Posted on 01/19/2005 9:28:25 AM PST by EveningStar
Peter Whatley, professionally known as "Pistol" Pez Whatley, passed away yesterday at the age of 54 in his hometown Chatanooga, TN while hospitalized. Whatley had been in poor health in recent years, and was believed to have been waiting for a heart transplant. He had suffered a heart attack in January 2003 and also some kidney probles that led to a long hospitalization, but was said to have improved greatly over the last year.
A native of Chattanooga, Whatley competed as an amateur wrestler for Notre Dame High School in his hometown and later for UTC in Chattanooga, TN. He broke in working Tennessee independents in the early 1970s for Phil Golden (uncle of Jimmy "Bunkhouse Buck" Golden), Nick Gulas, and Angelo Poffo. He teamed with the late Ray Candy as Mid-American Tag Team champions for the IWA promotion. While working for Poffo, Whatley and Rip Rogers held the old ICW United States Tag Team championships in 1982.
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Me too! Wrestling used to be more fun, I think, when they didn't try to be funny but just were funny. Contrast that with the modern vision of wrestling where they are clearly trying too hard - the result is flat.
The distinction is a minor one, but it's important, I think. In the old World Class promotion in Texas, for example, 'Your Texas Champion' Gino Hernandez would call himself 'The Handsome Halfbreed from Highland Park.' Now, that's just damn funny, without trying too hard to be funny! Haha!
Jobbers, jabronis, ham-n-eggers (a Bobby "the brain" Heenan fave)
I remember when he found his African roots and changed his name to "Shaska Whatley" for a couple of weeks
LOL! Didja' notice the name of HitmanNY's blog page?
...And let's not forget, also the father of Leaping Lanny Poffo, the poet laureate of the WWF...
I remember Pistol Pez from his NWA/WCW days. I had forgotten about the "Jive Tones" until I read the article. I thought he had also wrestled for a time in Fritz Von Eric's World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW). Can anybody confirm that?
You must mean Vern Gagne, a legend.
I think half the problem is that a lot of these deaths have to do with weight. A lot are big guys, who eat a lot. When they performed they worked out. When they quit, they slowed down the workouts but kept up the eating. Also pain meds are in there some where (years of them, and not just bening ones like tylenol 3's). Steroids I am sure are a major factor but it for sure isn't the only one.
Yep, just wasn't sure how his last name was spelled.
Back in 1984 I waited on tables in a Red Lobster with one of Pez' cousins. We used to get a number of the boys (Jake Roberts, Pez, Road Warriors, Bundy) in for dinner when the Georgia crew would do a northern tour in Northern Ohio.
You don't want to see what Bundy could do when given a shot at "all you can eat" popcorn shrimp.
"Me and my bundy heard you had an "All you can eat deal here."
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