This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (March 2011)

Mike George is a British radio presenter. He was born in Harrow, Middlesex in 1945, a premature baby, as a result of the VE Celebrations. He attended Watford Central Primary and Bushey Grammar School. He spent most of his school holidays with his grandparents in Ross on Wye, which is how he developed his love of the counties of Hereford and Worcester.

Mike and his two sons have been life-long supporters of Watford Football Club. He is married to Lin and they have four children and at the last count, four grandchildren.

Early career[link]

Mike spent ten years in the navy and eight years as a Medical Rep before discovering Hospital Radio. His first professional radio job was in Portsmouth.

Mike joined Radio Wyvern (now Wyvern FM) in Worcester, when the station opened in 1982 as the weekday drive time presenter and later breakfast show presenter.

He left the station in 1987 and joined Cardiff's Red Dragon FM as a presenter of their breakfast show and was also heard on Touch AM. He remained here until early 1992. During his time in South Wales Mike appeared in pantomime with the comedian and actor Stan Stennett, at Porthcawl.

BBC career[link]

In early 1992 Mike moved back to the Worcester area and joined BBC Hereford & Worcester, taking over the weekday mid-morning show from 10 am–1 pm.

In late 1996 he took over the weekday Breakfast show, a role he would remain on until retiring from the slot in April 2005.

Just before retiring from the Breakfast show, in January 2005 Mike took over the station's gardening Programme. This was broadcast on Saturday mornings from 9–11 am. Here, Mike was joined by local gardening expert Reg Moule.

In addition to that, from May 2005, Mike took over a three-hour Sunday afternoon show also on BBC Hereford & Worcester, playing classic pop tunes from the last three decades. This show was also broadcast on BBC Radio Shropshire and BBC Radio Stoke. It was also during this period that Mike was a stand-in presenter, covering many holidaying presenters on BBC Hereford & Worcester, BBC Radio Shropshire and BBC Radio Gloucestershire

Current work[link]

Mike now presents the Sunday Breakfast programme on BBC Radio Shropshire^[1] Mike also presents the 7-10pm slot on Tuesdays on BBC Hereford and Worcester with sport and 'Essential 80's'.BBC Hereford & Worcester

References[link]

This article has been nominated to be checked for its neutrality. Discussion of this nomination can be found on the talk page. (February 2012)

Abdullah the Butcher
Shreve devastating Andy Ellison in 2004.
Ring name(s)	Abdullah the Butcher Madman from the Sudan[1] Saladin Pikens[1] Zeras Amala[1] Kuroi Jujutsushi[1]
Billed height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[1]
Billed weight	360 lb (160 kg)[1]
Born	(1941-01-11) January 11, 1941 (age 71)[1] Windsor, Ontario[1]
Resides	Atlanta, Georgia
Billed from	The Sudan[1]
Debut	1958[1]

Lawrence Robert "Larry" Shreve^[1] (born on January 11, 1941^[1]) 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 scars on his forehead are the result of frequent blading. According to Mick Foley, Shreve used to put gambling chips into the deep divots in his head to entertain (or scare) people at casinos. However, New Jack claimed in his RF Video shoot interview that the grooves in Shreve's head were surgically implemented.^[2]

An amateur martial artist, Shreve also has knowledge of judo and karate, often including this knowledge in his professional wrestling matches. This knowledge was mainly displayed by him using judo style throws, and karate chops.

Career[link]

Shreve grew up in Windsor, Ontario, Canada as part of a family of ten people in a deeply impoverished household.^[3] He learned karate and judo as a youth and, teaching fellow children in the backyard, claims to have eventually earned the title of seventh-degree grandmaster.^[3]

Standing 6 feet tall and weighing a robust 260 pounds, Shreve caught the attention of Montreal promoter Jack Britton,^[3] and he soon made his professional wrestling debut at age 17 in 1958. He initially competed in numerous independent territories north of the border under such various monikers as Pussycat Pickens, Kuroi Jujutsushi (The Black Wizard) and Zelis Amara. However, he ultimately created his legendary gimmick of an evil Arabian sadist; and in a match against Gino Brito^[3] (Jack Britton’s real-life son), Abdullah the Butcher first distinguished himself as one of the world’s most feared rule breakers when he broke a chair over Brito’s head and then beat him senseless with the leg.

Such acts of violence were only the beginning for the terrifying Abdullah the Butcher, whose menacing figure, excessive violence, and complete disregard for the safety of himself or his opponents quickly established his reputation for ruthless brutality. Abdullah’s matches almost always turned into bloodbaths, and he was infamous for stabbing his opponent’s wounds with his trademark fork (or any other foreign weapon that he could get his hands on). In addition to his hardcore style, Abdullah the Butcher was revolutionary with his habit of never staying in any one territory for too long, to avoid wearing out the novelty, and maintaining the notoriety, of his character. Constantly roaming from region to region, Abdullah propagated his reputation as the most violent wrestler in the world. Consequently, he was often brought into a territory as a hired gun to destroy a popular fan favorite, and his appearances usually sparked local interest.

Since his gimmick required that he speak no English (though it was in actuality his native tongue), he possessed an extraordinary number of managers over the course of his long career, including Gary Hart, Paul Jones, Eddie Creatchman, Black Baron, the Grand Wizard, J.J. Dillon, Damien Kane, Larry Sharpe, Oliver Humperdink, Buddy Colt, George Cannon, Bearcat Wright, Big Bad John, Gentleman Jim Holiday, and Rock Hunter, who were all portrayed as “handlers” commissioned to control the Sudanese madman, while also doing most of the talking in promos and interviews. He has, however, spoken for himself in promos while in Japan.

As a result of his frequent traveling, Abdullah the Butcher usually served as more of a special attraction than as a consistent championship contender. Accordingly, Abdullah never did win a World Heavyweight Championship, though he would capture a myriad of regional titles during his career. He won his first major championship on October 23, 1967 when he teamed with Dr. Jerry Graham to defeat John & Carlos Tolos for the NWA Canadian Tag Team Titles in Vancouver. A few years later, he ventured to the Montreal region, where he had three reigns as the IWA International Heavyweight Champion between 1969 and 1972, feuding against Ivan Koloff and Johnny Rougeau. He later served as one of the premier rule breakers in Calgary’s Stampede territory, capturing the NWA Canadian Championship, as well as having six North American Heavyweight Title reigns during the early 1970s. On June 24, 1972, he defeated Ernie Ladd in Akron, Ohio to capture his first of two NWF World Heavyweight Titles. During the mid-1970s, he frequently performed in Detroit, Michigan’s Big-Time Wrestling territory, where he engaged in a classic rivalry against local legend, The Sheik. He teamed with “Killer” Tim Brooks to win the region’s version of the NWA World Tag Team Titles before defeating Bobo Brazil on February 8, 1975 for the NWA United States Championship.

In addition to his successes in North America, Abdullah the Butcher would also become a true international superstar by performing in the Far East, Europe, the Caribbean, Australia, and Africa. On March 12, 1974, he traveled all the way to New Zealand, where he captured the prestigious British Empire Commonwealth Title by defeating the nation’s legendary champion John DaSilva. Abdullah would also establish himself as one of the premier attractions in Japan, where he competed as part of the round-robin tournament that ultimately crowned Giant Baba as All-Japan’s inaugural PWF Heavyweight Champion in February 1973. On October 18, 1978, Abdullah won that same prestigious PWF belt when he defeated European legend and former AWA champion Billy Robinson; and then on October 13, 1980, he also beat Jumbo Tsuruta to capture the NWA United National Heavyweight Title. His feud with Terry Funk is still considered one of the hottest feuds in Japan, and Funk claims to have had one of his top 3 all time greatest matches with Abdullah the Butcher.

He arrived in World Class Championship Wrestling in 1986, where he defeated The Great Kabuki for the Texas Brass Knuckles Title and waged war against the equally wild Bruiser Brody. However, perhaps Abby’s most memorable encounters occurred in Puerto Rico, where he was declared the very first WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion in July 1982 following three reigns as the Puerto Rican Champion between 1978-81. His violent battles against Carlos Colón and Hercules Ayala are legendary; and he long after remained one of the area’s top attractions, more recently defeating Carly Colón for his fifth Universal Title on January 3, 2004.

He was introduced in World Championship Wrestling in a giant, gift-wrapped box.^[4] This giant box was to be Sting's birthday gift from Cactus Jack.^[4] Sting unwrapped his gift and Abdullah attacked him, leading to both Abdullah and Cactus feuding with Sting after the incident. The feud culminated in a "Chamber of Horrors" match at Halloween Havoc 1991, in which Cactus accidentally electrocuted Abdullah in an electric chair, leading to a brief feud between the former allies.

In 1993, Abdullah arrived in ECW, where he participated in a storyline with Kevin Sullivan, Terry Funk and Stan Hansen, and wrestled at Ultra Clash and Bloodfest.

In late 2002, Abdullah made a one night appearance in Ring of Honor as Homicide's partner, facing the Carnage Crew in a bloody Bunkhouse Brawl at ROH's Night of the Butcher.

In 2007, the WWE and Jakks Pacific released an Abdullah The Butcher "WWE Classic Superstars" figure complete with the famous blade marks on top of his head. A DVD was also released named "The Triumph and Tragedy of World Class Wrestling" which included a bloody cage match between Abdullah and his famous rival Bruiser Brody.

The 2007 WWC's Anniversary show was dedicated to Abdullah the Butcher's legacy and contributions to WWC. On December 13, 2008 Shreve wrestled against Balls Mahoney in Bayamon Puerto Rico during the annual event WWC Lockout.

Abdullah says "I will be active throughout my life in Japan." During July 2009, he wrestled in Dragon Gate and Hustle. He also wrestled at the New Japan Pro Wrestling supershow Wrestle Kingdom IV in Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2010, as well as wrestling for Japanese independent promotion Osaka Pro Wrestling.

His entrance music in Japan is Pink Floyd's instrumental track "One of These Days" from their 1971 album Meddle.

Butcher at WrestleMania XXVII, as a Hall of Famer.

In 2009, Abdullah made an appearance at the Decatur Book Festival, facing off against author Michael Muhammad Knight, marking the first pro wrestling match ever held at a book festival. Abdullah pummeled Knight with chairs, forks, and a water cooler, not even stepping into the ring. Knight was taken from the festival in an ambulance and received 46 stitches. It was Right After Wrestling in March 2011, hosted by Arda Ocal and Jimmy Korderas, that Abdullah admitted his favorite wrestler to face was actually Lou Thesz^[5]

On April 2, 2011 Abdullah The Butcher was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in Atlanta. Subsequent to Abdullah's induction, 'Superstar' Billy Graham requested his name to be removed from the Hall, saying "It is a shameless organization to induct a bloodthirsty animal such as Abdullah The Butcher into their worthless and embarrassing Hall of Fame and I want the name of Superstar Billy Graham to be no part of it." ^[6] (Graham's outrage was due to the longstanding accusations that Abdullah was infecting wrestlers with Hepatitis C through sharing a blade and/or cutting wrestlers without their knowledge.)^[7] Abdullah responded, mentioning his previous friendship with Graham and questioning his outburst.^[8] Also in 2011, Abduallh returned to Georgia Championship Wrestling as a mentor/advisor to a local wrestler known as The Congo Warrior.

On January 2, 2012 Abdullah hinted that he would be retiring soon.^[9] The current plan is to do a 3/20 Abdullah the Butcher retirement show at Sumo Hall.^[9]

Legacy[link]

In addition to his hardcore style, his dietary habits have also become infamous in the wrestling world. He has been shown to eat announcers' ties, whole raw fish, he once even appeared to bite the head off a live chicken before a shocked crowd. Abdullah's appearances on the NWA's Georgia Championship Wrestling television broadcasts frequently highlighted his gustatory mayhem. While on camera he was shown eating reams of paper, cardboard boxes, the announcer's script, and even half of Gordon Solie's microphone. Prior to a match with local favorite Bob Armstrong he ate an entire live toad in front of Armstrong and his son as an act of intimidation. His unpredictable, ultra-violent style served as inspiration for other wrestlers, including “Maniac” Mark Lewin, Kevin Sullivan, Cactus Jack, Kamala, and Sabu, among others; and he still continues to compete on the independent circuit in a career that has now spanned five decades.

Abdullah has worked in nearly every major wrestling promotion in the world, with the exception of TNA and WWE.

Outside of wrestling, Shreve owns two restaurants (one in southwest Atlanta, the other in Japan) called "Abdullah the Butcher's House of Ribs and Chinese Food." Reviews of the Atlanta restaurant have been mixed. Most diners claim the Chinese portion of the menu is pretty scary, but that the ribs are better than average.^[10][11] Shreve is often on hand to meet fans and sign autographs. Shreve and his restaurant make a cameo appearance in the music video for the song "Damn!" by Atlanta recording artists Youngbloodz. Shreve's restaurant was also referenced in the 2006 Film "ATL" during a scene where the character Ant (played by Evan Ross) and two friends argue over a local barbecue.

WWE had been promoting Abdullah The Butcher more than ever since his Hall of Fame induction. He now has a profile and videos on their website and he is also featured on their "Best Steel Cage Matches" DVD.

In wrestling[link]

• Finishing moves
  • Bottom rope splash
  • Jumping headbutt
  • The Freight Train / The Butcher's Axe (Australia) (Running pointed elbow drop to the throat)^[1]

• Signature moves
  • Diving double foot stomp
  • Dropkick^[1]
  • Throat thrust^[1]

• Entrance themes
  • "One of These Days" by Pink Floyd (Japan)

• Managers

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• All Japan Pro Wrestling

• NWA International Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ray Candy^[15]
• NWA United National Championship (1 time)^[16]
• PWF United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[17]
• PWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[18]
• Champion's Carnival (1976, 1979)^[19][20]
• January 4th Korakuen Hall Heavyweight Battle Royal Winner (2008)^[21]

• Big Japan Pro Wrestling

• BJW Deathmatch Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[22]

• Central States Wrestling

• NWA Central States Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Roger Kirby

• Georgia Championship Wrestling

• NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[23]
• NWA Georgia Television Championship (1 time)^[24]

• International Wrestling Association

• IWA International Heavyweight Championship (3 times)

• Lutte Internationale (Montreal)

• Canadian International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[25]

• Midwest Wrestling Federation

• MWWF Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[26]

• NWA All-Star Wrestling

• NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (2 times) - with Dr. Jerry Graham (1) and Armand Hussein (1)^[27]
• NWA World Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) - with Dr. Jerry Graham^[28]

• NWA Detroit

• NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Detroit version) (1 time)
• NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version) (1 time) - with Killer Tim Brooks

• NWA New Zealand

• NWA New Zealand British Commonwealth Championship (1 time)

• NWA Southwest

• NWA Texas Hardcore Championship (1 time)^[29]

• National Wrestling Federation

• NWF Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[30]
• NWF International Championship (1 time)

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated

• PWI ranked him # 54 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003^[31]

• Stampede Wrestling

• NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Calgary version) (1 time)^[32]
• Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship (6 times)^[33]

• Tokyo Pro Wrestling

• TPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Benkei

• World Class Wrestling Association

• WCWA Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time)

• World Wrestling Council

• WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[34]
• WWC Hardcore Championship (1 time)
• WWC North American Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[35]
• WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship (3 times)^[36]
• WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship (3 times)^[37]
• WWC World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[37]

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)^[38]

• World Wrestling Entertainment
  • WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2011)

In popular culture[link]

• He is a superstar in Japan, where he appeared in some TV commercials.
  • Suntory/Daikin Industries/Denon/Sapporo Ichiban
• He starred with Hiroyuki Sanada in the kung fu action film Roaring Fire.
• Frequently, characters in Japanese anime or manga will be designed to resemble him, often with his signature scars. Examples include "Abdullah" from Kinnikuman and Mr. Heart from Fist of the North Star.
• The character of Butcher in Tiger Mask 2 is inspired by him.
• He also appeared in the Acclaim video game Legends of Wrestling II and it's sequel Showdown: Legends of Wrestling as well as Spike's King of Colosseum.
• He appears in the 1997 Nintendo 64 game WCW vs. nWo: World Tour, renamed as Saladin.
• The character and final boss, Grand Kong, from the Genesis game Wrestle War, is based on him.

References[link]

External links[link]

Professional wrestling portal

• Abdullah the Butcher on Twitter
• WWE Hall of Fame Profile
• Public Broadcasting Atlanta News article on Shreve (includes video)
• Abdullah the Butcher BIO from SLAM! Wrestling
• TRIBUTE PAGES for Abdullah The Butcher

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2010)

Mark Sciarra (born February 7, 1955), known professionally as Rip Rogers, is a former professional wrestler and current trainer for Ohio Valley Wrestling in Louisville, Kentucky.^[1]

Career[link]

Rip Rogers started wrestling in 1974. He formed the "Convertible Blondes" with Pez Whatley and Gary Royal in Angelo Poffo's International Championship Wrestling (ICW) and won the Tag Team Titles with Royal. As with the three-member version of Demolition defending the WWF World Tag Team Championship with any two of the three members, the Convertible Blondes also used the so-called "Freebird Rule" to defend the ICW Tag Team Championship in this manner. He left the ICW following a dispute with Angelo Poffo's son Randall Poffo, better known by his ring name Randy Savage.

In 1984, he went to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)'s Jim Crockett Promotions where he formed "The Hollywood Blonds" with Ted Oates and won the National Tag Team Titles. By early 1986, he was in the Tennessee area feuding with Dutch Mantel.

The Ripper spent most of 1988 and 1989 in Calgary Stampede Wrestling. Strangely given his history and reputation he was mainly a lower to mid card performer. Yet he always seemed to get a rise out of the crowd as an antagonizing heel. Rogers received a small push near the end of his run in Stampede (the territory shut up shop at the end of '89). When he teamed with long time Stampede veteran Kerry Brown as part of the Midnight Cowboys tag team. They had a running feud with popular International Tag Team Champs Bad Company, which included Bruce Hart & Flyin' Brian Pillman.

In 1989, he wrestled for the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico as one of their top heels with partner Abbuda Dein.

He was back in the NWA in time for it to be renamed World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1991 and he lost several matches to Pillman. Rogers later substituted for Pillman, being the scapegoat in the ill-fated Yellow Dog angle. His biggest win was at WCW BattleBowl in 1993 where he teamed with Road Warrior Hawk and defeated Davey Boy Smith & Stevie Ray (then named Kane). By late 1991, he had left WCW for the Global Wrestling Federation where he joined The Cartel, which included Scotty Anthony, Makhan Singh and Cactus Jack. They were the top heels for several months and he created a lot of havoc while there.

After that run, he occasionally wrestled in the United States, wrestling for a time with a promotion in Indianapolis known as Circle City Wrestling. He finally settled in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in 1997. He teamed with Dave the Rave and formed the "Suicide Blondes" with Jason Lee. When he retired from active competition in 2000, he was named head trainer at OVW. At the age of 48, Rogers was hit by a car and sustained injuries which forced him to completely retire from in-ring competition; according to a 2011 story on OVW, the accident left him "with a stiff limp". Rogers currently runs an advanced wrestling class at OVW, where he teaches up and coming wrestlers.^[1]

One of Rogers' trademark was his berserk reaction after losing a match. Even after being cleanly pinned, Rogers would vociferously protest to the referee that his opponent had cheated. Usually, he would claim that his hair or trunks had been pulled by the other wrestler to score the victory. These claims would be accompanied by a frenzied voice and wild pantomimes of hair and trunk pulling.

In wrestling[link]

• Finishing moves
  • Rear naked choke
  • Bridging German suplex

• Signature moves
  • Belly to back suplex
  • Bodyscissors
  • European uppercut
  • Headbutt

• Trained

• Ryan Nemeth
• Alex Silva

• Managers
  • Brenda Britton
  • Max Andrews

• Nicknames
  • "Hustler" Rip Rogers
  • "Roaring" Rip Rogers
  • "The Foul–Mouthed Ripper"

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• Big Time Wrestling
  • BTW Ohio Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Bobby Fulton^[2]

• Central States Wrestling

• NWA Central States Television Championship (1 time)

• Georgia Championship Wrestling

• NWA National Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ted Oates

• International Championship Wrestling

• ICW United States Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Ricky Starr (1) and Pez Whatley (1)

• NWA Mid-America

• NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Ohio Valley Wrestling

• OVW Heavyweight Championship (3 times)^[3]
• OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Dave the Rave (2) and Jason Lee (1)^[4]

• Southeastern Championship Wrestling

• NWA Southeast United States Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

• World Wrestling Council

• WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• WWC World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Abbuda Dein

Other media[link]

Rip made an appearance in the 1993 music video for "Human Wheels" by fellow Seymour native John Mellencamp.

Notes[link]

Bob Geigel
Geigel in April 2009
Ring name(s)	A-Bomber "Texas" Bob Geigel
Billed height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Billed weight	230 lb (100 kg; 16 st)
Born	(1924-10-01) October 1, 1924 (age 87)[1][2] Algona, Iowa[2]
Resides	Kansas City, Missouri
Billed from	Algona, Iowa
Debut	1950
Retired	1976

Robert "Bob" Geigel (born October 1, 1924) is a former American professional wrestling promoter and also a former professional wrestler. Geigel ran the NWA Central States promotion between 1963 and 1986, until it was bought out by Jim Crockett Promotions. He was also president of the National Wrestling Alliance for most of the years 1978 to 1987.

Early life[link]

Born October 1, 1924, in Algona, Iowa, Geigel entered the navy after high school and fought in the Pacific Theatre during World War II as a member of the Seabees.^[1] After the war, he attended the University of Iowa from 1946 to 1950, graduating with a degree in Physical education.^[1] Geigel was a champion amateur wrestler during his college years, coming in at third place during the 1948 NCAA Championships.^[1][2]

Professional wrestling career[link]

Wrestling[link]

Geigel was recruited into professional wrestling by Alphonse Bisignano.^[1] Wrestling primarily in Pinkie George's Midwest Wrestling Association out of Kansas City, and also in Amarillo, Texas, Geigel generally played the part of the "heel" or antagonist.^[1] He became a full-time professional wrestler in 1952.^[2] Though he was generally introduced as being from Algona, Iowa, he was billed as "Texas" Bob Geigel. He also wrestled as A-Bomber while working under a mask in Amarillo.

Geigel frequently held tag team championships in his home promotion, holding the NWA Central States World Tag Team Championship four times,^[3] and the NWA North American Tag Team Championship nine times.^[4] One of Geigel's co-holders of the North America belts was Bill Miller, with whom he also formed an earlier alliance while both were in the AWA territory in the early 1960s. During that time period, Geigel acted as a policeman for Miller who was working under a mask as Mister "M". He retired from the ring in 1976.

Promoting[link]

Geigel became a promoter in 1963, when he took over management of the Kansas City office. Partnering with Gus Karras and Pat O'Connor, he renamed the promotion Heart of America Sports Attractions.^[2] He then took his place on the board of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). In that same year, Geigel was cited as a co-defendant in an anti-monopoly case brought against the Central States territory by previous owner Pinkie George. Along with his partners Karras and O'Connor, and fellow co-defendant George Simpson, he refuted the charge, and it was eventually dropped.^[1]

In 1978, Geigel became President of the NWA, his first term lasting until 1980. During this term he strongly supported Harley Race, a part-owner of Heart of America, as NWA World Heavyweight Champion.^[1] Geigel and Race bought out Sam Muchnick's portion of the St. Louis Wrestling Club,^[1] a cornerstone territory of the NWA. Geigel served a second and third term as NWA President from 1982 to 1987.^[2]

Personal life[link]

Geigel has been married to his wife Vera for over 60 years.^[2] They have three daughters.^[2]

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• American Wrestling Association

• AWA Midwest Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Bob "The Viking" Morse.
• AWA World Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Hard Boiled Haggerty (1), Otto von Krupp (1), and Stan "Krusher" Kowalski (1)

• Cauliflower Alley Club

• Art Abrams Lifetime Achievement Award (2007)^[2]

• Central States Wrestling

• NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship (6 times)
• NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Central States version) (9 times) - with Bob Brown (5), Bill Miller (1), Bob "The Viking" Morse (1), The Stomper (1), and Rufus R. Jones (1)^[4]
• NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Central States version) (2 times)
• NWA World Tag Team Championship (Central States version) (4 times) - with Rufus R. Jones (2), Akio Sato (1), and Pat O'Connor (1)^[3]

• NWA Western States Sports

• NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Amarillo version) (1 time)
• NWA Southwest Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
• NWA Southwest Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Dory Funk (2), Mike Gallagher (1), and Boris Kalmikoff (1)

• Other titles

• North Dakota Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Job titles[link]

• NWA President (1978 to 1980; 1982 to 1985; 1986 to 1987)^[2]
• NWA Central States promoter (1958 to September 1986; February 1987 to 1988)
• NWA St. Louis promoter (1982 to 1986)

References[link]

External links[link]

Professional wrestling portal

• Profile at Online World Of Wrestling

Luke Graham

Graham playing for York City
Personal information
Full name	Luke William Graham[1]
Date of birth	(1986-04-27) 27 April 1986 (age 26)[1]
Place of birth	Kettering, England
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[2]
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	Forest Green Rovers
Number	16
Youth career
000?–2003	Northampton Town
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2003–2006	Northampton Town	0	(0)
2003–2004	→ Billericay Town (loan)	9	(1)
2004–2005	→ Aylesbury United (loan)	4	(1)
2005	→ Kettering Town (loan)	13	(0)
2005–2006	→ Forest Green Rovers (loan)	27	(0)
2006–2009	Kettering Town	69	(2)
2008–2009	→ King's Lynn (loan)	30	(4)
2009–2010	Mansfield Town	7	(0)
2009–2010	→ York City (loan)	5	(0)
2010	York City	20	(1)
2010–2011	Kettering Town	25	(0)
2011	→ Luton Town (loan)	10	(0)
2011–	Forest Green Rovers	28	(0)
National team‡
	Republic of Ireland U18	?	(?)
	Wales U19	?	(?)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:43, 5 January 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23:43, 5 January 2012 (UTC)

Luke William Graham (born 27 April 1986) is a footballer who plays for Forest Green Rovers as a defender.

Club career[link]

Born in Kettering, Northamptonshire,^[3] Graham started his career with Northampton Town in their youth system.^[4] He was on loan at Billericay Town from November 2003 to February 2004, making nine appearances and scoring one goal in the Isthmian League Premier Division.^[5][6] He was offered a professional contract with Northampton in May.^[7] Graham joined Southern Football League Premier Division side Aylesbury United on a one-month loan on 22 December 2004 and he completed this period successfully,^[8][9] making five appearances and scoring one goal.^[10] He joined Conference North side Kettering Town on loan in February 2005 and made 15 appearances, including playing in a 3–2 defeat after extra time against Altrincham in the play-off Final.^[11][12] He signed a new contract with Northampton in August and joined Conference National team Forest Green Rovers on loan for the 2005–06 season,^[13] where he made 30 appearances.^[14]

Nortampton announced on 10 May 2006 he would be released when his contract expired on 30 June and he agreed to rejoin Kettering permanently in May.^[15][16] He agreed a new contract with the club in May 2008.^[17] After struggling to make the breakthrough into the first team he was sent to King's Lynn on a one-month loan in October,^[18] which was extended for the rest of the 2008–09 season in November.^[19]

Graham warming up before a York City game in 2009

Mansfield Town agreed to sign Graham on 19 May 2009 but after he lost his place in the team was sent to York City on a one-month loan on 5 November.^[20][21] The loan was extended for a second month on 9 December and he made the move permanent on 6 January 2010 after Mansfield agreed to give him a free transfer, signing until the end of the 2009–10 season.^[22][23] He played for York in the Conference play-offs where they eventually lost to Oxford United in the Final at Wembley Stadium.^[24] Although he was offered a new two-year contract at York he accepted a move back to Kettering on a two-year contract on 4 June 2010 with the option of a one-year extension, as it was closer to his home.^[25]

Late on 31 January 2011, the day of the transfer deadline, it was confirmed that Graham had signed on loan for Luton Town for the rest of the 2010–11 season, with a view to a permanent move.^[26] Graham scored the winning goal on his full debut for the club, a 1–0 victory over Gloucester City, that put Luton into the quarter-final of the FA Trophy.^[27] On 30 July he re-signed for Forest Green on a two-year contract for an undisclosed fee.^[28]

International career[link]

Despite being born in England, Graham represented the Republic of Ireland under-18 team before playing for the Wales under-19 side.^[29][30]

Career statistics[link]

As of 1 January 2012.

Honours[link]

Club[link]

Kettering Town

• Conference North (1): 2007–08

Footnotes[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Luke Graham

• Luke Graham career stats at Soccerbase