2021/08/16
Welcome to AustralianWrestling.org!
The website devoted to preserving the history of Australian wrestling.
We're in the process of renovating and moving some things around so some things may look a little strange but the aim is to minimise disruption.
This website was designed in 2012 with a scope of covering present and past wrestling in Australia.
The scope will change to prioritise the older stuff and make that a bit more accessible.
Thank you for your patience.
I also have another website (with my good buddy Greg) The Wrestling Roadshow which has more of a global scope. We have a podcast by the same name too and discuss all sorts of wrestling.
-CD
King Curtis Iaukea
Name: King Curtis Iaukea
Height: 6' 3" / 1.91 m
Weight: 280 lbs / 130 kgs
Born: September 15, 1937
From: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Died: December 4, 2010 (illness)
Debut: 1962
Retired: 1980s
Also known as: The Master
King Curtis started wrestling in 1962, after brief career in American Football. He came to Australia in the mid 60s, wrestling as 'Prince Curtis Iaukea', and wrestled as a heel. He was reasonably successful on his first run here, but it was when he returned around 1970 that things started to happen. Curtis was still a heel, and was feuding with fan favourite Mark Lewin. Lewin was also having problems with the nefarious Von Steiger brothers, and in a televised interview that the only way to beat the Von Steigers was to fight them with someone as dirty and despicable as they were - King Curtis.
The angle went on to be hugely successful, and Curtis wrestled as a 'face' in Australia from then on. Whilst being a very good in-ring performer, it was on the mike that he excelled. Curtis' wrestling career was curtailed in 1979, when he picked up an infection while wrestling in Singapore which nearly killed him. He returned as a manager, but by mid-80s, he'd all but retired from the wrestling business.
In later years, he ran a concession stand, hiring out catamarans on the beach in his native Hawaii, and passed away peacefully after a long illness.
Touring years to Australia: 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1978
Major titles: NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship, AWA United States Heavyweight Championship, NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (2), NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship (4), NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Hawaii)(6), NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco), NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship, NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship, NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (w/ Haru Sasaki), IWA World Heavyweight Championship (4), IWA World Tag Team Championship (3)(w/Buddy Austin and Mark Lewin (2)), WWWF World Tag Team Championship (w/ Baron Mikel Scicluna).
Credit: Mark Dalgleish, Wikipedia
Photo credit: Onlineworldofwrestling.com
