Buzz Tyler
Encyclopedia
Buzz Tyler is a retired American professional wrestler who competed in North American regional promotions during the 1970s and 1980s including the National Wrestling Alliance
, most notably teaming with J.J. Dillon and "Bulldog" Bob Brown
in NWA Central States during the early 1980s.
in February 1978 to replace Dutch Mantell who had previously forfeited his half of the title. After losing the titles to George Gulas & Tojo Yamamoto
two months later, he would compete for NWA Central States and later wrestled Dewey Robertson
in tag team matches with Matt Borne as well as several 6-man tag team matches against Kerry Brown
& Tommy Sharp and faced Dick the Bruiser in an interpromotional event between the NWA and the WWF on November 7, 1980.
He later lost to Terry Taylor
in a match for the vacant NWA Central States Television Championship in January 1981 shortly before winning the promotion's heavyweight championship from "Bulldog" Bob Brown on April 1. After three months, Tyler lost the title to Bob Sweetan
on July 23, 1981.
Teaming with J.J. Dillon several weeks later, he and Dillon would defeat Bob Sweetan & Terry Gibbs for the NWA Central States Tag Team Titles on August 27, although they were forced to vacate within two months. The following month, he faced Terry Gibbs and Bob Sweetan in singles matches and later lost to Sweetan and Bob Brown in a tag team match with Gene Lewis on September 20, 1981. He also teamed with Steve Sybert in the NWA North American Tag Team Championship Tournament and was eliminated in the opening rounds by Dusty Rhodes
& Bugsy McGraw
in late 1981.
Facing NWA World Heavyweight Champion "Nature Boy" Ric Flair
in several matches during 1982, he later began teaming with Bob Brown defeating Dewey Robertson and Hercules Hernandez for the Tag Team titles on September 20, 1982. Although losing the titles to Yasu Fuji & Kim Duk on March 3, he and Brown would regain the titles in a championship tournament on May 26. He and Brown also won the NWA International Tag Team Championship from Timothy Flowers & Terry Adonis in Vancouver, British Columbia on May 30, 1983.
Eliminated by Jerry Blackwell
during the opening rounds of the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship Tournament on July 15, he and Brown would feud with The Sheiks (Roger Kirby
& Abdullah the Great) over the tag team titles throughout the year before Brown was injured by 666 during a match in December 1983 and forced to vacate the titles.
Regaining the title from Super Destroyer
on October 20, he would later over the title with Tully Blanchard
, "Crazy" Luke Graham
and Ted Oates before losing the title to Hacksaw Higgins on October 6, 1983. During his last year in the promotion, he and Luke Graham especially would face each other in a series of steel cage matches eventually losing to Graham in Kansas City, Missouri
on May 10, 1984.
He would later defeat former tag team partner Gypsy Joe for the NWA Central States Television title on September 22, 1984 before losing the title a month later to Marty Jannetty
.
before siding with The Assassin
in his feud with Paul Jones' Army
later teaming with The Assassin at Starrcade '84 to defeat The Zambuie Express (Elijah Akeem and Kareem Muhammad) with manager Paul Jones
in an Elimination Tag Team match on November 2, 1984.
With The Assassin and Charlie Brown, he would defeat Superstar Billy Graham, J.J. Dillon and Paul Jones in a 6-man tag team match on January 6 and later faced Graham in both tag team and 6-man tag team matches later that month.
Defeating Ron Bass
for the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship on March 16, he was scheduled to defend his title on Jim Crockett
's Championship Wrestling from Georgia in its first episode since Black Saturday
, however, the main event was canceled after an accident caused the middle ring rope to snap during a match between Black Bart
and Ron Rossi on April 6, 1985.
Months later, he would team with "Ragin' Bull" Manny Fernandez
and Sam Houston to defeat Abdullah the Butcher
, The Barbarian and Superstar Billy Graham at the Great American Bash '85 on July 6 and later teamed with Fernandez and Houston to defeat Ivan Koloff's Russian Team
for the NWA Mid-Atlantic Six-Man Tag Team Championship in July 1985 and successfully defended the titles against before losing the titles back to Russian Team later that year.
He would later forfeit the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship after leaving the promotion in July 1985, however he refused to return the title claiming then booker Dusty Rhodes withheld money owed to him - said by some to be $8 and half a taco. - and a third version of the belt was eventually used.
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
, most notably teaming with J.J. Dillon and "Bulldog" Bob Brown
Bob Brown (wrestler)
Robert Harold Brown was a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Bulldog" Bob Brown.- Early life :...
in NWA Central States during the early 1980s.
Early career
Tyler began wrestling for NWA Mid-America during the late 1970s eventually being chosen by NWA Mid-America Tag Team Champion Gypsy JoeGilberto Melendez
Gilberto Melendez is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler better known under the ring name Gypsy Joe. Currently he wrestles for the Southern Wrestling Federation in Tullahoma, Tennessee.-Professional wrestling career:...
in February 1978 to replace Dutch Mantell who had previously forfeited his half of the title. After losing the titles to George Gulas & Tojo Yamamoto
Tojo Yamamoto
Harold Watanabe was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Tojo Yamamoto. He was born in Hawaii.-In-ring career:...
two months later, he would compete for NWA Central States and later wrestled Dewey Robertson
Dewey Robertson
Byron James John "Dewey" Robertson was a professional wrestler, known best for his ring name The Missing Link....
in tag team matches with Matt Borne as well as several 6-man tag team matches against Kerry Brown
Kerry Brown (wrestler)
Kerry Brown was a Canadian professional wrestler. Brown was best known for working in Stampede Wrestling in the 1980s under his real name, but also wrestled in Puerto Rico and the Maritimes using the ring name Rick Valentine.-Beginning and Canadian promotions:Brown began wrestling in 1979 in...
& Tommy Sharp and faced Dick the Bruiser in an interpromotional event between the NWA and the WWF on November 7, 1980.
He later lost to Terry Taylor
Terry Taylor
Terry Taylor , is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his time in the National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation...
in a match for the vacant NWA Central States Television Championship in January 1981 shortly before winning the promotion's heavyweight championship from "Bulldog" Bob Brown on April 1. After three months, Tyler lost the title to Bob Sweetan
Bob Sweetan
Bob Sweetan better known as "Bruiser" Bob Sweetan or "Mr. Piledriver" Bob Sweetan, after his signature finishing maneuver, was born in 1940. Bob was a professional wrestler who over his long career held numerous titles. Bob enjoyed tremendous success with the National Wrestling Alliance...
on July 23, 1981.
Teaming with J.J. Dillon several weeks later, he and Dillon would defeat Bob Sweetan & Terry Gibbs for the NWA Central States Tag Team Titles on August 27, although they were forced to vacate within two months. The following month, he faced Terry Gibbs and Bob Sweetan in singles matches and later lost to Sweetan and Bob Brown in a tag team match with Gene Lewis on September 20, 1981. He also teamed with Steve Sybert in the NWA North American Tag Team Championship Tournament and was eliminated in the opening rounds by Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...
& Bugsy McGraw
Bugsy McGraw
Bugsy McGraw is the ring name of former professional wrestler Michael Davis. He also wrestled under the name "The Skull." He is not to be confused with the other wrestler named Mike Davis.-Total Nonstop Action Wrestling :...
in late 1981.
Facing NWA World Heavyweight Champion "Nature Boy" Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
in several matches during 1982, he later began teaming with Bob Brown defeating Dewey Robertson and Hercules Hernandez for the Tag Team titles on September 20, 1982. Although losing the titles to Yasu Fuji & Kim Duk on March 3, he and Brown would regain the titles in a championship tournament on May 26. He and Brown also won the NWA International Tag Team Championship from Timothy Flowers & Terry Adonis in Vancouver, British Columbia on May 30, 1983.
Eliminated by Jerry Blackwell
Jerry Blackwell
Jerry Blackwell was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Crusher" Jerry Blackwell. Blackwell competed in the 1979 World's Strongest Man contest, but withdrew early in the competition due to an injury...
during the opening rounds of the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship Tournament on July 15, he and Brown would feud with The Sheiks (Roger Kirby
Roger Kirby
Professor Roger Kirby is a prostate surgeon in the UK. He has performed over 2000 radical prostatectomy operations in his career and has written over 60 books and published more than 300 scientific papers...
& Abdullah the Great) over the tag team titles throughout the year before Brown was injured by 666 during a match in December 1983 and forced to vacate the titles.
Regaining the title from Super Destroyer
Super Destroyer
-In wrestling:* "The Super Destroyer" Hulk Hogan* "The Super Destroyers" from WCWA - tag team wrestling team** "Super Destroyer #2" Barney Irwin** "Super Destroyer #1" Scott Irwin* "Super Destroyer" Don Jardine...
on October 20, he would later over the title with Tully Blanchard
Tully Blanchard
Tully Arthur Blanchard is a semi-retired second generation American professional wrestler. He is best known as an original member of the Four Horsemen....
, "Crazy" Luke Graham
Grady Johnson
James Grady Johnson better known as professional wrestler Crazy Luke Graham, was a member of the Graham family, a storyline family of wrestlers.-Career:...
and Ted Oates before losing the title to Hacksaw Higgins on October 6, 1983. During his last year in the promotion, he and Luke Graham especially would face each other in a series of steel cage matches eventually losing to Graham in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
on May 10, 1984.
He would later defeat former tag team partner Gypsy Joe for the NWA Central States Television title on September 22, 1984 before losing the title a month later to Marty Jannetty
Marty Jannetty
Frederick Marty Jannetty is an American professional wrestler, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation as part of tag team The Rockers with partner Shawn Michaels, and later as a singles competitor. While in the WWF, he became a one time Intercontinental Champion and a one time...
.
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Moving on to the Mid-Atlantic territory, Tyler had a brief yet violent feud with Wahoo McDanielWahoo McDaniel
Edward "Wahoo" McDaniel was a Choctaw-Chickasaw Native American who achieved fame as a professional American football player and later as a professional wrestler.-Early life:...
before siding with The Assassin
Jody Hamilton
Joseph "Jody" Hamilton is an American retired professional wrestler and current wrestling promoter and trainer. In his active days Hamiltion was best known as known as one half of the tag team The Assassins where he was called "Assassin #1"...
in his feud with Paul Jones' Army
Paul Jones' Army
Paul Jones' Army was a professional wrestling heel stable in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions in the mid-1980s.-History:Paul Jones formed Paul Jones' Army in the early 1980s in Jim Crockett Promotions to help him battle "The Boogie Woogie Man" Jimmy Valiant and his friends, Manny Fernandez, Wahoo...
later teaming with The Assassin at Starrcade '84 to defeat The Zambuie Express (Elijah Akeem and Kareem Muhammad) with manager Paul Jones
Paul Jones (wrestler)
Paul Jones is a retired professional wrestler and manager. He had success in the National Wrestling Alliance 's Mid-Atlantic region, including an NWA World Tag Team title reign with Ricky Steamboat.-Career:...
in an Elimination Tag Team match on November 2, 1984.
With The Assassin and Charlie Brown, he would defeat Superstar Billy Graham, J.J. Dillon and Paul Jones in a 6-man tag team match on January 6 and later faced Graham in both tag team and 6-man tag team matches later that month.
Defeating Ron Bass
Ronald Herd
Ronald Heard is a former American professional wrestler, best known under the name Ron Bass. His gimmick was a Texan cowboy who entered World Wrestling Federation rings to the sound of a bullwhip.-Career:...
for the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship on March 16, he was scheduled to defend his title on Jim Crockett
Jim Crockett, Jr.
Jim Crockett, Jr. is a former professional wrestling promoter. From 1973 to 1988, he owned Jim Crockett Promotions , a wrestling company affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance...
's Championship Wrestling from Georgia in its first episode since Black Saturday
Black Saturday (1984)
In professional wrestling, Black Saturday refers to Saturday, July 14, 1984. On that date, Vince McMahon and his World Wrestling Federation took over the Saturday night time slot on Superstation WTBS that had been home to Georgia Championship Wrestling and its flagship weekly program, World...
, however, the main event was canceled after an accident caused the middle ring rope to snap during a match between Black Bart
Rick Harris
Rick Harris is a former professional wrestler better known by his ring name , Black Bart. He is the son of the late George "Two Ton" Harris.-Career:Rick Harris started wrestling in 1975...
and Ron Rossi on April 6, 1985.
Months later, he would team with "Ragin' Bull" Manny Fernandez
Manny Fernandez (wrestler)
Emanuel "Manny" Fernandez is an American professional wrestler currently wrestling for different independent promotions. He is best known by the his ring name "The Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez.-Professional wrestling career:...
and Sam Houston to defeat Abdullah the Butcher
Abdullah the Butcher
Lawrence Robert "Larry" Shreve best known as Abdullah the Butcher, and also at times The Madman from the Sudan, is a semi-retired Canadian professional wrestler known as one of the most brutal or "hardcore" professional wrestlers of all-time...
, The Barbarian and Superstar Billy Graham at the Great American Bash '85 on July 6 and later teamed with Fernandez and Houston to defeat Ivan Koloff's Russian Team
Russian Team
The Russian Team was a professional wrestling team in the 1980s that attempted to prove their Soviet dominance over their opponents.-History:The Russian Team was formed in December 1984 in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions...
for the NWA Mid-Atlantic Six-Man Tag Team Championship in July 1985 and successfully defended the titles against before losing the titles back to Russian Team later that year.
He would later forfeit the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship after leaving the promotion in July 1985, however he refused to return the title claiming then booker Dusty Rhodes withheld money owed to him - said by some to be $8 and half a taco. - and a third version of the belt was eventually used.
Championships and accomplishments
- Central States WrestlingHeart of America Sports AttractionsHeart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa...
- NWA Central States Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Central States Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship a professional wrestling championship that currently serves as the main title for the National Wrestling Alliance promotion, NWA Midwest. For most of its existence, however, the title was defended in the NWA affiliate Central States Wrestling from...
(4 times) - NWA Central States Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Central States Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Central States Tag Team Championship was the primary tag team championship for the Heart of America Sports Attractions / Central States Wrestling promotion from 1979 until the promotion ceased to exist in 1988...
(4 times) with J.J. DillonJames J. DillonJames J. "J.J." Dillon is a retired American professional wrestler and manager.He is best known for being the strategic leader of the original Four Horsemen that consisted of Nature Boy Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Arn and Ole Anderson. He is most remembered as a manager in pro wrestling...
(1) and Bob BrownBob Brown (wrestler)Robert Harold Brown was a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Bulldog" Bob Brown.- Early life :...
(3) - NWA Central States Television ChampionshipNWA Central States Television ChampionshipThe NWA Central States Television Championship was the secondary singles chamoionship for the Heart of America Sports Attractions / Central States Wrestling promotion from 1977 until the promotion ceased to exist in 1988. -Title History:-See also:...
(1 time)
- Mid-Atlantic Championship WrestlingJim Crockett PromotionsJim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
- NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship contested for in Jim Crockett Promotions , a territory-promotion governed by the National Wrestling Alliance . The title was only contestable by male individual wrestlers...
(1 time)
- NWA All-Star Wrestling
- NWA International Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)NWA International Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)The Vancouver version of the NWA International Tag Team Championship was a tag team title in NWA All Star Wrestling. It was established in 1982 as the top tag team championship in that promotion after the NWA Canadian Tag Team title became inactive early that year, but was demoted to secondary...
(1 time) - with Bob Brown
- NWA Mid-AmericaContinental Wrestling AssociationThe Continental Wrestling Association was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually referred to as Mid-Southern Wrestling...
- NWA Mid-America Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Mid-America Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Mid-America tag-team championship was a tag-team title promoted by the NWA Mid America promotion that ran more or less exclusively in Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky from the 1940ties until 1980...
(1 time) - with Gypsy JoeGilberto MelendezGilberto Melendez is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler better known under the ring name Gypsy Joe. Currently he wrestles for the Southern Wrestling Federation in Tullahoma, Tennessee.-Professional wrestling career:...