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
Ray Stevens
Name: - Ray Stevens
Height: - 5'8” (173cm)
Weight: - 235lb (107kg)
Born: - September 5, 1935
From: - Point Pleasant, West Virginia
Trained by: - Theresa Theis, Jim Henry, Roy Shire
Debut: - 1950
Retired: - 1992
Died: - May 3, 1996 (heart attack)
Finishers: - “Bombs Away” knee drop, piledriver
Also known as: - The Crippler, The Blond Bomber, Ray Shire
Toured Australia: - 1965
Debuted in 1950, aged just 15. Became a main-eventer in 1952, during a series of matches against Gorgeous George. Teamed with Don Fargo in mid 50s as 'Ray and Don Stevens'. Teamed with Roy Shire as 'Roy and Roy Shire'. Wrestled for Shire's San Francisco promotion through the 60s, forming a partnership with Pat Patterson, before signing with AWA in 1972. Came to Australia in 1965, and swapped the IWA World title with Dominic de Nucci. In 1967, defeated Bruno Sammartino by count out, and as initially awarded the WWWF title, before relinquishing it because of the count out.
Had a successful partnership with Nick Bockwinkel in AWA, winning the World tag titles 3 times. After leaving AWA, he wretled in Florida and Mid-Atlantic, before venturing to WWF. Returned to AWA in mid 80s, and remained there until its closure.
Stevens was so popular around San Francisco, that from 1995, April 5 was proclaimed as “Ray Stevens Day” in San Francisco and Oakland.
Titles held: - IWA World Hwt, (SF) NWA US Hwt (9), (Hawaii) NWA US Hwt, Mid-Atlantic Hwt, Florida TV (2), (Amarillo) NWA Brass Knuckles (3), MWA World Jr Hwt, NWA Southern Jr. Hwt (3), IWA World Tag (w/ Art Nelson), (Mid-Atlantic) NWA World Tag (3, w/ Greg Valentine, w/ Jimmy Snuka, w/ Ivan Koloff), (SF) NWA World Tag (6, w/ Pat Patterson [2], w/ Dan Manoukian, w/ Pepper Gomez, w/ Peter Maivia, w/ Moondag Mayne), AWA World Tag (4, w/ Nick Bockwinkel [3], w/ Pat Patterson), Florida Tag (w/ Nick Bockwinkel, w/ Mike Graham), MWA American Tag (w/ Don Stevens), Ohio Tag (w/ Ed Francis)
Credit: Mark Dalgleish, Wikipedia, Libnan Ayoub's 100 Years of Professional Wrestling
Photo credit: Viktor Berry (via Wikipedia)
