During his time in pro football, McDaniel began his career in pro wrestling and later became one of its most popular stars as "Chief Wahoo." McDaniel died in 2002 after complications from. Wahoo began splitting his time between football and wrestling, eventually transitioning to wrestling full time by the late 60s. It was a distance of more than 30 miles and he did it in less than six hours. McDaniel was originally a football player. Unfortunately, this would pale in comparison to Slaters most notorious incident out of the ring. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Long before there was The Lunatic Fringe, there was Dirty Dick Slater, a roughhouse redneck who brawled in and out of the ring; proving he didnt live his gimmick he was his gimmick. Funk said McDaniel would be a big draw even today, and even if he tried he could never be a "heel," the wrestling term for the bad guy. Former wrestler David Isley explained in Wrestling Classics.com the kind of According to the NY times, he had suffered from kidney failure. Even if Wahoo was alive to tell his story himself, that was not his style. His feud with Johnny Valentine is part of wrestling legend, and he also went into the ring with the likes of Funk, Ric Flair and Rowdy Roddy Piper. Slater established himself as one of the baddest men in wrestling during his heyday in the territories in the 1970s and 1980s, eventually retiring due to a back injury in 1996. In his opening game, he made 10 tackles from his middle linebacker position. As most readers know by now, wrestling legend Wahoo McDaniel died last week at and Ricky Steamboat. In his first season with the Jets, he described himself in an interview as: ''Robust, jolly, outspoken. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Despite a wild life, Dick Slater lived to the age of 67, passing away on October 18, 2018. There have been local and even national legends. McDaniel started his pro football career with the Houston Oilers in the American Football Leagues debut season of 1960, and ended it, after stops in Denver and New York, with the Miami Dolphins in 1968. The Jets paid McDaniel $15,000 a season. [10][2], McDaniel and Valentine had a historical feud remembered for the sheer force of their punch/chop exchanges, both men widely known for their hard-hitting style. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? White credits much of his success to the mentoring of former MHS coach Thurman "Tugboat" Jones, and said it was because of him that McDaniel became the athlete that he was. Longtime friend Tommy "Flat Top" Johnson championed McDaniel's cause for years, helping to let people know who McDaniel was and what he did. He is notable for having held the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship five times. based on information from your browser. He never set down real roots anywhere.". Wahoo is well documented as a superior athlete on the gridiron, be it offense, defense and kicking. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. In his first season with the Jets, he described himself in an interview as: Robust, jolly, outspoken. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. injuries to Tim "Mr. Wrestling" Woods and David Crockett. Dick Slater was also known for his brutality outside the ring. It closes with his final runs in Florida, the AWA and Mid-Atlantic before retiring and working a shorter schedule on the independents where he again championed the cause for those who were not getting a fair shake. failure and diabetes, finally succumbing to a stroke on Thursday. McDaniel had been Verify and try again. Required fields are marked *. McDaniel was on. NWAs official Twitter account noted that Slater died from heart complications. Once described as the football Jets' first real hero, McDaniel joined them in 1964, their first year at Shea Stadium. So from January to June, he wrestled six nights a week. That was kind of neat., Bishop on playing for former Lee coach Jim Acree: Being a starter, coach Acree was such a motivation for me and I was really blessed to have him as a coach during those formative years in high school.. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. He was 63. On this page, you find the full wrestling profile of Wahoo McDaniel, with his Career History, real name, age, height and weight, the Promotions he worked for, all the Face/Heel turns, the Championship Titles he won, his Finishers, Theme Songs, Tag Teams and Stables, his appearance changes through the years, and more.. Edward McDaniel was born in Bernice, Oklahoma on June 19, 1938. Mid-Atlantic and Mid- South territories. THe 240-pound McDaniel is 27 years old and hails from Midland, Tex. Please click this line if you do not care and want to view it anyway. last year on the team. When Dodson retired, he went to work with the Southwest Orthopedic and Spine Center and Dr. Don Floyd, and started a Saturday morning injury clinic for athletes. Dick Slater battles Ric Flair. are already in a ring up there in Heaven a place where neither Wahoo or Valentine are After his professional career ended, Bishop returned to Baylor to finish his degree in 1990 and then went to work for the Drug Enforcement Agency. Bush. By then he had established a name in wrestling, bounding into the ring in his signature feathered headdress, toting a tomahawk and doing a caricatured version of a war dance. Date Of Death: Apr 18th 2002: Cause of Death: diabetes: Place of Death: Houston, Texas, United States : ACW - Event @ Glenn Wood Rec Center in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. To those who knew him, though, they say he touched more lives than he could count, and even a decade after his death, he is still talked about with reverence, and that he was an original, whose legend was incubated here in Midland. ", "Believability, storytelling made pro wrestling great", NWA Southern Heavyweight Title (Florida) history, NWA United States Tag Team Title (Florida) history, NWA World Tag Team Title (Florida) history, NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title history, NWA/WCW United States Heavyweight Title history, NWA World Tag Team Title (Mid-Atlantic/WCW) history, "NWA Hall of Fame Class for 2011 announced", "NWA United States Heavyweight Title (1967-1968/05) - American Heavyweight Title (1968/05-1986/02)", SCW Southwest Television/Heavyweight Title history, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wahoo_McDaniel&oldid=1141935529, ACW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), NWA United States Championship Tournament (1984), This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 17:07. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. The younger McDaniel took the name as his own, using it as not only his ring name but . '', ''But I know right from wrong,'' he said. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. In an era where sports entertainment wins out over the art of Kingston's announcement aired on Twitter after Wednesday's Dynamite. Family members linked to this person will appear here. That byplay was part of McDaniel's fame with the Jets, even though he was with them only one more season. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. . McDaniel graduated from MHS in 1956 and went to the University of Oklahoma, where he played both offense and defense during his three years, finishing up as a defensive player. Add to your scrapbook. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? [2][8] After he was traded to the Miami Dolphins in 1966, McDaniel began wrestling for Eddie Graham's Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF). I think I lived in 14 different homes growing up. Johnson said two of his biggest accomplishments as baseball coach was helping to establish the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association and helping start the annual Tournament of Champions. Along with former NWA World Champions Bronko Nagurski, Wayne Munn, and others McDaniel, known as Little Wahoo as a youngster, moved around with his family to the oil fields that beckoned his father, a welder. Please reset your password. 13.04.1996. Former pro football player who became one of wrestling's most flamboyant figures. McDaniel spent time with various territories including the WWWF, NWA, Mid-Atlantic, AWA, WWC, and CWF. . Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Wahoo McDaniel, who capitalized on his American Indian heritage as a football player and then a professional wrestler, died last Thursday at a hospital in Houston. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. McDaniel then worked the 1995 Slamboree at St. Petersburg, Florida's Bayfront He then was a defensive player in the old American Football League. Another ex-Jet makes the Hall of Fame: The late Wahoo McDaniel, who played linebacker for the #Jets in 1964-65, has been named a @WWE Hall of Fame legacy inductee. Even against Abilene High in 1954 he still found a way to gain more than 100 yards but the Bulldogs ultimately fell in that game. After being traded to the NY Jets, he worked briefly for Vince McMahon's WWWF and made his Madison Square Garden debut in January of 1965, defeating Boris Malenko. And this weekend was a chance for those who didn't know him to find out who he was, and for those who did know him to remember some old stories. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. This browser does not support getting your location. About McDaniel: McDaniel led the Bulldogs to a combined record 15-5 in his seasons as a two-way star for Midland High in 1954 and 1955. Dirty Dicks life included some bizarre wrestling-related incidents. There are lots of road drinking stories in the book, from drunken brawls in bars, near fatal car wrecks, and the women he met on . Born Ed McDaniel, the legendary wrestler actually got his name from his father, who was an avid fisherman and was nicknamed "Big Wahoo," after the wahoo fish. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? McDaniel was a two-way star for the Bulldogs and also participated in track and field and played baseball. I loved sitting in the locker room with 'the He was an affable fellow away from the football field. Puroresu.com, McDaniel's health started to deteriorate in the mid-1990s, [6] which led to his retirement in 1996, and he eventually lost both kidneys in 2000. Lees home field is named for Johnson, and he still attends football and baseball practices regularly. Between 1973 and 1974, McDaniel And Superstar would engage in numerous wrestling bouts in what was considered one of the AWA's top-drawing feuds of the 1970s. > Music Greg Valentine discusses his brutal matches vs Chief Wahoo McDaniel in the Mid-Atlantic. If youre a wrestling fan, its all here the history and the stories, both inside and outside the ring. It means a great deal because that job meant so much to me., Former Permian coach John Wilkins on Dykes: He had a really good reputation coming from Texas when he took the job. Edward "Wahoo" McDaniel (June 19, 1938 - April 18, 2002) was a Choctaw-Chickasaw Native American who achieved fame as a professional American football player and later as a professional wrestler. [2] Contents 1 Professional wrestling career 1.1 Cobra Corps in Mid-Atlantic 1.2 World Wrestling Federation 1.3 Return to NWA 2 Other media 3 Death 4 Championships and accomplishments This angle is particularly remembered for a follow-up interview weeks later with Flair and Valentine throwing change at McDaniel, and Valentine asking him if he needed a custom-made wheelchair for his fat body. Get the occasional email with the latest wrestling tributes and memorials, Search by ring name, real name, cause of death, organization, time period (2000s, etc) or specific year, WWE Hall of Famer Ravishing Rick Rude was an amazing individual in and out of the ring. Health problems plagued Slater during the later years of his life and he was confined to a wheelchair. favorite fishing spot for McDaniel and his father. He could do anything. Recruited by wrestler Mike Graham, Slater (like many athletes) heard the siren call of quick cash and entered the squared circle. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Anderson, Nellie, Swede, Tex, Rufus and Jay Youngblood. LIST Frank Gotch - December 16, 1917 - Uremic Poisoning "The French Angel" Maurice Tillet - August 4, 1954 - Heart Disease Rikidozan - December 15, 1963 - Stabbed Chief with a fishing pole in his hand and talking with "the boys", Murdoch, Gene Oops, something didn't work. But whatever's happening on this earth, I imagine that he and Johnny Valentine You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. "You never knew what you were going to get with Wahoo," Funk said. Soon, the public-address announcer proclaimed, Tackle by . Its a new award and a new honor and the people have just been fantastic in my stay in Midland., Dodson on the best part of his job as trainer: I guess it was the camaraderie with the athletes, the parents and the student body. Along with Johnny Valentine, Superstar Billy Graham was regarded as one of McDaniel's earliest and bitter rivals. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. McDaniel has three children, two daughters and a son, and his sister Margaret Smith, still lives in Midland. This is a carousel. McDaniel, whose real name was Ed, was a linebacker who returned a punt 91 yards for a touchdown against Iowa State in 1958. McDaniel was trained by Dory Funk, Sr. and he initially competed in Funk's Amarillo territory while playing for the Oilers and, later, the Broncos. 79705. Failed to remove flower. Slaughter working throughout the Texas, Florida, Georgia, Sorry! Charles Donald Kernodle Jr. (May 2, 1950 - May 17, 2021) was an American professional wrestler with the National Wrestling Alliance 's Jim Crockett Promotions. See the article in its original context from. Drag images here or select from your computer for Wahoo McDaniel memorial. [10] The feud evolved into a tag feud with McDaniel and Paul Jones taking on Valentine and Ric Flair, who McDaniel met in the AWA. of us at PWBTS.com. He had head coaching stops at Coahoma, Belton, Big Spring and Alice before becoming a college assistant, including a stint at Texas under () and finally coming to Lee. Publish date: May 13, 2019. . > WrestleMania, Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Stuntwork and cereal make J. Spade a Wildcard, WWE Raw: Rollins and K.O. What does it mean to be inducted into the Hall of Legends: I feel bad in a way because there are so many people more deserving than me on that. [2][6][8], McDaniel's health started to deteriorate in the mid-1990s,[6] which led to his retirement in 1996, and he eventually lost both kidneys in 2000. Later, after I broke into the business, what a real joy to work with this Bush, to a football career that began here in Midland, and finally in his long career as a professional wrestler, the stories about McDaniel are many and legendary. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. suffering from severe kidney problems for over four years, which required dialysis. Some were more famous in specific countries. [9] He was also an avid golfer and hunter. Even outside of Midland he became a well-known high school superstar. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. [9] He was awaiting a kidney transplant [8] when he suffered a stroke and died of complications from diabetes and kidney failure on April 18, 2002 in Houston, Texas. Wahoo didnt need to brag about how great he was; he showed it in the ring and left nothing back whenever he climbed inside those ropes. from the classic era of wrestling, and more recent names ranging from Ernie Ladd to Brian The 252-page book digs deep into the beginnings of Ed McDaniel, with help from his sisters and childhood friends. [6][10] In 1974, McDaniel came to Mid-Atlantic to wrestle for Jim Crockett Promotions and help build up the territory as a singles territory in a feud with a rival from Texas, Johnny Valentine. Florida native Richard Van Slater showed his toughness wrestling and playing football at the University of Tampa, playing alongside future grappling great Paul Mr. Johnson, and he did it in less than six hours Wahoo McDaniel in locker. 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wahoo mcdaniel cause of death