Ron Wright (wrestler)
| Ron Wright | |
|---|---|
| Born | 26th October 1939 Rogersville, Tennessee, United States |
| Died | 21 April 2015, age 76 [1] Kingsport, Tennessee, United States |
| Spouse(s) | Teresa Wright [2] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Ron Wright Crusher (official ring name) King of Kingsport (nickname) Number One Hillbilly (nickname) Backstreet Brawler (nickname)[3] |
| Debut | 1956 |
| Retired | 1995 |
Ron Wright is a deceased American professional wrestler, promoter and manager. He wrestled primarily for territory promotions in the Southeastern United States from the 1950s until the 1990s, particularly in the Tennessee and Kentucky areas, including for National Wrestling Alliance, Southeast Championship Wrestling, Continental Wrestling Association, Continental Championship Wrestling, Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and as a manager in Smoky Mountain Wrestling.[3][1][4]
Professional wrestling career
Ron Wright started wrestling in 1956 with his real life friend and future wrestling opponent Whitey Caldwell as well as his brother Don Wright, at the Kingsport Boys Club.[2][3][1][4] Ron Wright and Caldwell soon caught the eye of top local outlaw (though future NWA) promoter Mickey Baarnes as well as fellow outlaw Buddy Russels for whom they made their debut on the 21st January 1956.[3] Both debuted as teenagers with a younger Ron Wright mostly working as a referee while the older Caldwell quickly made a name as a wrestler.[3] Ron Wright gained a reputation for being a wrestling heel when in 1961 he seriously and legitimately injured Caldwell (putting him out of action for a year) who was by then a very popular wrestling babyface and tv champion.[3][1][5]
Ron Wright was the most hated heel in his area of operation for almost 3 decades engaging in extremely physical, violent and bloody matches, mostly as part of a tag team and often with his brother Don Wright but his most well-known and frequent oponnent was still Caldwell who he would try to provoke to genuine violence.[3][1][4][5] He was known not only for being a nefarious cheat and bully but also for his speaking ability, both as a wrestler and as a manager.[2][3] By the end of the 1970s Ron Wright had mostly transitioned to an on-screen management role while becoming an off-screen secret owner of his local territory (the Kingsport, Bristol and Johnson City region in Tennessee, part of the future Southeastern Championship Wrestling territory). [4]He suffered a serious injury at the beginning of the 80s and disappeared from wrestling as a wrestler, manager and promoter until 1987 when he came back as a manager in Continental Championship Wrestling.[2][3]
His ability to draw heat was so great that he was legitimately shot at 3 times by fans as well as being slashed by a fan requiring 160 stitches and had his personal small plane burnt by angry fans (Wright himself believed that the plane was burnt to cover up the theft of expensive parts).[2][1][4] Wright also claims, with regret, that he had caused 4 to 5 elderly spectators to have heart attacks over his antics.[2]
Personal life
Ron Wright was married with children with his wife and children racing go-carts that Ron Wright would build as an avid mechanic.[2] Ron Wright worked as a pressman alongside his wrestling career and during hiatuses. Ron Wright was well known for his charity work in Kingsport.[3]
In wrestling
Notable opponents
Wrestlers managed
Gimmicks
As an active wrstler Ron Wright would use weapons including a custom-made knucklebuster with a blade to legitimately cut his opponents in the ring and cause them to bleed profusely. He called this his 'chivel'.[3][4] A young scared rookie Kevin Sullivan in what he believed was actual self-defense tried to knock out Wright in the ring with a chain to which the veteran Wright replied with laughter and congratulations.[4]
As a manager Ron Wright would pretend to have a heart condition and implore fans not to distress him with loud sounds which would lead them to making as much noise as possible in the hope of causing him a heart attack.
In his later career as a manager, Ron Wright would constantly claim to have been a 'scientific' 'Christian' wrestler which would mean a face in 1980s wrestling terminology and claim never to have hurt an opponent despite being widely known to generations of audiences as one of the most violent, nefarious and cheating heels during his days as an active wrestler, especially in light of Whitely Caldwell's first injury.
As a manager in Continental Championship Wrestling Wright would illegally interfere in matches handing heels weapons, distracting the referee or physically hindering or assaulting face opponents.[3] Next as a manager in Smoky Mountain Wrestling (run by Jim Cornette), a still relatively young (in his late fifties) Ron Wright would develop his character further and appear in a wheelchair claiming that he needed to find a wrestler (eventually mainly Dirty White Boy but with help from other heels) to manage in order to make enough money for hip and heart operations while still continuing his illegal ringside activities to the ire of commissioner Bob Armstrong.
Championships and accomplishments
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g "Wrestling Legend Passes Away". Timesnews.net. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Kayfabe Memories Interview with Ron Wright". Kayfabememories.com. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Southern States Wrestling Tribute to Ron Wright". Youtube. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Number One Hill Billy". Jimcornette.com. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
- ^ a b "Slam Sports obituary Ron Wright". Slam.canoe.com. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
- ^ "Ron Wright list of titles". cagematch.net. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
References
James, Beau (2016). Don't Miss This! The History of Pro Wrestling in Kingsport, TN 1960-1969. Beau James. ISBN 1500847550.