Pampero Firpo

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Pampero Firpo
Firpo in April 1969
Birth nameJuan Kachmanian
Born(1930-04-06)April 6, 1930
Buenos Aires, Argentina
DiedJanuary 9, 2020(2020-01-09) (aged 89)
San Jose, California, U.S.
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Ervan the Armenian[1]
The Great Pampero[1]
Ivan the Terrible[1]
The Missing Link[1]
Pampero Firpo
Wild Bull of the Pampas[1]
Billed height5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Billed weight230 lb (104 kg)
Billed fromBuenos Aires, Argentina[1]
Trained byRudy Dusek[1]
Debut1953[1]
Retired1986

Juan Kachmanian (April 6, 1930 – January 9, 2020) was an

Argentine-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name
, Pampero Firpo.

Early life

Kachmanian was born on April 6, 1930, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.[1] His parents were of Armenian descent and born in Turkey. His father was sent to Greece in an orphanage run by the British Red Cross. The Pampero Firpo name was appealing to Kachmanian as his father was a 'real shooter' and was a contender for the Olympics. Firpo's father later moved from Greece to Lebanon and then to Argentina, where he became a local boxing promoter.[2]

Professional wrestling career

Having been trained by Rudy Dusek, he made his debut in 1953 and wrestled variously as Ervan the Armenian, Ivan the Terrible, The Missing Link, The Great Pampero and the Wild Bull of the Pampas, as well as his most famous alter-ego of Pampero Firpo. Boxing great Jack Dempsey gave him the name "Pampero Firpo." Until then he had been wrestling as Ivan The Terrible. He was looking for a gimmick and Dempsey, recalling one of his famous opponents in the 1920s, Argentine boxer "Wild Bull of the Pampas" Luis Ángel Firpo, suggested that the grappler be billed as Firpo's son.[2]

An early pioneer of

The Mighty Igor, with most of his victories coming from a crushing bear hug or a dreaded claw hold that he called "El Garfio," a trademark death grip that would allegedly render his opponents unconscious.[2]

It was in his homeland of Argentina where Firpo, while staying at a hotel frequented by the ruling Perón family, was introduced to "Chimu," purportedly the shrunken head of a tribal leader from Ecuador. According to the story, a tribesman had been so impressed with Firpo's strength and athletic ability that he awarded the grappler the macabre oddity. Firpo would later put the shrunken head to good use, enhancing his image as a heel of the first order by talking to and rubbing the head during interviews while promising the destruction of his opponents.[2]

In 1972, Pampero Firpo captured the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Detroit version) twice after defeating Bobo Brazil on both occasions - on August 12 and October 28, respectively. Both title reigns were ended by Bobo Brazil in return matches with the championship on the line. Firpo would go on to win the championship one more time on July 17, 1976, from then 9-time NWA United States Heavyweight Champion The Sheik. Firpo would hold onto the championship until October 16, 1976, when he lost it to Don Kent. Firpo was a mainstay in Detroit for the Big Time Wrestling promotion alongside The Sheik and Bobo Brazil.

Also, in 1972, Firpo wrestled six matches with the

WWWF Heavyweight Title against Pedro Morales
at Madison Square Garden, but was defeated. Firpo would have a second chance at the championship two months later in Philadelphia, on July 8, 1972, against Morales in another losing effort.

Other titles Firpo held in his career were the NWA World Tag Team Championship (Texas version), the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship and the NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship,[1] as well as being the inaugural holder of the NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship.[3] Kachmanian popularized the drawn-out catchphrase 'ohhh yeah!' which would later become associated with Randy Savage.[1]

After January 1981, Kachmanian stopped actively competing after a tour of Japan in the fall of 1980 and a quick stint in California in January 1981. He retired from professional wrestling on October 17, 1986, after competing in 8,882 matches,[2] after last competing for All-California Championship Wrestling in 1986 and winning the ACCW Heavyweight Championship.

Personal life

Kachmanian became an American citizen in 1965 and named it as one of his proudest moments. He visited five continents, 21 countries, and became fluent in eight languages.[2]

Kachmanian's working days didn't end once his 33-year wrestling career was over. He spent the next 25 years working for the

natural causes on January 9, 2020, in Campbell, California.[1][4]

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Wrestler Profiles: Pampero Firpo". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Courier, Mike Mooneyham Special to The Post and. "Hardcore wrestling pioneer Pampero Firpo: 'I accomplished my destiny'". Post and Courier.
  3. ^ "NWA Americas Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles.com.
  4. ^ Firpo, Pampero (January 9, 2020). "My beloved father, Pampero Firpo, (Juan Kachmanian), passed away today just a few months shy of his 90th birthday. As a professional wrestler for over 30 years, he thrilled fans around the world, wrestling in 21 different countries across 5 continents".
  5. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4
    .
  6. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original
    on December 8, 2017. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  7. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4
    .
  8. ^ "NWA Texas Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  9. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4
    .
  10. ^ "National Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Title [E. Texas]". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved February 21, 2017.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pampero_Firpo&oldid=1219470206"