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Edward "Wahoo" McDaniel was the real article, a Choctaw-Chickasaw Native
American who first became an American football star and then a professional
wrestling icon. Born in Oklahoma in 1938 and moving on to Midland Texas,
McDaniel was always interested in sport. In fact, one of his baseball coaches
was the future President George H. W. Bush. His football career, in college,
was plagued with injuries but he was able to join the AFL and played for
the Houston Oilers, Denver Broncos and New York Jets. Always a rough and
tumble man, Wahoo got into an altercation with two police officers and
was traded to San Diego, but he would end up quitting football to enter
wrestling full time for Dory Funk Sr in Amarillo Texas after having part-time
experience with Vince McMahon Sr in the WWWF. McDaniel forged a team with
Jose Lothario and frequently challenged Dory Funk Jr for the NWA World
Title during his reign, selling out the Sam Houston Coliseum. McDaniel
moved to the American Wrestling Association and feuded with the Superstar
Billy Graham, later joining with the Crusher against Graham and Ivan Koloff
in a tag team feud. In 1974, Wahoo moved to Mid-Atlantic to wrestle for
Jim Crocket against Johnny Valentine and a young Nature Boy Ric Flair,
whom Wahoo met while working in the AWA. McDaniel won his first major title,
the Mid-Atlantic Title, from Johnny Valentine in 1975 before feuding with
Ric Flair through 1975 and 1976, trading the title three times with McDaniel
coming out on top and also taking the NWA United States Title.
When Johnny Valentine's career ended in the infamous plane crash, Greg Valentine joined the company to attack Wahoo McDaniel and trade the United States Title. McDaniel later won his final Mid-Atlantic Title in 1978 in defeating Valentine, before losing it to Ken Patera only one week later. McDaniel also did some great work with NWA Champion Harley Race, the Giant Baba, Antonio Inoku, Jumbo Tsuruta and Tully Blanchard. He also returned to the AWA to battle with AWA World CHampion Nick Bockwinkle. Wahoo made his return to Mid-Atlantic in 1981 to feud with Roddy Piper over the US Title, but Abdullah the Butcher came to put Wahoo out of action with an injury. By the time Wahoo returned, it was Sgt. Slaughter wearing the US Title and they traded the gold. Wahoo turned heel, attacking Ricky Steamboat and taking the US Title from him, losing it to Magnum TA and then going after a fan favourite Flair for the World Title. He would retire after suffering from a detached retina during a match with Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom, but returned in 1990 and wrestled independents. His last stand was at WCW Slamboree in 1993 where he, Jim Brunzell and Blackjack Mulligan defeated Don Muraco, Jimmy Snuka and Dick Murdoch in a legends match. In 1994, he entered the WWF for an angle where he and Chief Jay Strongbow passed the torch to Tatanka by giving him a head dress. His final match was in 1996, when he officially retired. A member of the defunct WCW Hall of Fame and a true wrestling power-house, tough-guy and headliner, Wahoo McDaniel belongs here in the UWOW Hall of Fame. |
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