Dave Ruhl
Encyclopedia
Dave Ruhl was a Canadian professional wrestler who during his near 30-year career competed in North American regional promotions in Western Canada
and the Canadian Prairies
as well as in Japan and other international promotions. A longtime mainstay of Calgary-based Stampede Wrestling
during the 1960s and early 70s, he engaged in memorable feuds with Sweet Daddy Siki
and The Stomper over the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship
.
He was also a close associate of promoter Stu Hart
and remained his top booker for much of his time in Stampede Wrestling.
as a cattle grain farmer when he was encouraged by his uncle Ray Steele
to pursue a career in professional wrestling during the mid-1940s. Making his debut in 1946, he appeared with many later Stampede Wrestling veterans while in Stu Hart
's Klondike Wrestling during the late 1940s.
By 1951, he began wrestling full time and eventually defeated Al "Mr. Murder" Mills for the vacant NWA Canadian Championship in Calgary, Alberta on November 13, 1959 (although other sources claim Ruhl won the title in 1955). Continuing to tour North America with the National Wrestling Alliance
during the next ten years, including the Arizona and Texas territories as the masked wrestler The Hooded Wasp, he would later win the NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship a record six times defeating Sweet Daddy Siki, The Beast, Stan Stasiak
, Danny Lynch and Abdullah the Butcher
respectively. He would be the last NWA Canadian Heavyweight Champion, holding the title until being forced to surrender the championship due to injury in 1972.
Facing Gene Kiniski
in a match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
in Calgary on July 12, 1967, Ruhl eventually began competing for Stu Hart
's Stampede Wrestling promotion during the late 1960s winning the Stampede North American Championship twice between 1969 and 1970 defeating The Stomper and Abdullah the Butcher
respectively. Touring Japan in 1969 and again in 1972, he briefly held the Stampede International Tag Team Championship with Tiger Joe Tomasso in May 1972 although they lost the titles back to Chin Lee
& Sugi Sito
later that month. Suffering a career ending injury in 1974 as a result of a head injury sustained in a fight with Carlos Colon
, Ruhl retired to farm with his brother Henry and eventually died in Medicine Hat, Alberta
on December 21, 1988.
Finishing Move: The Full Nelson
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
and the Canadian Prairies
Canadian Prairies
The Canadian Prairies is a region of Canada, specifically in western Canada, which may correspond to several different definitions, natural or political. Notably, the Prairie provinces or simply the Prairies comprise the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as they are largely covered...
as well as in Japan and other international promotions. A longtime mainstay of Calgary-based Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
during the 1960s and early 70s, he engaged in memorable feuds with Sweet Daddy Siki
Sweet Daddy Siki
Reginald Siki is a former professional wrestler and was born on June 16 in Montgomery, Texas.Sweet Daddy Siki started wrestling in 1955 in Artesia, New Mexico. He also did some training in Los Angeles with Sandor Szabo and Ray Ortega...
and The Stomper over the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship
Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship
The Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship is the major title in the Canadian professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling. From its establishment in 1968 until 1972, it was Stampede's secondary singles championship, becoming the top title in 1972 after the previous top...
.
He was also a close associate of promoter Stu Hart
Stu Hart
Stewart Edward "Stu" Hart, CM was a Canadian amateur wrestler, professional wrestler, promoter and trainer. Hart founded Stampede Wrestling, a promotion based in Calgary, Alberta, and was the father of famous wrestlers Bret and Owen Hart...
and remained his top booker for much of his time in Stampede Wrestling.
Career
Born in Watts, Alberta, he was living in nearby HannaHanna, Alberta
Hanna is a town in east-central Alberta, Canada.The town's main industries are agriculture, oil production, tourism, and coal mining. It is the centre of a large trading area called Short Grass County and is the home of approximately 200 businesses...
as a cattle grain farmer when he was encouraged by his uncle Ray Steele
Peter Sauer
Peter Sauer , known by the ring name Ray Steele, was an American professional wrestler born and raised in Norka, a German colony in Russia, in 1900 before immigrating to Lincoln, Nebraska in 1906....
to pursue a career in professional wrestling during the mid-1940s. Making his debut in 1946, he appeared with many later Stampede Wrestling veterans while in Stu Hart
Stu Hart
Stewart Edward "Stu" Hart, CM was a Canadian amateur wrestler, professional wrestler, promoter and trainer. Hart founded Stampede Wrestling, a promotion based in Calgary, Alberta, and was the father of famous wrestlers Bret and Owen Hart...
's Klondike Wrestling during the late 1940s.
By 1951, he began wrestling full time and eventually defeated Al "Mr. Murder" Mills for the vacant NWA Canadian Championship in Calgary, Alberta on November 13, 1959 (although other sources claim Ruhl won the title in 1955). Continuing to tour North America with the National Wrestling Alliance
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...
during the next ten years, including the Arizona and Texas territories as the masked wrestler The Hooded Wasp, he would later win the NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship a record six times defeating Sweet Daddy Siki, The Beast, Stan Stasiak
Stan Stasiak
George Stipich , better known by his ring name Stan Stasiak, was a Canadian professional wrestler and fifth World Wide Wrestling Federation Champion. He is the father of professional wrestler Shawn Stasiak.-Career:...
, Danny Lynch and 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...
respectively. He would be the last NWA Canadian Heavyweight Champion, holding the title until being forced to surrender the championship due to injury in 1972.
Facing Gene Kiniski
Gene Kiniski
Eugene Nicholas "Gene" Kiniski was a Canadian professional wrestler and the father of wrestlers Nick Kiniski and Kelly Kiniski. "Canada's Greatest Athlete" as he billed himself for promotional purposes was born outside of Edmonton, Alberta...
in a match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
in Calgary on July 12, 1967, Ruhl eventually began competing for Stu Hart
Stu Hart
Stewart Edward "Stu" Hart, CM was a Canadian amateur wrestler, professional wrestler, promoter and trainer. Hart founded Stampede Wrestling, a promotion based in Calgary, Alberta, and was the father of famous wrestlers Bret and Owen Hart...
's Stampede Wrestling promotion during the late 1960s winning the Stampede North American Championship twice between 1969 and 1970 defeating The Stomper and 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...
respectively. Touring Japan in 1969 and again in 1972, he briefly held the Stampede International Tag Team Championship with Tiger Joe Tomasso in May 1972 although they lost the titles back to Chin Lee
Chin Lee
Chin Lee is a city councillor in Toronto, Canada from Scarborough for Ward 41 Scarborough-Rouge River.Lee is a Malaysian-Chinese Canadian who was elected to Toronto City Council in the November 2006 civic elections to Ward 41 - Scarborough-Rouge River. He replaces former councillor and current MPP...
& Sugi Sito
Sugi Sito
Francisco Javier Mar Hernández was a Mexican professional wrestler known as Sugi Sito, nicknamed El Orgullo de Oriente . He was born in León, Guanajuato to a Mexican father and Chinese mother...
later that month. Suffering a career ending injury in 1974 as a result of a head injury sustained in a fight with Carlos Colon
Carlos Colón
Carlos Colón may refer to:*Carlos Colón, Sr., wrestler*Carly Colón, wrestler whose real name is Carlos Colón, son of the above*The Deadlines' lead guitarist, Carlos Colón...
, Ruhl retired to farm with his brother Henry and eventually died in Medicine Hat, Alberta
Medicine Hat, Alberta
Medicine Hat, known to locals as "The Hat", is a city of 61,097 people located in the southeastern part of the province of Alberta, Canada. It is enclaved within Cypress County along with the nearby Town of Redcliff, although neither is part of the county....
on December 21, 1988.
Championships and accomplishments
- Stampede WrestlingStampede WrestlingStampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
- NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Calgary version)NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Calgary version)The Calgary version of the NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship was established in 1946, and became the top championship in Stampede Wrestling when that promotion opened in 1948; it held that status until 1972, when the title was vacated and later abandoned after the last champion, Dave Ruhl, was...
(6 times) - NWA International Tag Team Championship (Calgary version) (1 time) - with Tiger Joe Tomasso
- Stampede North American Heavyweight ChampionshipStampede North American Heavyweight ChampionshipThe Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship is the major title in the Canadian professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling. From its establishment in 1968 until 1972, it was Stampede's secondary singles championship, becoming the top title in 1972 after the previous top...
(2 times) - Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame
Finishing Move: The Full Nelson