The Missing Link (wrestler)

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The Missing Link
Birth nameByron James John Robertson
Born(1939-02-28)February 28, 1939
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada[1]
DiedAugust 16, 2007(2007-08-16) (aged 68)
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Cause of deathLung cancer
Spouse(s)Gail Sterling (div. 1995)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)The Missing Link
The Masked Crusader
Troy Steel
Dewey Crusader Robertson
Billed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2]
Billed weight250 lb (110 kg)[2]
Billed from"Parts Unknown"[2]
Trained byJack Wentworth[3]
Al Spittles
Debut1961

Byron James John "Dewey" Robertson (February 28, 1939 – August 16, 2007) was a Canadian professional wrestler, known best by his ring name The Missing Link.

As The Missing Link, Robertson wore blue and green face paint and shaved portions of his head while letting the hair grow in other areas. His gimmick was similar to that of George Steele and Kamala, a crazy out-of-control wild man who needed a trainer or manager to lead him to the ring. During his matches, Robertson would often ram his own head repeatedly into the turnbuckle or wooden chair, headbutt and dive head first onto an opponent.

He achieved his greatest fame late in his career, wrestling in

WWF, managed by Bobby Heenan
and Jimmy Hart in the mid-1980s.

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1961-1979)

Robertson started wrestling in his native Canada in the 1961 as Dewey Robertson. He was a very popular

The Sheik. After that, Robertson formed a tag team called "The Crusaders" with Billy Red Lyons.[1] He also owned a gym in the 1970s, and had a famous television spot where he tore up a phone book in a supermarket ad.[1]

Robertson's first title victory came in May 1973 when he teamed with Dennis Stamp to win the Tri-State version of the NWA United States Tag Team Championship.[4] They held the belts until July, when they dropped them to Alex Perez and El Gran Tapio.[4] Robertson found more success in tag team wrestling the following year while competing in Toronto, Ontario. He teamed with Billy Red Lyons to win the Toronto version of the NWA International Tag Team Championship from The Love Brothers (Hartford and Reginald) on June 23, 1974.[5] The Love Brothers regained the belts on September 8, but Robertson and Lyons won them back on December 29.[5] They then held the belts for over six months before dropping the titles to Mike and Pat Kelly in June 1975.[5] Robertson and Lyons had one final reign as champions, when they won a rematch on August 24.[5] During one match his right leg was broken while performing a sunset flip on one of the Kelly twins. He and Lyons also toured Japan.

National Wrestling Alliance (1979–1985)

In 1979, Robertson wrestled in the

Iron Sheik
. He was offered a contract as NWA World heavyweight champion, but the NWA had concerns over his drinking habits.

Into 1980 he traveled between Ontario and

Mr. Fuji in February 1981.[7] Robertson regained the championship later that year, however, by teaming with Johnny Weaver to take the belts from Tenryu and Fuji.[7]

Robertson moved to

Rufus R. Jones to defeat Buzz Tyler and J. J. Dillon.[9] His next reign came in March 1982 when he teamed with Steve Regal to win the belts from Roger Kirby and Jerry Valiant.[9] The title changed hands twice more that month, as Kirby and Valiant quickly regained the title only to drop it back to Robertson and Regal.[9] Two months later, Kirby and Valiant won the belts back again.[9] Robertson found a new partner, however, and won the championship by teaming with Hercules Hernandez in August.[9] The reign lasted less than a month, but Robertson and Hernandez held the belts one final time after another victory in September 1982.[9] The following year, Robertson's main success came as a singles wrestler. On February 10, 1983, he won the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship with a victory over Manny Fernandez.[10] He lost the belt to Bob Brown two months later but regained it in a rematch the following week.[10] Robertson's final title reign ended when he dropped the title to Race on June 2, 1983.[10]

In 1983, he changed his look and became "Max, the Missing Link" in Mid-South Wrestling with a gimmick of looking and acting bizarre. He later went to World Class Championship Wrestling under Skandor Akbar's Devastation Inc. stable simply called "The Missing Link" and feuded with the Von Erichs and The Fabulous Freebirds. He later wrestled in Championship Wrestling from Florida for a short stint and feuded with Bugsy McGraw.

World Wrestling Federation (1985)

A full-page photo of The Missing Link appeared in the April 29, 1985, issue of

Tampa, Florida.[11] He also lost matches to Ivan Putski, Tony Atlas, and B. Brian Blair.[11]

While in the WWF, he fought

Mad Dog Vachon three times: a draw at the Met Center in Minneapolis (August 25); a win by countout in Milwaukee (September 5); and a loss in Denver (September 20).[11] In September 1985, Heenan traded The Missing Link and Adrian Adonis to manager Jimmy Hart in exchange for King Kong Bundy. In his final televised match on WWF Prime Time Wrestling on November 12 (taped October 12 at the Boston Garden), Paul Orndorff pinned The Missing Link in less than five minutes with a high knee after the Link was distracted by his manager, Jimmy Hart, shouting into his megaphone on the ring apron; this was a $50,000 bounty match (Heenan would have paid the Link the bounty if the Link had put Orndorff out of action).[11]
He abruptly left the WWF in October 1985 due to drug issues.

Later career and retirement (1985–2007)

In November 1985, he went to World Class Championship Wrestling and was first managed by Percy Pringle only to turn face after saving Sunshine from an attack from The Great Kabuki then again from Percy Pringle and Rick Rude. In late 1986, he left for the Universal Wrestling Federation where he was managed by Dark Journey. He would later return to World Class and wrestle in World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico. He retired in 1996, but returned on the independent circuit as The Missing Link in 2004. He notably wrestled his son Jason Sterling and Edge (wrestler).[citation needed] His last match was against Al Jihad in Buffalo, NY on May 5, 2007.

Personal life

Robertson's parents Ethel and Kenneth divorced in 1954. He attended Westdale High School in Hamilton. As a teen he worked at a golf course in Hamilton. He later worked various jobs from salesman, steelworker and even an arena manager. Robertson's sons, Jason and Mark, were also

naturist community. From the late 1970s to his death, he battled substance abuse. For a few months, he and his wife were homeless until they received help from fellow wrestler Gene Anderson
in North Carolina. Once they returned to southern Ontario a police officer he befriended helped him find work as a court bailiff in Hamilton.

In June 1994, Robertson attempted suicide by overdosing on an anti-depressant medication. He often self medicated with marijuana and alcohol, and he took an entire bottle of the anti-depressant medication. He was eventually discovered where he was taken to a nearby hospital where he later recovered.

He admitted to taking steroids and abusing alcohol during his career.[3] In 2006, his autobiography Bang Your Head: The Real Story of The Missing Link was published by ECW Press.[12] In it, he discussed his addiction to steroids, alcohol, and drugs.[13] He also did lectures in schools and prisons on substance abuse. He was a close friend of Ted DiBiase at that stage and received help from a Christian group in Ontario. He also served on the governor general's panel on substance abuse. He also was a court constable in the Hamilton court system. He was a respected and appreciated volunteer for many years after achieving sobriety, at the Hamilton Wentworth Detention Centre. While there, he mentored inmates on physical fitness and recovery.

Death

Robertson died on August 16, 2007, after a long battle with lung cancer. He was living in Hamilton, Ontario at the time of his death.

Championships and accomplishments

  • Central States Wrestling
  • Maple Leaf Wrestling
  • Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Tri-State
  • 1 time) – with Dennis Stamp[4]
  • Pro Wrestling Illustrated

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Wrestler Profiles: The Missing Link". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2007-12-04.
  2. ^
    World Wrestling Entertainment
    . Retrieved 2010-10-27.
  3. ^ a b c d "Canadian Hall of Fame: Dewey Robertson". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved 2007-12-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ a b c "NWA United States Tag Team Title (Tri-State)". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
  5. ^ a b c d e "International Tag Team Title (Toronto)". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
  6. ^ "NWA Canadian Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
  7. ^ a b c d "NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
  8. ^ a b c d "NWA Central States Television Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g "NWA Central States Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
  10. ^ a b c d "NWA Central States Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Graham Cawthon. "WWF Show Results 1985". Retrieved May 4, 2009.
  12. ISBN 978-1550227277
    .
  13. ^ Robertson, Dewey "Bang Your Head: The Real Story of The Missing Link" Ecw Press, 2006. page 1
  14. ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years". Wrestling Information Archive. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2007-12-04.

External links

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