Ray Stern

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Ray Stern
The Dusek Family
Debut	1950
Retired	1966

Ray "Thunder" Stern, born Walter Bookbinder, (January 12, 1933 – March 6, 2007) was an American

.

Biography

At age 13 he joined the

. Due to his penchant for aerial moves promoters nicknamed him "Thunder".

Stern opened the first co-ed

, as well as the first with a nursery. He also worked with real estate and rental properties.

Stern was also an avid flier, and during his wrestling career this allowed him to travel great distances in short periods to conduct more business and matches in a quicker span. He founded Stern Air in Addison, Texas, with a fleet of Lear Jets and Falcon's. He even flew to Czechoslovakia to train with their national aerobatic champions, and was so successful that the team named him as an official backup member at the world level.

In 1994 Stern published his autobiography, Power and Thunder: The Rags to Riches Story of One Man's Adventure of Fame, Fortune, Romance & Fitness. He was also awarded the Iron Mike Mazurki Award in 2000 at that year's Cauliflower Alley Club reunion, an award that recognizes wrestlers for success outside the industry.

In 2005 he received the New York State Award (since renamed the Senator Hugh Farley Award) from the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Amsterdam, New York.

On March 6, 2007, Stern died after complications from

Championships and accomplishments

• Cauliflower Alley Club
  • Iron Mike Mazurki Award (2000)

• Midwest Wrestling Association (Ohio)
  • MWA American Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Don Leo Jonathan

• NWA San Francisco
  • NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (1 time) – with Ron Etchison

• Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
  • Class of 2005 (
    New York State Award
    )

• Worldwide Wrestling Associates
  • WWA International Television Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Rito Romero

See also

• List of Jewish professional wrestlers

References

External links

• Ray Stern's profile at Cagematch.net , Internet Wrestling Database
• Ray "Thunder" Stern at the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum