. The Dalton Brothers would remain a tag team throughout 1970 and 1971, facing various opponents such as The Welch Brothers and The Australians. In 1972 the Dalton Brothers moved to NWA Mid-America and were ultimately rebranded as "The Medics".[4]

In 1976 he joined Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and began wrestling under his real name for the first time. This would also be his first singles run. While appearing in MACW he would compete against opponents such as Steve Strong, Two Ton Harris, and Larry Sharpe.[5] For the remainder of the 1970s he moved around various National Wrestling Alliance territories.[5]

World Wrestling Federation (1980–1981)

See also:
The Moondogs

Colley joined the

the Moondogs. On August 21, 1981, the Moondogs would lose the Tag Team Championship to Rick Martel & Tony Garea. On September 1, 1981, he mounted an unsuccessful challenge to WWF World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund
, but was defeated.

Georgia Championship Wrestling (1982–1983)

See also:
The Moondogs

He next appeared in

The Wild Samoans and various combinations that included Stan Hansen.[6]

Continental Wrestling Association (1983–1984)

See also:
The Moondogs

Both Moondogs then jumped to the CWA, where they defeated

The Fabulous Ones on April 4, 1983, in the Mid South Coliseum to win the Southern Tag Team Championship. They became embroiled in a lengthy feud with the Fabulous Ones and lost the titles to them three weeks later. The Dogs also would team up with Jimmy Hart
.

World Wrestling Federation (1984–1985)

See also:
The Moondogs

The Moondogs jumped to the World Wrestling Federation in the midst of its national expansion. The Moondogs made their return on the March 4th, 1984 edition of

The Wild Samoans. The Moondogs continued to unsuccessfully feud with the Samoans throughout that summer. In June 1984 Colley received two singles shots against WWF Champion Hulk Hogan on the Canadian television tapings that aired on both Maple Leaf and All-Star wrestling. In September 1984 they were programmed into a house show series against the newly arrived Fabulous Freebirds. While continuing to defeat preliminary opposition on television, the Dogs were winless against the Freebirds. Following departure of Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, and Buddy Roberts from the promotion, the Moondogs feuded with the Brisco Brothers.[7]

The Moondogs entered 1985 on the lower end of the tag team ranks, and were split apart as singles wrestlers to help flesh out house show cards. Colley lost singles matches to

Jerry Brisco, and Tony Atlas to start the year, before going on a winning streak that saw him defeat Bobby Colt, and Rick McGraw on the house show circuit. This would continue until April 1985, at which point Colley left the WWF for Bill Watts' Mid South Wrestling Federation.[8]

Mid South Wrestling (1985)

Colley made his debut for the UWF on April 10, 1985. Wrestling as The Nightmare, he was teamed with Eddie Gilbert and defeated Steve Brinson and Terry Daniels. He was managed by both Eddie Gilbert and Sir Oliver Humperdink and remained undefeated and on May 22, 1985, defeated Terry Taylor to gain the Mid-South North American Title. In June he rebranded himself as The Champion and continued to successfully retain the title against challengers such as Taylor, Magnum T. A., Butch Reed, and Brad Armstrong. The Champion retained the title until August 10, 1985, where he was defeated by Dick Murdoch at the MSW Superdome Extravaganza in New Orleans, LA. Colley suffered his second defeat weeks later, falling to Jake Roberts on television. Colley then began a long losing streak, losing to Wendell Coley and Butch Reed, as well as facing numerous defeats in various tag team matches.[9]

On October 11, 1985, Colley teamed with Eddie Gilbert to capture the Mid-South Tag Team Championship, defeating Al Perez and Wendell Coley. The duo defended the belts for the remainder of the year. Colley left Mid-South following a loss to Al Perez on January 24, 1986, in Houston, Texas.[10]

World Wrestling Federation (1986–1987, 1988)

See also:
The Moondogs

On February 22, 1986, Colley made his return to the WWF on a house show in Melbourne, Australia and lost to

The Killer Bees and US Express.[11]

On January 4, 1987, in Springfield, Massachusetts, Colley was repackaged as "Smash" in the new tag team of

Barry Darsow
.

As a consolation to being dropped from Demolition, Colley was repackaged again as part of the masked wrestling team The Shadows with partner

Rougeau Brothers, and Strike Force during the summer and fall of 1987. The duo disbanded after Colley left the company at the end of October 1987.[12]

Colley would return in a one-off on November 26, 1988. Wrestling simply as "The Shadow", he was defeated by

Boris Zukhov at a house show in Detroit, MI.[14]

In 1994, Colley was called as a prosecution witness in the Vince McMahon steroid distribution trial on Long Island, New York.[15]

Continental Championship Wrestling (1988–1989)

After Demolition ended for him in the WWF and following a stint in

The Stud Stable
.

World Championship Wrestling (1990–1991)

In the summer of 1990, Colley returned to WCW as Moondog Rex in singles competition. His first match was at a July 6 house show in Norfolk, Virginia, against

El Gigante. His televised debut came several months later, when he appeared on World Championship Wrestling on September 29, and defeated Reno Riggins. Colley's highest profile match was losing to the Junkyard Dog at Halloween Havoc 90. Wrestling as Moondog Rex he continued to appear on televised programs and house shows into the spring of 1991.[17]

In May 1991

The Young Pistols
.

Later that month Colley began teaming regularly with Black Bart in house show matches against Ricky Morton and Dustin Rhodes. The full Desperadoes trio entered the ring for the first time on July 3, 1991, in East Rutherford, NJ at the start of the

The Freebirds and Badstreet Brad Armstrong
.

While the Desperadoes angle continued and the trio was shown as late as the June 29th WCW Power Hour program still looking for Stan Hansen, the former AWA champion reportedly wanted no part of the

storyline and left for Japan, never to return to wrestle in North America. Without Hansen, the group were dissolved as a stable, with Colley finishing his run following a loss to the Freebirds on July 21, 1991, in Knoxville, TN.[18] After leaving WCW, Colley would take a hiatus form wrestling for a couple of years. He briefly reunited with Demolition Ax (Bill Eadie)
and his "New Demolition" partner Blast (Carmine Azzato), on the independent circuit before the WWF sent Eadie a cease and desist letter.

Smoky Mountain Wrestling (1993–1994)

See also:
The Moondogs

On November 8, 1993, Colley reunited with Moondog Spot to face

The Bruise Brothers and began to split their time between the promotion and the United States Wrestling Association
. Following a loss to the Rock 'n' Roll Express on March 6, 1994, they left SMW.

United States Wrestling Association (1994–1997)

See also:
The Moondogs

After making joint appearances in both the USWA and SMW, the Moondogs joined the company full time in March 1994 and began a feud with

Billy Joe Travis and The Spellbinder. They would lose the titles later that year, but regained them on October 24, 1994, against The Phantoms (Phantom Sorrow and Phantom Tragedy
) at the Mid South Coliseum. In November they lost and then regained the USWA tag titles from The Bruise Brothers.

The Moondogs entered 1995 having lost the USWA titles once more and entered a tournament to crown new champions; they wrestled The Rock 'n' Roll Express to a no-contest in the finals at the Mid South Coliseum on January 9, 1995. That spring they would feud with

The Fabulous Ones.[20]

In 1996 the duo returned once more, defeating

Ron Harris at the Mid South Coliseum on January 2. In April 1996 they began to feud with former WWF Tag Team Champions Men on a Mission, the latter on loan from the World Wrestling Federation. On April 22, 1996, the Moondogs defeated Men on a Mission via pinfall at the Mid South Coliseum. In June the Moondogs were booked into a tournament to crown the USWA's Southern Tag Team Champions, but were defeated by Brickhouse Brown and Reggie B Fine in the first round. In the summer the Moondogs regained the USWA Tag Team Championship for a final time.[21]
The Moondogs left USWA that fall, a year before the promotion closed its doors.

Colley wrestled his last match for IWA Mid-South in 1997.

Death

Colley died on December 14, 2019, in Jackson, Tennessee (a week after undergoing amputation of his right leg above the knee) from a blood infection and complications relating to diabetes. He was 69 years old.[1]

Championships and accomplishments

  • World Wrestling Federation

References

  1. ^ a b "Former WWE Star Moondog Rex, Original Smash Of Demolition Passes Away". December 15, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d "Randy Colley profile". WrestlingData.com. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Randy Colley profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved September 8, 2009.
  4. ^ "Matches « Moondog Rex « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  5. ^ a b "Matches « Moondog Rex « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  6. ^ "Matches « Moondog Rex « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  7. ^ "WCW 1984". Thehistoryofwwe.com. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  8. ^ "WCW 1985". Thehistoryofwwe.com. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  9. ^ "Matches « Moondog Rex « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  10. ^ "Matches « Moondog Rex « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  11. ^ "WCW 1986". Thehistoryofwwe.com. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  12. ^ a b c "WWF 1987". Thehistoryofwwe.com. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  13. ^ "Demolition Speak On Why Original Smash Was Replaced, Being Road Warrior Rip-Offs - WrestlingInc.com". wrestlinginc.com. November 2011.
  14. ^ "Matches « Moondog Rex « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  15. ^ ""Wrestling Promoter's Trial On Steroids Charges Begins"". The New York Times.
  16. ^ "Continental Wrestling Federation".
  17. ^ "WCW 1991". Thehistoryofwwe.com. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  18. ^ "Matches « Moondog Rex « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  19. ^ "1993". Thehistoryofwwe.com. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  20. ^ "Matches « Moondog Rex « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  21. ^ "Matches « Moondog Rex « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  22. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4
    .
  23. ^ "Southern Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  24. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4
    .

External links
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