Florida Roster
Tampa in southern Florida lies along the state's Gulf Coast. Across Tampa Bay from the city of Tampa is
St. Petersburg, these would become two key cities for one Clarence "Cowboy" Luttrell in the 1950s. Luttrell expanded out,
a little further down the coast to Sarasota, a little ways inland to Lakeland, northeast to Orlando, Ocala and
Jacksonville, southeast to Miami Beach, West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale and northwest into the panhandle to Tallahassee.
"Cowboy" Luttrell's region become one of the most impressive and Florida was a growing state. The most significant
visitor during this period was Eddie Graham. Half of the "brother" tag team with Dr. Jerry Graham, Eddie was a deep-tanned,
bleach blonde and had just come of a great run in New York. He quickly became Luttrell's right-hand man and built up his
influence and eventually bought into the territory in 1961. Luttrell secured excellent talent both great wrestlers and
great personalities, but also great minds, who helped shape the company in their own way.
Buddy Austin
"Wild" Red Berry
Primo Carnera
Al Costello
Don Curtis
Dick the Bruiser
Ernie Dusek
Don Eagle
Gorgeous George
Eddie Gossett
Eddie Graham
Jerry Graham
Gypsy Joe
Duke Keomuka
Great Malenko
Danny McShain
Mighty Atlas
Eduardo Perez
Angelo Poffo
Argentina Rocca
Buddy Rogers
Hans Schmidt
Wilbur Snyder
Lou Thesz
Enrique Torres
Johnny Valentine
Johnny Walker
GCCW - Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling (1959-1978)
The Fields family took over Buddy Fuller's promotion based out of Mobile, Alabama in 1959. He understandably had ties
with Nashville, where his father Roy Welch promoted, and often used the same talent at different times. Fuller had a solid
core of talent and used a mixture of roughneck cowboy-types and "ethnic" stars as babyfaces and heels alike. In 1958,
steps had been made to expand into the Florida panhandle with cities like Pensacola and Panama City being the main focus.
"Cowboy" Luttrell had estalished himself in Tampa and St. Petersburg and had moved into Miami. There was more than enough
room in Florida for two growing promotions and it essentially ran that way for the next three decades. Gulf Coast's style
was simple and they had a great formula that kept their company going for the next two decades. After that time, Fields
sold the company to Ron Fuller who assumed control of the Florida panhandle.
Bob Armstrong
"Killer" Buddy Austin
Norvell Austin
Ox Baker
Ronnie Bass
Freddie Blassie
Bearcat Brown
Frankie Caine
Haystacks Calhoun
Ron Carson (Dick Murdoch)
The Convict (Stan Frazier)
Sylvester DeRitter (Junkyard Dog)
Doug Donovan (Karl Von Brauner)
Fabulous Fargos (Jackie & Donnie)
Don Fargo
Jackie Fargo
Johnny Fargo (Greg Valentine)
Lee Fields
Buddy Fuller
Mario Galento
Terry Garvin
Gorgeous George
Reuben Gibson (Robert Gibson)
Jimmy Golden
Dr. Jerry Graham
Gypsy Joe
Danny Hodge
The Interns
The Islanders (Afa & Sika)
Mr. Ito (Umanosuke Ueda)
Steve Keirn
"Cowboy" Bob Kelly
Don Kernodle
King Karl Kowalski
Guy LaRose (Hans Schmidt)
Jerry Lawler
Jose "El Gran" Lothario
Ken Lucas
Rocky Monroe (Sputnik Monroe)
Sputnik Monroe
Jerry Oates
Dwayne Peel (Buddy Wayne)
Eduardo Perez
Poffo Brothers (Randy & Lanny)
Tex Riley
Rowdy Red Roberts
Yvon Robierre (Yvon Robert)
Pancho Rosario (Gypsy Joe)
Joe Scarpa (Chief Jay Strongbow)
David Schultz
Bobby Shane
Ray Stevens
"Bruiser" Bob Sweetan
Von Brauners (Kurt & Karl)
Herb Welch
Lester Welch
Robert Welch
Roy Lee Welch
Johnny West (Kevin Sullivan)
Billy Wicks
Ed Wiskowski
Ron Wright
Rube Wright
Championship Wrestling from Florida (1963-1987)
The 1960s were a topsy turvy time in Tampa. In 1961, Eddie Graham had bought into the promotion and was finding great
success as both a star preformer and a booker. Throughout the decade others bought into Florida, including trainer Hiro
Matsuda, renowned Japanese heel Duke Keomoka, Lester Welch of the powerful and influential Welch family and a several
others. The biggest change for the promotion occured in 1963, they joined into the National Wrestling Alliance and became
a regular stop for the NWA World Heavyweight and Junior Heavyweight Champions. This began a steady incline for the CWF,
which began expanding throughout the decade. The Caribbean, namely Puerto Rico and the Bahamas, became good irregular
stops for "L&G Promotions" in the 1960s. In 1968, Eddie Graham's career path changed in an instant when a 75-pound steel
window fell on him and ended his full-time wrestling career. After that the success of Florida became his full-time focus
and he began making aggressive moves to gain power. In 1971, "Cowboy" Luttrell was "forced out" by Graham, who assumed
majority control. Second, he closed "L&G Promotions" and stopped trying to compete with the new promotions in Puerto Rico.
Third, Graham began aggressively recruiting talent and trying build up his company as the crown jewel of the NWA. The
NWA soon found themselves at war in Georgia in the early 1970s. Buddy Fuller (Edward Welch) had grown tired of dealing
with Ray Gunkel and traded his shares of company with Lester Welch. Buddy headed to Tampa and Les headed to Atlanta and
the problems escalated, then Gunkel died and they took another dramatic turn when his widow opened a rival company (which
was not an NWA affiliate). Graham was frequently sending talent up to support the NWA and even sent in Bill Watts, his
protege booker, for a spell. As that battle raged, the NWA was weakened when long-time president Sam Muchnick stepped down.
From that point forward, the presidency of the NWA became the ultimate prize and after a brief stint by Fritz Von Erich,
Eddie Graham took the office in the 1976 and held it until 1978. During this time, Championship Wrestling from Florida was
perhaps the hottest company in the world. The roster was busting with main event stars and they were frequently cycling
in established stars from elsewhere, building up new stars and utilizing the NWA Championship's drawing power. While Bill
Watts had left, Dusty Rhodes had stayed and soaked up much of Graham's booking genius. Rhodes had also become the
company's biggest star and was one of the hottest acts of the 1970s and even worked his way into the NWA title scene as
the decade came to a close. In the early 1980s, pro-wrestling began changing radically. Vince McMahon and his World
Wrestling Federation were taking over the United States, but he had great competition. Unfortunately, those companies
could never cooperate enough to win the war and they began falling. Jim Crockett Promotions out of the Carolinas began
expanding and trying to beat McMahon at his own game. This one company essentially assumed control of the fragmented NWA
and presidency bounced between Jim Crockett Jr. and Bob Geigel (who wielded influence, but did not have a big money
promotion). The power was shifting again and Dusty Rhodes left Florida to work for the Crocketts as their booker and one
of their top stars. This was a deathblow to Championship Wrestling from Florida, which could not compete with the
expanding companies in the United States. They held on for a few years, but financial problems were creating personal
problems for Eddie Graham. The pro-wrestling world was shocked when Eddie Graham, one of the greatest minds in the sport's
history, commited suicide on January 20, 1985. The company was inherited by Hiro Matsuda and Duke Keomuka. Dusty Rhodes
still owned a piece of the company as did Buddy Colt and Eddie's son Mike and brother Skip rounded out the remaining owners.
They kept it open for a couple years and tried to align with the Crocketts, but the magic was gone. Championship Wrestling
from Florida became part of Jim Crockett Promotions in 1987.
Bad News Allen
Terry Allen (Magnum T.A.)
Brad Armstrong
Ole Anderson
The Assassins
Bob Backlund
Ox Baker
Ron Bass
Red Bastien
Brian Blair
Nick Bockwinkel
Jack Brisco
Jerry Brisco
Bruiser Brody
Ray Candy
Tony Charles
Ciclon Negro
Buddy Colt
Don Curtis
J.J. Dillon
Bobby Duncum
Eric Emory (Eric Embry)
Fabulous Kangaroos
Manny Fernandez
Ric Flair
Robert Fuller
Dory Funk Jr.
Terry Funk
Jimmy Garvin
Ron Garvin
Jimmy Golden
"Superstar" Billy Graham
Eddie Graham
Mike Graham
Don Greene
Chavo Guerrero
Scott Hall
"Playboy" Gart Hart
Billy Jack Haynes
Larry "The Axe" Hennig
Hercules Hernandez
Oliver Humperdink
King Curtis Iaukea
Hangman Bobby Jaggers
Rocky Johnson
Paul Jones
Steve Keirn
Teijho Khan
Ivan Koloff
Killer Karl Kox
Ernie Ladd
Jos LeDuc
Mark Lewin
Lex Luger
The Magnificent Morocco (Don Muraco)
Boris Malenko
The Masked Superstar
Hiro Matsuda
Bugsy McGraw
Wahoo McDaniel
Missouri Mauler (Larry Hamilton)
The Mongolian Stomper
Pedro Morales
Blackjack Mulligan
Don Muraco
Dick Murdoch
Great Muta
Kendo Nagasaki
Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags)
Terry Orndorff (Shane Douglas)
Bob Orton Jr.
Pat Patterson
Al Perez
Tommy Peters (Tommy Rogers)
Percy Pringle
Purple Haze (Mark Lewin)
Harley Race
Butch Reed
Dusty Rhodes
Jake Roberts
Billy Robinson
Bob Roop
Mike Rotundo
Rick Rude
Mr. Saito
Buzz Sawyer
Bobby Shane
The Sheepherders (Luke Williams & Butch Miller)
Dick Slater
Tracy Smothers
Pak Song
The Spoiler
Spoiler II (Bobby Duncum)
Ron Starr
Dick Steinborn
Ray Stevens
Adrian Street
Big John Studd
Kevin Sullivan
Super Destroyer (Hulk Hogan)
Super Masked Destroyer (Killer Kowalski)
Sweet Brown Sugar
Lou Thesz
Johnny Valentine
Nikolai Volkoff
David Von Erich
Kerry Von Erich
Bill Watts
Johnny Weaver
Pez Whatley
Barry Windham
Tim Woods
Mr. Wrestling II
Bearcat Wright
Jay Youngblood
SECW - Southeastern Championship Wrestling (1978-1985)
Ron Fuller was running a successful promotion out of Knoxville, Tennessee in the 1970s. In 1978, Fuller bought Lee
Fields' Alabama-based Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling and established a second version of his Southeastern Championship
Wrestling there. After the outlaw ICW company began moving into Knoxville and challenging him there, he simply sold the
city to Jim Barnett, packed up and left for Alabama for the next eight years. Although Alabama was the main market, Fields
had expanded successfully into the Florida panhandle. Fuller kept that tradition going. The company was a great mixture
of veteran talent and young studs that the fans in the Deep South loved to see in wild rasslin’ matches fueled by exciting
angles. When the WWF went national, Fuller decided to modify his product a bit to secure his investments and the second
version of SECW came to close (of sorts).
Abdullah the Butcher
Arn Anderson
Tony Anthony
Bob Armstrong
Tony Atlas
Norvell Austin
Andre The Giant
Ron Bass
Crusher Blackwell
Terry "Hulk" Boulder
Jack Brisco
Don Carson
"Porkchop" Bobby Cash
Dennis Condrey
Wendall Cooley
Ted DiBiase
Bill Dundee
Wayne Ferris
The Flame (Jody Hamilton)
Robert Fuller
Ron Fuller
Terry Funk
Ron Garvin
Terry Gibbs
Robert Gibson
Jimmy Golden
Sterling Golden (Hulk Hogan)
Terry Gordy
Michael Hayes
Phil Hickerson
Tim Horner
Austin Idol
The Islanders (Afa & Sika)
Ivan Koloff
Killer Karl Krupp
Ernie Ladd
Stan Lane
Jerry Lawler
Jos LeDuc
Ken Lucas
Boris Malenko
Dutch Mantell
The Mongolian Stomper
Sputnik Monroe
Mr. Olympia
Dick Murdoch
New Zealand Sheepherders
Paul Orndorff
Bob Orton Jr.
Thunderbolt Patterson
Randy Poffo
Tom Prichard
Harley Race
Tommy Rich
Rip Rogers
Tommy Rogers
Rick Rood
Bob Roop
Jacques Rougeau
Nelson Royal
Mr. Saito
David Schultz
Dick Slater
"Exotic" Adrian Street
Jerry Stubbs
Kevin Sullivan
Bob Sweetan
Roy Welch
"Mr. Wrestling" Tim Woods
Mr. Wrestling II
Ron Wright
CCW - Continential Championship Wrestling (1985-1988)
In the summer of 1985, Ron Fuller tried to take his promotion to the next level. It had been a popular and successful
throughout Alabama and the Florida panhandle, but with the expanding promotions around the US, Fuller needed to change. He
shifted from the old tradition of taped studio wrestling shows to an arena show from his new main city, Birmingham, Alabama.
He also brought in legendary announcer Gordon Solie who had made his name working for "Cowboy" Luttrell. Fuller also
began expanding into northern Alabama, eastern Mississippi and he soon returned to Eastern Tennessee. To cap off all these
changes, the promotion was renamed from regional “Southeastern” to the broader “Continental.” The company remained
largely the same though with the same regulars. Continental was an NWA affiliate, until the Pro Wrestling USA deal fell
apart in the late 1980s with Crockett and the NWA pulling out. Continental, along with Memphis, aligned itself with the
AWA. However, the following year, Fuller sold the company to return Knoxville and promote there again. Continental began
its new and final phase.
"Dirty White Boy" Tony Anthony
Bob Armstrong
Brad Armstrong
Norvell Austin
Denny Brown
The Bullet (Bob Armstrong)
Scott Casey
Wendell Cooley
The Flame (Jody Hamilton)
Robert Fuller
Ron Fuller
Doug Furnas
Jimmy Golden
"White Lightning" Tim Horner
"Beautiful" Buddy Landell
Ken Lucas
Dutch Mantell
Masked Grappler (Len Denton)
Dr. Tom Prichard
Tommy Rich
"Hustler" Rip Rogers
Dick Slater
"Exotic" Adrian Street
Jerry Stubbs
Kevin Sullivan
Tennesee Stud (Ron Fuller)
Ken Wayne
Roy Lee Welch
Mr. Wrestling II
Ron Wright
CWF - Continental Wrestling Federation (1988-1990)
In 1988, CCW was not as strong as it had been and Ron Fuller decided to focus on promoting Knoxville again. So, he
sold Continental to David Woods, a television executive out of Montgomery, Alabama. Gordon Solie also left, but Eddie
Gilbert came in as booker. Gilbert revitalized the territory with some outrageous angles that cemented his legacy as a
cutting edge booker, but a falling out with Woods saw his departure after only a few months. Many of the old stars had
left and Continental was not producing the quality of new talents to replace them. The company only lasted into 1990,
before Woods closed its doors. By this time, Florida had been taken over by Turner Broadcasting's World Championship
Wrestling spare a few yearly shows by the World Wrestling Federation, but there would never be a company that relied so
heavily on the folks in Pensacola and Panama City.
"Dirty White Boy" Tony Anthony
Paul E. Dangerously [Manager]
Shane Douglas
"Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert
Willie B. Hert (Pez Whatley)
Tim Horner
Austin Idol
Kokina (Yokozuna)
Jerry Lawler
Lord Humongous (Sid)
Dutch Mantell
Tom Prichard
Sika
"Mr. Olympia" Jerry Stubbs
Ken Wayne
I'd like to thank Juan Blanco, Jason Tepper, Mike Siegel, Barry Rose, Erik Kamber, Wes Daniel from kayfabememories.com for their articles on "Championship Wrestling from Florida" as well as well as Tim Dills, Mike Norris, Mike Calloway, Steve Webber, Mitch Lucas, Jeff Luce, Eric Westlund and David Williamson for their various contributions on kayfabememories.com. And, of course Royal Duncun and Gary Will's contributions to wrestling-titles.com