Lord Zoltan
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Ken Jugan (born October 16, 1957), better known by the
ring name A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...
Lord Zoltan, is an American semi-retired
professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...
,
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
, promoter,
referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other title ...
, and trainer. Jugan has been a mainstay in the
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area of
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
and its surrounding states of
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and
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
, holding several junior heavyweight championships in the region since his debut in 1975."The PWI 500." ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
''. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Company. (Holiday 1998): pg. 62.
Jugan was one of the first wrestlers to start wearing
facepaint Body painting is a form of body art where artwork is painted directly onto the human skin. Unlike tattoos and other forms of body art, body painting is temporary, lasting several hours or sometimes up to a few weeks (in the case of mehndi or "he ...
in the late-1970s"The PWI 500." ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
''. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Company. (December 2001): pg. 66.
and, according to ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
'', has one of the most unusual " gimmicks" in professional wrestling. He was the owner of Three Rivers Wrestling from 1977 to 1979, co-owner of Ohio Championship Wrestling from 1982 to 1983, and competed in
Dick the Bruiser William Fritz Afflis Jr. (June 27, 1929 – November 10, 1991) was an American professional wrestler, promoter, and National Football League player, better known by his ring name, Dick the Bruiser. During his NFL days he played four seasons with ...
's
World Wrestling Association The World Wrestling Association (WWA) (Asociación Mundial de Lucha Libre in Spanish language, Spanish) is a lucha libre promotion based in the Tijuana-area of Mexico. It was founded in 1986 by Benjamin Mora Jr.. It featured some of Mexico's best ...
. Jugan also worked for the
National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and governing body owned by Billy Corgan and operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA be ...
and the
World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
as a preliminary wrestler and referee during the early-to-mid 1980s. Jugan was one of the biggest "indy" stars in Pennsylvania during the 1990s. He founded Deaf Wrestlefest, a long-running benefit show for the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, which ran from 1994 to 2002, and again from 2009 to 2012, and raised over $100,000. In Pittsburgh's Steel City Wrestling, he held the promotion's junior heavyweight championship for over three years before his defeat by Reckless Youth in 1998. While in SCW, Jugan was the leader of The Dope Show, a "heel" stable, with Shirley Doe and Big Neal the Real Deal."The PWI 500." ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
''. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Company. (Holiday 1999): pg. 62.
He also had a long-running feud with
Dominic DeNucci Domenico A. Nucciarone (January 23, 1932 – August 12, 2021) was an Italian-American professional wrestler and trainer better known by the ring name Dominic DeNucci. He held over a dozen championships around the world in the 1960s and 1970s. H ...
, Doink the Clown, and T.C. Reynolds on the
independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit (often shortened to the indie circuit or the indies) is the collective name of independently owned promotions which are deemed to be smaller and more regionalized than major national promotions. ...
. Jugan dedicated much of his later wrestling career to helping raise money for cancer research, civic organizations, and other charitable causes though independent wrestling shows. On March 20, 2012, Jugan was recognized by the city of
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
, which declared it "Ken Jugan Day". A year later, Jugan received the Jason Sanderson Humanitarian Award from the
Cauliflower Alley Club The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America. Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Ab ...
for both Deaf Wrestlefest and other charity work. Described as "local legend" by '' Pittsburgh Magazine'' in 2013, Jugan is considered one of the most important independent wrestlers to come out of
Western Pennsylvania Western Pennsylvania is a region in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the Unite ...
.


Early life and education

Jugan was born in Glassport, Pennsylvania, on October 16, 1957. He became interested in professional wrestling as a child after attending a live event at the McKeesport Palisades. Jugan later became a regular
studio audience A studio audience is an audience present for the recording of all or part of a television program or radio program. The primary purpose of the studio audience is to provide applause and/or laughter to the program's soundtrack (as opposed to canne ...
member on the famed Saturday night television program '' Studio Wrestling''. Although the show was restricted to people over 18, Jugan was often sneaked in through the back door of the WIIC-TV studio by
Bruno Sammartino Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino (October 6, 1935 – April 18, 2018) was an Italian-American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with the WWE, World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). Sammartin ...
's manager and sat in the back row of the bleachers. Jugan studied photography in schoole and began taking pictures at the matches, eventually becoming an official ringside photographer during the final years of ''Studio Wrestling'', during which he was a photographer and writer for various wrestling magazines and newsletters. He was also president of a fanclub for Luis Martinez.


Professional wrestling career


Early career (1975–1977)

As a ringside photographer, Jugan became acquainted with a number of promoters and wrestlers in
Greater Pittsburgh Greater Pittsburgh is the metropolitan area surrounding the city of Pittsburgh in Western Pennsylvania, United States. The region includes Allegheny County, Pittsburgh's urban core county and economic hub, and seven adjacent Pennsylvania cou ...
, including Newt Tattrie. At age 18, the 165 lbs. Jugan unexpectedly wrestled his first match in November 1975 when a wrestler failed to appear for an event he was covering in
Clarksburg, West Virginia Clarksburg is a city in Harrison County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. The population was 16,039 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in West Virginia, tenth-most populous city ...
. Jugan decided to continue wrestling after being laid off from his regular job at Union Railroad in Duquesne. His first match as Lord Zoltan was at Ponderosa Park in
Salem, Ohio Salem is a city in Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. The population was 11,915 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Salem was founded by Quakers in 1806 and played a key role in the Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist ...
. B In 1976, he was wrestling as "Zoltan the Great" in Ohio and West Virginia, and was among the first wrestlers to start wearing
facepaint Body painting is a form of body art where artwork is painted directly onto the human skin. Unlike tattoos and other forms of body art, body painting is temporary, lasting several hours or sometimes up to a few weeks (in the case of mehndi or "he ...
in the late-1970s. The "Zoltan" ringname was an homage to Pittsburgh promoter Zoltan "Ace" Freeman and the other half inspired by
Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...
. He also made two appearances as "King Kabooki" for The Original Sheik in
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
. Jugan started refereeing matches as well. Jugan won one of his first championship titles, the NACW Junior Heavyweight Championship, in West Virginia's North American Championship Wrestling. Jugan eventually emerged as a prominent wrestler in Greater Pittsburgh and surrounding states during the late-1970s and early 1980s. ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
'' described Zoltan's in-ring persona as "one of wrestling's crazier characters", alternating between "ominous"-looking facepaint and a
wrestling mask A wrestling mask is a fabric-based mask that some professional wrestlers wear as part of their in-ring persona or gimmick. Professional wrestlers have been using masks as far back as 1915 and they are still widely used today, especially in Mexi ...
, who had "perfected the art of distracting referees while he uses foreign objects and illegal tactics against his opponents".


Three Rivers Wrestling Association (1977–1979)

Jugan started his own "outlaw" promotion, Three Rivers Wrestling Association (TRWA), in 1977. The promotion was covered in a number of wrestling publications, such as '' The Ring's Wrestling'', ''The Wrestling News'', and ''Wrestling Monthly'', and many of its stars regularly performed as preliminary wrestlers for the
World Wide Wrestling Federation Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC) was an American sports promotion company. Run by Vincent J. McMahon from the 1950s until the 1980s, the company was originally a professional wrestling and boxing promotion and later became the holding company ...
. Bobby Fulton spent much of his early career in the TRWA where he trained with Jugan,
Fred Fred or FRED may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Fred ...
and
Bull Curry Fred Thomas Koury Sr. (May 2, 1913 – March 8, 1985), best known under his ring name "Wild Bull" Curry, was an American professional wrestler of Lebanese descent. He is recognized as the originator of the hardcore style, predating legends su ...
, and Charlie Fulton. The promotion merged with the
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-based All-Star Wrestling in September 1979 shortly after its split from
Southeastern Championship Wrestling Continental Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion based in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Dothan, Alabama, from 1985 until 1989, owned by Ron Fuller. The promotion evolved out of the NWA-affiliated Southeastern Championship W ...
earlier that year.


World Wrestling Association (1982)

Jugan was one of several
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promoters who began working with
Dick the Bruiser William Fritz Afflis Jr. (June 27, 1929 – November 10, 1991) was an American professional wrestler, promoter, and National Football League player, better known by his ring name, Dick the Bruiser. During his NFL days he played four seasons with ...
's
World Wrestling Association The World Wrestling Association (WWA) (Asociación Mundial de Lucha Libre in Spanish language, Spanish) is a lucha libre promotion based in the Tijuana-area of Mexico. It was founded in 1986 by Benjamin Mora Jr.. It featured some of Mexico's best ...
in
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, during the early-1980s. Jugan soon began wrestling for the WWA as "Zoltan the Great" in mid-1982. One of his first matches in the promotion was against Mike Dupree at the
Market Square Arena Market Square Arena (MSA) was an indoor arena in Indianapolis. Completed in 1974, at a cost of $23 million, it seated 16,530 for basketball and 15,993 for ice hockey. Seating capacity for concerts and other events was adjusted by the use of larg ...
on July 5, which he won. Jugan made several more appearances at the venue wrestling El Bracero, Rufus R. Jones, and J.R. Hogg during the next several weeks.


Ohio Championship Wrestling (1982–1983)

In the fall of 1982, Jugan began working for Traitor Tim Hampton's Ohio Championship Wrestling in
Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
. He was a founding member of the "outlaw promotion" along with Ed Bonzo and J.W. Hawk. With their connections to the WWA, they were able to start broadcasting televised matches on cable channels 24 and 27 in the Cleveland area. The promotion held its first event, a three-day November supercard, where it crowned
Bobo Brazil Houston Harris (July 10, 1924 – January 20, 1998) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Bobo Brazil. Credited with breaking down barriers of racial segregation in professional wrestling, Harris is considered one o ...
as its first champion. On the second night in Maple Heights, Ohio, Jugan won a
battle royal Battle royal (, also battle royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules, where the winner is the one who registers the most wins. In recent times, the term has been ...
to earn a title shot against Brazil on the third show in
Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...
. Jugan was part of a heel stable managed by Beefy LaPorque that included Ed Bonzo and J.W. Hawk until the end of the promotion's run in the spring of 1983. Jugan and Hawk were also managed by Greg "Punk Rock" Mason for a time. Jugan would later form a tag team with LaPorque, wrestling as The Incredible Bulk, called The Funkadelix.


World Wrestling Association (1983)

Jugan returned to the WWA after the close of Ohio Championship Wrestling. On March 12, 1983, Jugan wrestled two matches in one night at Tyndall Armory in Indianapolis. He and El Bracero fought to a draw in the first match then lost to Spike Huber later on that night. During the next two months, Jugan also had matches against Bobby Bold Eagle, Steve Cooper, Greg Lake, Max Blue, and Jose Elizia. On May 7, Jugan and Black Saint lost to El Bracero and J.R. Hogg in
Madison, Indiana Madison is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River. As of the 2010 United States Census its population was 11,967. Over 55,000 people live within of downtown Madison. Madison is the large ...
. He and The Black Cat also lost to El Bracero and Bobby Bold Eagle in
Seymour, Indiana Seymour is a city in Jackson Township, Jackson County, Indiana, Jackson and Redding Township, Jackson County, Indiana, Redding Townships, Jackson County, Indiana, United States, located 62 miles south of Indianapolis, and 55 miles north of Louisvi ...
, a week later.


World Wrestling Federation (1983–1984)

Jugan began wrestling for the
World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
as a preliminary wrestler mostly appearing for WWF house shows in
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and
Hamburg, Pennsylvania Hamburg (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania German: ''Hambarig'') is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,270 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The town is though ...
. One of his first appearances was on the May 14 edition of '' WWF Championship Wrestling'' to wrestle
Tito Santana Merced Solis (born May 10, 1953), better known by the ring name Tito Santana, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, Professional wrestling school, trainer, and retired school teacher. Solis has stayed a Face (profession ...
. Over the next few weeks, Jugan faced Salvatore Bellomo and Tony Garea. He also teamed with Bill Dixon to wrestle The Invaders ( Invader #1 and #2) during the summer. On July 9, Jugan and Angelo Gomez unsuccessfully challenged Andre the Giant in a
handicap match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
. The two men lost the match when Jugan was thrown out of the ring and his partner pinned by Andre. Due to the circumstances of the match, Jugan has often claimed he is "undefeated" against the legendary wrestler. He is one of the few currently active wrestlers to have faced Andre the Giant. On September 6, 1983, Jugan teamed with Tony Garea and Swede Hansen in a losing effort against Samula and
The Wild Samoans The Wild Samoans were the professional wrestling tag team of Afa Anoaʻi and Sika Anoaʻi in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). They held 20 tag team championships around the world. Gimmick The Wild ...
( Afa and Sika). He also continued wrestling in
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
and Ohio under his Zoltan in-ring persona so fans would not recognize him on WWF television. On January 1, 1984, Jugan wrestled "Dr. D" David Schultz for a WWF TV taping at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel in
St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
; their bout was later aired during the short-lived revival of '' Wrestling at the Chase''. On the January 7 edition of ''WWF All Star Wrestling'', Jugan lost to Sgt. Slaughter after submitting to the Cobra Clutch submission hold. The following week, Jugan wrestled then WWF World Heavyweight Champion
The Iron Sheik Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri (; March 15, 1942 – June 7, 2023), better known by his ring name the Iron Sheik, was an Iranian-American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and actor. To date he is the only Iranian-born champion in WWE histor ...
(with "Classy" Freddie Blassie) and lost after submitting to his Camel Clutch finisher. Jugan was similarly defeated by Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, with Captain
Lou Albano Louis Vincent Albano (July 29, 1933 – October 14, 2009) was an Italian-American professional wrestler, manager and actor, who performed under the ring/stage name "Captain" Lou Albano. He was active as a professional wrestler from 1953 until 1 ...
) using a figure-four leglock on the January 28th edition of ''WWF All Star Wrestling''. On February 4, Jugan teamed with Eddie Gilbert and Frankie Williams in a 6-man tag team match against The Wild Samoans with Captain Lou Albano; Jugan's team lost when Afa pinned Williams after a Samoan drop. On February 11, Jugan and Bill Dixon wrestled Eddie Gilbert and B. Brian Blair in
Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in eastern Pennsylvania, United States. The county seat of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, it is the List o ...
. He lost to The Iron Sheik in Allentown a week later. Their '' WWF Championship Wrestling'' match was used to set up The Iron Sheik's feud with Sgt. Slaughter. On February 18, Jugan was pinned by
Paul Orndorff Paul Parlette Orndorff Jr. (October 29, 1949 – July 12, 2021), nicknamed "Mr. Wonderful", was an American professional wrestler and football player, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Champions ...
(with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper) on ''WWF Championship Wrestling''. On February 24, Jugan wrestled Samula at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena. On March 3, 1984, in one of his last WWF appearances, Jugan teamed with Steve Lombardi to wrestle
Mr. Fuji was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, actor and Manager (professional wrestling), manager, known professionally by his ring name Mr. Fuji (or Master Fuji to his protégés). He was famous for often throwing salt in the ...
and
Tiger Chung Lee , also known by his Korean name and ring name Kim Duk (; キム・ドク), is a retired Zainichi Korean professional wrestler. He was also known by the name Tiger Chung Lee in the World Wrestling Federation. Early life Masanori Toguchi was a b ...
in Allentown.


Semi-retirement (1985–1991)

Jugan began refereeing matches in the
Greater Pittsburgh Greater Pittsburgh is the metropolitan area surrounding the city of Pittsburgh in Western Pennsylvania, United States. The region includes Allegheny County, Pittsburgh's urban core county and economic hub, and seven adjacent Pennsylvania cou ...
-area for the WWF during the mid-1980s. The decision would soon threaten his wrestling career as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission would not allow Jugan to hold a "duel license". Jugan opted to continue refereeing for the WWF was effectively "banned" from competition in Pennsylvania for several years. Outside of his home state, however, Jugan continued wrestling in the various territories of the
National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and governing body owned by Billy Corgan and operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA be ...
, as well as outlaw promotions, throughout the country. On January 17, 1985, Jugan wrestled "Dirty"
Dick Slater Richard Van Slater (May 19, 1951 – October 18, 2018) better known by his ring name "Dirty" Dick Slater, was an American professional wrestler who wrestled in the 1970s, 1980s, and mid-1990s for various promotions including Mid-Atlantic Champ ...
during a Pittsburgh TV taping of '' Championship Wrestling from Georgia''. Jugan became semi-active during this period and, after being engaged to his future wife, began working as an administrative assistant for the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. On November 16, 1986, Jugan and Bobby Duncum, Sr. lost to Kurt Kaugman and Troy Orndorff in
Clarksburg, West Virginia Clarksburg is a city in Harrison County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. The population was 16,039 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in West Virginia, tenth-most populous city ...
, via count out. He returned to Clarksburg on February 13, 1987, where he and Umana Zanuk defeated Crusher Klebanski and Tony Nardo. Jugan also held the Great Lakes Wrestling Association Junior Heavyweight Championship but lost the belt to
Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two indi ...
on November 17, 1989, at the Front Row Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio.


Independent circuit (1992–1994)

Jugan continued wrestling following the breakup of the NWA territory system in the early-1990s. In January 1992, Jugan beat Michael Quinn in
Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
, for the American States Wrestling Alliance's Ohio Junior Heavyweight Championship. He lost the belt to Kid Collins in
Mansfield, Ohio Mansfield is a city in Richland County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 47,534 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located approximately from Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, Columbus via Interstate 71, it i ...
, three months later. Jugan also worked for Cleveland All-Pro Wrestling during this period. On May 7, Jugan wrestled T.C. Reynolds at a CAPW show. The next night, Jugan and Jesse Sellica wrestled The Bushwhackers. He also feuded with Dusty Wolfe while in ASWA. Jugan spent much of 1994 feuding with Johnny Graham on the independent circuit. Their bout at "Sauconfest '94" in
Lower Saucon Township, Pennsylvania Lower Saucon Township is a township in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The township's population was 10,772 as of the 2010 census. The township is part of the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area, which had a population of 861,899 ...
, was praised by ''
The Morning Call ''The Morning Call'' is a daily newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883, it is the second-longest continuously published newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, after '' The Express-Times''. The newspaper is owned by Alden Global Capital ...
'', which reported that Jugan "was so hyped he needed an attending physician to hypnotize him into behaving". On September 24 in Munhall, Pennsylvania, he lost to "Beef Stew" Lou Marconi in a match to crown the inaugural ACW Mid-America Heavyweight Champion. Jugan defeated Graham in an "Eye of the Hurricane" match for the ACW Light Heavyweight Championship in Lewistown, Pennsylvania on October 1, but dropped the title to Graham two weeks later.


Steel City Wrestling (1994–1996)

In late-1994, Jugan joined Norm Connors' Steel City Wrestling based in
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
. On October 8, 1994, Jugan entered a one-night tournament in
Connellsville, Pennsylvania Connellsville is a City (Pennsylvania), city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, southeast of Pittsburgh and away via the Youghiogheny River, a tributary of the Monongahela River. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Th ...
, to crown the inaugural SCW Junior Heavyweight Champion. He defeated Chris Hamrick in the semi-finals and Scotty McKeaver in the finals to win the title. On December 17, 1994, Jugan and Boo Boo Henderson beat Buddah and T. Rantula in a tag team street fight match in
Parkersburg, West Virginia Parkersburg is a city in Wood County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. Located at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Little Kanawha River, Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's List of municipalities in West Virginia ...
. At the end of the year, Jugan was ranked #458 in ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
'''s annual
PWI 500 ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
. That same year, Jugan promoted Deaf Wrestlefest, a fundraiser for the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Edgewood, Pennsylvania. His two sons, both hearing-impaired, were students the school. He and his wife were approached at a PTA meeting when the then newly appointed school superintendent was looking for new fundraising ideas. The event was performed specifically for a hearing-impaired audience with
sign language Sign languages (also known as signed languages) are languages that use the visual-manual modality to convey meaning, instead of spoken words. Sign languages are expressed through manual articulation in combination with #Non-manual elements, no ...
being used to communicate promos and other information. Deaf Wrestlefest became an annual event for Steel City Wrestling, attracting a number of high-profile stars, until its close five years later. Jugan was an active participant in the first few events but gradually ceased wrestling to concentrate exclusively on promoting the event. Local Pennsylvania promoters allowed him to borrow their permits so that Jugan would be allowed to run the shows. Jugan spent the first half of 1995 feuding with T.C. Reynolds over his newly won title. He also wrestled Cactus Jack in a non-title match, which Jugan lost, in
Weirton, West Virginia Weirton ( ) is a city in Hancock and Brooke counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located along the Ohio River in the state's Northern Panhandle. The population was 19,163 at the 2020 census, making it the seventh-most populous ...
, on April 7. That spring, Jugan also began teaming with Psycho Mike as The Master Blasterz on the Ohio independent circuit. The team faced The Bushwhackers ( Bushwacker Luke and Bushwacker Butch) at IWA's "Rumble in Trumbull '95" as well as The American Patriots (Preston Steele and T.C. Reynolds) at Deaf Wrestlefest 1995. Psycho Mike later counted Jugan among his top five favorite tag team partners of his career. Jugan's feud with Reynolds also spread to other promotions. On April 21, Jugan captured the United States Wrestling League Intercontinental Championship from Reynolds in
Ellwood City, Pennsylvania Ellwood City is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough primarily in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States. With a small district extending into Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Beaver County, it lies along the Connoquenessing Creek just east of i ...
. Four months later, the two met during a one-night tournament in
New Castle, Pennsylvania New Castle is a city in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. Located along the Shenango River at the mouth of Neshannock Creek, it is northwest of Pittsburgh near the Pennsylvania–Ohio border, approximately so ...
, for the SCW Pennsylvania State Junior Heavyweight Championship. They were both eliminated from the tournament when their match ended in a double-disqualification. On October 14, Jugan lost the ACW light heavyweight title to Johnny Graham at "Fall Wrestlefest '95" in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. A week later in SCW, Jugan and his manager Notorious Norm lost a tag team match to
Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; 15 October 70 BC21 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Rome, ancient Roman poet of the Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Augustan period. He composed three of the most fa ...
and Bill Mickey, a local
firefighter A firefighter (or fire fighter or fireman) is a first responder trained in specific emergency response such as firefighting, primarily to control and extinguish fires and respond to emergencies such as hazardous material incidents, medical in ...
, at Connellsville High School. On November 11, Jugan lost to
Mikey Whipwreck John Michael Watson (born June 4, 1973), better known by his ring name Mikey Whipwreck, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his career with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), where he was an ECW Triple C ...
via disqualification at St. Mary's High School; Whipwreck had defeated Pablo Marquez earlier in the night to earn a SCW title shot at Jugan. Though successful in keeping his SCW title earlier that year, Jugan lost the USWL Intercontinental Championship to T.C. Reynolds at Butler Senior High School on December 18, 1995. That spring, Jugan was among the top ten contenders in American Commonwealth Wrestling for the promotion's heavyweight title, then held by T. Rantula, but did not win the belt. On April 20, 1996, Jugan lost to Koko B. Ware in a non-title bout at the Upshur County Armory in
Buckhannon, West Virginia Buckhannon is the only incorporated city in, and the county seat of, Upshur County, West Virginia, United States. Located along the Buckhannon River, the population was 5,299 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is southwe ...
. The next night at Deaf Wrestlefest 1996, The Master Blasterz and T. Rantula defeated Cody Michaels, Dynamite Dan, and Preston Steele in a six-man tag team match. Jugan also made appearances for Cleveland Wrestling Alliance and the United States Wrestling League during the summer. In the fall of 1996, Jugan made a brief appearance in
Pro Wrestling eXpress Pro Wrestling eXpress (PWX, also known as NWA East) is a professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion that was founded in North Versailles, Pennsylvania in 1994 by Jim Miller and Sean "Shocker" Evans. It is the longest-runnin ...
. On September 6, 1996, Jugan defeated Dennis Gregory for the PWX North American Heavyweight Championship in North Versailles, Pennsylvania. He re-lost the title to Gregory the next night in West Newton. On September 21, 1996, Jugan (with Notorious Norm) defeated
Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; 15 October 70 BC21 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Rome, ancient Roman poet of the Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Augustan period. He composed three of the most fa ...
via countout at the Tuscarawas County Fair in Dover, Ohio. A rematch held the following night at Pittsburgh's Sullivan Hall resulted in a double-countout.


Independent circuit (1997)

Jugan occasionally appeared in televised matches for United States Championship Wrestling throughout 1997. On April 12, 1997, Jugan and T. Rantula wrestled Ron Cumberledge and Preston Steele in
Barberton, Ohio Barberton is a city in Summit County, Ohio, Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 25,191 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located directly southwest of Akron, Ohio, Akron, it is a suburb of the Akron metropolitan are ...
. On April 25, he wrestled T.C. Reynolds to a time-limit draw at a Pro Championship Wrestling show in
Warren, Ohio Warren is a city in Trumbull County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 39,201 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located along the Mahoning River, Warren lies approximately northwest of Youngstown, Ohio, Y ...
. On August 22, Jugan wrestled J.T. Lightning at a United States Wrestling League show. On December 13, 1997, Jugan pinned Matthew Starr at an Atlantic Coast Championship Wrestling show in
Buckhannon, West Virginia Buckhannon is the only incorporated city in, and the county seat of, Upshur County, West Virginia, United States. Located along the Buckhannon River, the population was 5,299 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is southwe ...
.


Steel City Wrestling (1998–2000)

Jugan successfully defended the junior heavyweight title against
Christian York Jason Spence (born April 13, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Christian York. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
at the SCW Arena in
Irwin, Pennsylvania Irwin is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,902 at the 2020 census. Located southeast of Pittsburgh, some of the most extensive bituminous coal deposits in the commonwealth are located in Irwin. ...
, on January 18, 1998. A match between York and Reckless Youth was scheduled to take place the following month, on February 8, to decide who would be Jugan's next opponent. Prior to the bout, York claimed to have suffered a severe knee injury and forfeited the match. York confronted Reckless Youth in the ring following this announcement and challenged his rival to face Jugan for the belt that night. This set up an impromptu title match between Jugan and Youth. Jugan ended up losing to Reckless Youth in this bout ending his three-year title reign. On February 15, Jugan successfully defended the ACW Light Heavyweight Championship against Preston Steele in
Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
; he was awarded the bout via referee decision when Steele could no longer compete due to an ankle injury. Jugan went on to win an 18-man battle royal at the end of the night. He lost to Battman via disqualification in Cleveland on March 22 but retained the title. On May 24, Jugan and T. Tantula attended an
Extreme Championship Wrestling Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) was an American professional wrestling promotion that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and operated by its parent company HHG Corporation. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as Nationa ...
show in Rostraver, Pennsylvania, though they did not compete. Shortly after his title loss, Jugan formed a "heel" stable called The Dope Show with Shirley Doe and Big Neal the Real Deal. He and Shirley Doe began teaming regularly during this period. On July 9, they wrestled The Bushwhackers in
Cambridge, Ohio Cambridge ( ) is a city in Guernsey County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 10,089 at the 2020 census. It lies in the Appalachian Plateau of the Appalachian Mountains in southeastern Ohio. It is the principal city o ...
. The following night in Irwin, The Dope Show defeated Don Montoya and
Jimmy Cicero Matthew Bowman (born January 2, 1969) is an American professional wrestler, best known by his ring name "Wiseguy" Jimmy Cicero, who has worked for the United States Wrestling Association, Extreme Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Feder ...
; Jugan would defeat Montoya in a singles match at the end of the month. On August 28, Jugan and Rage faced High Society ( Cueball Carmichael and Jimmy Cicero) at the SCW Arena. He also wrestled Carmichael in single matches during the next two months. On October 18, Jugan and Shirley Doe beat The Heartthrobs (Blade and Logan) at the SCW Arena. On November 13, Jugan wrestled Doink the Clown in a 30-minute match at Allied Powers Wrestling Federation's "Friday The 13th" supercard at Brockway High School. Jugan defeated Doink the following night at APWF's "Hell's Bells" in Big Run, Pennsylvania. On November 22, 1998, The Dope Show beat Flexx Wheeler and Nick Burke at the SCW Arena. On January 16, 1999, Jugan wrestled Julio Sanchez in Burnside, Pennsylvania. The following night, The Dope Show defeated The Intimidators (Mark Mest and Vladimir Vampyre) in Weirton, West Virginia. On April 17, Jugan returned to Weirton where he wrestled Robert Gibson at SCW's King of West Virginia Tournament. On June 19, Jugan won a singles match against Sheriff Steele via disqualification in
White Oak, Pennsylvania White Oak is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,630 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. White Oak was named for a stand of white oak trees near the original town s ...
. On May 15, Jugan and T. Rantula wrestled The Thrillbillies in
Ashtabula, Ohio Ashtabula ( ) is the most populous city in Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States. It lies at the mouth of the Ashtabula River, on Lake Erie, northeast of Cleveland. At the 2020 census, the city had 17,975 people. Like many other cities in the ...
. On June 5, Jugan and Shirley Doe wrestled The American Jiggalos (Preston Steele and TC Renyolds) at a USWL show in
Ellwood City, Pennsylvania Ellwood City is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough primarily in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States. With a small district extending into Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Beaver County, it lies along the Connoquenessing Creek just east of i ...
. On July 8, The Dope Show beat The Intimidators in a rematch at the Agricultural Fair in
Derry, Pennsylvania :''There are also four Derry Township, Pennsylvania (disambiguation), Derry Townships in Pennsylvania.'' Derry is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Westmoreland County in Pennsylvania, east of Pittsburgh. Th ...
. On July 30, Jugan appeared at " Curtis Comes Home" in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, a tribute show to raise money for referee Mark Curtis, where he wrestled Dominic DeNucci in a Legends match. Jugan was pinned by DeNucci following a surprise appearance from
Mick Foley Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler and author. He is signed to WWE, under a Legends contract while also serving as an ambassador. Foley worked for many wrestling promotions, including the W ...
. On November 21, 1999, Jugan and Shirley Doe captured the SCW Tag Team Championship from Dennis Gregory and Lou Marconi in White Oak, Pennsylvania. They held the belts for nearly six months before their defeat by High Society (Cueball Carmichael and Jimmy Cicero) in
McKeesport, Pennsylvania McKeesport is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. A suburb of Pittsburgh, it is situated at the confluence of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers. The population was 17,727 as of the 2020 census. History Early history ...
, on May 10, 2000. Doe later credited Jugan as one of his mentors while a tag team.


Independent circuit (2000–2005)

Prior to Steel City Wrestling's close that year, Jugan held what would be the last of the original Deaf Wrestlefest shows. Held on April 12, Deaf Wrestlefest Y2K's main event featured
King Kong Bundy Christopher Alan Pallies (November 7, 1955 – March 4, 2019) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, stand-up comedian and actor better known by his wrestling gimmick and ring name, King Kong Bundy. Under this gimmick, he ...
and Preston Steele. The school's decision to end the event was due to the increasing popularity of adult-oriented content and violence in mainstream pro wrestling largely promoted during
World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
's "
Attitude Era The Attitude Era was a major era of professional wrestling within the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). The term "WWF Attitude" was used to describe its programming from November 9, 1997 to May 6, 2002. It began during the Monday Ni ...
". Although the Deaf Wrestlefest shows had always been "
family friendly Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety ...
", Jugan speculated that parents and school officials wanted to avoid bad publicity. Jugan two more shows independently before ending Deaf Wrestlefest. On September 13, 2001, Jugan lost to Doink the Clown at an Outlaw Championship Wrestling show in
New Castle, Pennsylvania New Castle is a city in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. Located along the Shenango River at the mouth of Neshannock Creek, it is northwest of Pittsburgh near the Pennsylvania–Ohio border, approximately so ...
. On December 28, 2002, Jugan made a guest appearance for the International Wrestling Cartel defeating Jake Garrett at Hindman Hall in
Butler, Pennsylvania Butler is a city in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is north of Pittsburgh and part of the Greater Pittsburgh region. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,502. Butler is named after Major General ...
. Ohio independent wrestlers J.T. Hogg, Scott Prodigy, and Sherman Tank have all credited Jugan for mentoring them during their early careers. Hogg, a
kayfabe In professional wrestling, kayfabe (pronounced ) is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants. The term has evolved to become a code word ...
relative of one-time WWA rival J.R. Hogg, claimed that he wrestled Jugan at least 20 times in a six-month period. In early-2003, Jugan feuded with The Dream Team (Dean Jablonski, Joey Bravo, and Rowdy Ron) in the Ohio-based World Wide Wrestling promotion. He lost to Joey Bravo at Tori's Station in
Fairfield, Ohio Fairfield is a city in southern Butler County, Ohio, United States. It is a suburb located about north of Cincinnati and is situated on the east bank of the Great Miami River. The population was 44,907 as of the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1 ...
, on January 31, 2003. Jugan also faced Dean Jablonski at the first annual "Rumble in the Rocks", a supercard co-hosted by the Championship Wrestling Federation and Pittsburgh Professional Wrestling, and at a Far North Wrestling show in
Johnstown, Pennsylvania Johnstown is the largest city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,411 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located east of Pittsburgh, it is the principal city of the Metropolitan statistical area ...
. At the end of year, Jugan began wrestling semi-regularly for the Championship Wrestling Federation. On December 13, 2003, Jugan defeated Powerhouse Hughes at "CWF Rampage" in Monessen, Pennsylvania. On January 10, 2004, Jugan and Devin Devine defeated Dennis Gregory and Powerhouse Hughes at "CWF Motown Showdown '04" in Monessen. He beat Doink the Clown a month later at "CWF Unfinished Business IV". On March 13, Jugan challenged Dennis Gregory for the CWF Heavyweight Championship at "CWF March Madness 2004" in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, however, the match ended in a double-countout. On March 26, Jugan lost to Joe Integra at a Far North Wrestling show in
Latrobe, Pennsylvania Latrobe ( ) is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,060 as of the 2020 census. A part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, it is located near Pennsylvania's scenic Chestnut Ridge. Latrobe was incorpo ...
. The following night at "Rumble in the Rox 2", Jugan faced to
Larry Zbyszko Lawrence Whistler (born December 5, 1951), better known by the ring name Larry Zbyszko, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is perhaps best known for his Feud (professional wrestling), feud with his mentor, Bruno Sammartino, during ...
in the main event. Jugan lost the bout when Zbyszko pinned him with a school boy rollup after an attempt by his manager, Mayor Mystery, to interfere in the match backfired. Jugan and Mayor Mystery's Parts Unknown Posse had attacked Dean Jablonski earlier that night before they were run off by Zbyszko. On April 3, Jugan defeated Kim Chee in front of 1,250 fans at IWC's "Night of Legends 1" in
Franklin, Pennsylvania Franklin is a city in and the county seat of Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States, located at the confluence of French Creek and the Allegheny River. The population was 6,097 in the 2020 census. Franklin is part of the Oil City microp ...
. On July 2, he wrestled The Honky Tonk Man at the Big Butler Fair in
Prospect, Pennsylvania Prospect is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough had a population of 1,169. Geography Prospect is located in western Butler County at (40.904113, −80.046430). U.S. Route 422, a limited-a ...
. On October 9, Jugan lost to Doink the Clown at a Far North Wrestling event in
Morgantown, West Virginia Morgantown is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. It is situated along the Monongahela River in North Central West Virginia and is the home of West Virginia University. The population was 30,347 at the 2 ...
. That same month, Jugan was one of several wrestling legends to participate in a fundraising event for the
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (PWHF) and Museum was an American professional wrestling hall of fame and museum located in Wichita Falls, Texas; following the postponement of its 19th induction ceremony, planned for May 2020, and an annou ...
at
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
's Fairfield Inn & Suites. On November 13, Jugan won the CWF Heavyweight Championship from Dennis Gregory at "CWF Monessen Mayhem". He successfully defended the title against Gregory at "CWF Holiday Havoc III" on November 27, winning via disqualification, and Powerhouse Hughes at "CWF Upside Down" on December 11, 2004. On January 28, 2005, Jugan wrestled Doink the Clown in
Butler, Pennsylvania Butler is a city in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is north of Pittsburgh and part of the Greater Pittsburgh region. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,502. Butler is named after Major General ...
, for Far North Wrestling. He returned to Butler several weeks later to defeat Battman. On April 9, Jugan defeated Kim Chee in a Legends Lumberjack match at IWC's "Night of Legends 2". He also beat Rockin' Rebel, then making his PGH Pro debut, at "Rumble in the Rox 3" in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, a week later. On May 7, Jugan took part in a 12-man battle royal held at the Mark Curtis Memorial Reunion show in
Johnson City, Tennessee Johnson City is a city in Washington, Carter, and Sullivan counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, mostly in Washington County. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 71,046, making it Tennessee's eighth-most populous cit ...
. He was also invited to the 2006 Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame ceremony in
Amsterdam, New York Amsterdam () is a city in Montgomery County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 18,219. The city is named after Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The city of Amsterdam is bordered on the northern and ea ...
. Jugan would continue to be involved with the museum for several years. In the mid-2000s, he also active in the internet wrestling community and assisted wrestling historians. Jugan was one of the sources used by Count Grog in his KayfabeMemories.com article chronicling the history of '' Studio Wrestling'' and the Pittsburgh tri-state wrestling territory as well as helping Greg Oliver in his 2007 book "The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels". After a near seven-month championship reign, Jugan lost the CWF title to Dr. Feelgood at "CWF Continuation" on June 11. Held during the weekend Mon Valley Summer Festival in Monessen, Jugan and The Russian Nightmare lost to Dr. Feelgood and Brian O in a Best Two Out of Three Falls match the second night at "CWF Climax". Two weeks later, Jugan and Doink the Clown fought to a double-disqualification at a Far North Wrestling show in
Kittanning, Pennsylvania Kittanning ( ) is a borough in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is situated northeast of Pittsburgh, along the east bank of the Allegheny River. The population was 3,921 at the 2020 census. The name is ...
. On July 15, Jugan and Doink joined forces as The Dope Show against Bubba Brewer and
Nikolai Volkoff Josip Hrvoje Peruzović (October 14, 1947 – July 29, 2018), better known by his ring name Nikolai Volkoff, was a Croatian-Americans, Croatian-American professional wrestling, professional wrestler from Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, ...
at the Allied Powers Wrestling Federation's "Return To Glory" show at Kay Arena in
Indiana, Pennsylvania Indiana is a borough in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The population was 14,044 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Indiana, Pennsylvania micropolitan area, about northeast of Pittsburgh. ...
. On July 29, Jugan and The Mauler defeated The Gambino Brothers (Marshall and Mickey Gambino) at another Far North Wrestling show in Butler, Pennsylvania; Dominic DeNucci was the special guest referee. He returned to FNW later that year to face The Gambino Brothers in a rematch, this time with partner Kris Krude, but lost this second encounter. On November 20, 2005, Jugan wrestled
Tito Santana Merced Solis (born May 10, 1953), better known by the ring name Tito Santana, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, Professional wrestling school, trainer, and retired school teacher. Solis has stayed a Face (profession ...
at the IWC's "Newville Knockout" show in Newville, Pennsylvania. Starting in February 2006, Jugan had a 5-month run in Far North Wrestling appearing in matches against Sheriff Steele, JT Hogg, and Dennis Gregory. On May 12, Jugan wrestled Dominic DeNucci in Cranberry, Pennsylvania. Later that week, Jugan attended the 2006 Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame weekend.


Championship Wrestling Federation (2006–2007)

Jugan began teaming with Nasty Nick Crane as The French Ticklers in the CWF. On September 2, the team defeated The New Breed (New Breed 1 and New Breed 2) at "CWF Fall From Grace" in Monessen. Jugan also feuded with Doink the Clown for several weeks losing to him at "CWF No Escape" in
Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania Belle Vernon is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is situated along the Monongahela River, abutting two other counties, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Westmoreland to the north and Washingt ...
, via disqualification, and "CWF Believe The Hype" in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. The French Ticklers, however, had better luck in the CWF's tag team division. The team defeated Manifest Destiny (Eric Xtasy and Justin Idol) at the October 28 "CWF Halloween Horror 2" show and CWF Tag Team Champions The West Coast Hustlas (Benny Benz and DC Bentley) at the November 25 "CWF Upside Down" show. Jugan and Crane would hold the tag titles for a then record 75 weeks. The French Ticklers would successfully defend their titles in a rematch against The West Coast Hustlas at "CWF Holiday Wishes II" on December 16, 2006. On January 27, 2007, at "CWF Collision Course 2007", the team once again retainted the titles against Eric Xtasy and The ShareCropper. On February 10, Jugan defended the tag team titles with "Amir Al Jahari" (in reality his tag team partner Nick Crane) against The Steel City Saints (Bobby Shields and Chris LeRusso) at "CWF Unfinished Business VII". In March, Jugan wrestled matches against The Honky Tonk Man in Cleveland All-Pro Wrestling and Brodie Lee in Far North Wrestling. Meanwhile, in the CWF, The French Ticklers continued their winning streak by defeating The Masked Duo (The Masked Assassin and The Masked Express) at "CWF March Madness 2007" on March 23. One night later, Jugan managed for Larry Zbyszko in his match against
Bruno Sammartino Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino (October 6, 1935 – April 18, 2018) was an Italian-American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with the WWE, World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). Sammartin ...
(with Domenic DeNucci) at the International Wrestling Cartel's "Night of Legends 3". Zbyszko was pinned by his opponent when Jugan accidentally hit Zbyszko during the bout. On April 13 at "CWF Friday The 13th", The French Ticklers and Apollyon were defeated by Low Rider and The Factory (Dee Drake and The Beast) in a six-man tag team match. The following night at "CWF Return To The 'Roi" they defeated Bobby White, Jr. and Doink the Clown at Charleroi High School. On May 5, Jugan and Crane lost to The Factory at "CWF mass inSINity" but kept the tag team belts via disqualification. Jugan, accompanied by manager Count Grog, also wrestled The Missing Link at a special weekend show for the 2007 PWHoF induction ceremony, hosted by Northeast Championship Wrestling, at Wilbur Lynch Middle School in
Amsterdam, New York Amsterdam () is a city in Montgomery County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 18,219. The city is named after Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The city of Amsterdam is bordered on the northern and ea ...
. On June 1 at "CWF Rhythm House Rumble", The French Ticklers lost to Thunder In Paradise (Brett Paradise and Thunder) in a non-title match. The team also lost to J-Ru and Powerhouse Hughes via countout at "CWF Breakdown" a week later. On June 23, Jugan and Crane beat Thunder In Paradise in a rematch at "CWF The Real Deal" in West Leisenring, Pennsylvania. Jugan was also scheduled to meet Dominic Denucci at CAPW's "A Night Of Legends" in Cleveland, the promotion's 14th anniversary show, but ended up wrestling Doink the Clown instead. On September 1 at "CWF Dilemma", The French Ticklers lost the CWF Tag Team Championship to J-Ru and Powerhouse Hughes, ending their reign at 280 days.


International Wrestling Cartel (2008)

On April 12, 2008, Jugan appeared on the International Wrestling Cartel's "Night of Legends IV" as the "handler" of
Abdullah the Butcher Lawrence Robert Shreve (born January 11, 1941), better known by the ring name Abdullah the Butcher, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He has a reputation for being involved in some of the most violent and bloody hardcore wrestling mat ...
in his bout against "Wildfire"
Tommy Rich Thomas Richardson (born July 26, 1956) is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Tommy "Wildfire" Rich. He is a one time former National Wrestling Alliance NWA World Heavyweight Championship, Wo ...
. The match was declared a no-contest after referee Bobby Williams was knocked out. This prompted Jugan to join Abdullah in his attack on Rich until Lumberjack Leroux came out to the rescue. On June 20, Jugan lost to Samuel Elias at a Far North Wrestling show in
West Newton, Pennsylvania West Newton, located southeast of Pittsburgh, is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Westmoreland County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Formerly, the manufacture of radiators and boilers were the chief industries. The population ...
.


Pro Wrestling eXpress (2008)

That summer, Jugan joined Norm Connors' Pro Wrestling eXpress. On August 2, he entered the first annual Sean Evans Memorial Tournament at Renzie Park's Jacob Woll Pavilion in McKeesport and was eliminated in the opening rounds by Patrick Hayes. On August 23 at "PWX Infection", Jugan lost to Hayes in a match for the PWX Brass Knuckles Championship via countout. On September 13, Jugan wrestled The Honky Tonk Man at Serbian Hall in
Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown is a city in Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, 11th-most populous city in Ohio with a population of 60,068 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Mahoning ...
; the proceeds from the event went to the Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church. On September 20, Jugan and Leviathon beat "Handsome" Frank Staletto and "Beef Stew" Lou Marconi in a Throwback match at PWX's 14th Anniversary Show. Jugan also reunited with Nick Crane as The French Ticklers defeating The Franchise Players (Robert Beverly and Jon Kronica) at "PWX Desperate Measures 2" on October 10 and Awesome Force 5000 (Devin Devine and Dash Bennett) at PWX Do Or Die 2 on November 15. The French Ticklers lost to Awesome Force 5000 in a rematch at PWX Christmas Chaos 2 on December 13, 2008.


Independent circuit (2009)

In early-2009, Jugan made several appearances for Dr. Feelbad's Renegade Wrestling Alliance based in West Newton, Pennsylvania. On February 7, Jugan (with The Seductress) lost to Wildcat (with Nurse Missy) at "RWA Uprising". On February 27, 2009, Jugan wrestled Doink the Clown at an International Wrestling Association fundraiser for Liberty High School in
Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown is a city in Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, 11th-most populous city in Ohio with a population of 60,068 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Mahoning ...
. A March 14 fundraiser for Cleveland All-Pro Wrestling, "Home Run For The Kids", saw Jugan and The Bouncer challenge Virgil and "Ironman" Nick Vah in a tag team match at Cleveland's Estabrook Rec Center. On March 28, at the International Wrestling Cartel's "Night of Legends 2009", Jugan lost to Lumberjack Leroux after WWF Hall of Famer George "The Animal" Steele interfered. On April 18 at RWA Spring Fling, Jugan teamed with Bulldozer and Michael McMoney (with Mayor Mystery) to wrestle Wildcat, Virgil, and Psyco in a six-man tag team match. On May 21, Jugan (with Mayor Mystery) was defeated by his former teammate Bulldozer at "RWA No Retreat". On July 25, Jugan defeated Clank The Clown at "RWA Backdraft" in Ellsworth, Pennsylvania. A few months later, Jugan managed Landshark in a losing effort against Kage (with Mike Trash) at "RWA Bloody Harvest". On August 1 at IWC's "No Excuses 5", Jugan teamed with James Avery, Logan Shulo, and Shane Taylor (with Mayor Mystery) in an 8-man tag team match against
Jimmy Snuka James Reiher Snuka (born James Wiley Smith; May 18, 1943 – January 15, 2017) was a Fijian and American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Snuka wrestled for several promotions from the 1970s to 2010s ...
, Jon Bolen, Jimmy Vega$, and Michael Facade (with Dominic DeNucci). On August 7, Jugan entered the 2nd Annual Sean Evans Memorial Tournament was once again eliminated by Patrick Hayes in the first round. Also that summer, Jugan also brought Deaf Wrestlefest back to the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf for its 140th anniversary. The event featured 16 matches, including a six-man tag team match pitting Dominic DeNucci, Cody Michaels and
Shane Douglas Troy Allan Martin (born November 21, 1964) is an American professional wrestler, manager, and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship ...
(with Missy Hyatt) against J. J. Dillon, Lou Marconi and Frank Staletto (with Count Grog), as well as appearances from Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake and other wrestling stars. This was Dillon's first in-ring appearance since his retirement in 1989.


Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (2009–2012)

In addition to Deaf Wrestlefest, Jugan spent much of the last decade performing for wrestling events to raise money for cancer research, civic organizations, and annual
Toys for Tots Toys for Tots is a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve which distributes toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them gifts for Christmas. It was founded in 1947 by reservist Major Bill Hendricks. The Marine T ...
collection. Many of these events were hosted by the
Keystone State Wrestling Alliance The Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA) is a professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion that was founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2000 by Lou Zygmuncik and Shawn Blanchard. KSWA's longtime ring announcer Bobby O ...
, an independent promotion based out of
Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania Lawrenceville is a borough in Tioga County, Pennsylvania. The population was 690 at the 2020 census. Geography Lawrenceville is located at (41.996564, -77.125159). It is at the intersection of Pennsylvania Route 287 and Pennsylvania Route ...
, which he joined in the summer of 2009. His first appearance for the promotion was at the July 3rd "Lawrenceville Fireworks Celebration" in Arsenal Park where Jugan and Shawn Blanchard lost to Anthony Alexander and La Lucha. It was his first in-ring appearance in
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
in several years. Jugan soon engaged in a feud with former tag team partner Justin Sane. On August 29 at "When Worlds Collide", Jugan lost to Justin Sane via disqualification. Jugan avenged this loss at "Krazy Tour 2009" in Pittsburgh on September 12. On October 10 at "Autumn Annihilation", Jugan and Del Douglas lost to Justin Sane and Kris Kash. Jugan defeated Shawn Blanchard in his October debut for Xtreme Championship Wrestling. Jugan beat La Lucha at KSWA's St. John Neumann Fundraiser a week later. The Jugan-Sane feud concluded at KSWA Fanfest/Toy Drive '09 on December 5 with Jugan defeating Justin Sane in a Loser Wears a Dress for a Year match. On December 12, 2009, Jugan teamed with Frank Staletto and Lou Marconi (with Mayor Mystery) in a special Steel City Wrestling "retro match" against Extreme Championship Wrestling alumni
Shane Douglas Troy Allan Martin (born November 21, 1964) is an American professional wrestler, manager, and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship ...
and The Blue World Order ( Da Blue Guy and Hollywood Nova) at IWC's "A Call To Arms 2009: Full Circle". On January 23, 2010, Jugan and The Bulldozer defeated Alex Arcadian and Mitch Napier at "New Years Knockout '10". A month later, Jugan and The Blood Beast challenged KSWA Tag Team Champions Vinnie Stone and Ric Rumskey at "KSWA's 10 Year Anniversary Bash" but were unsuccessful. He and Blanchard teamed with Frank Durso in a 6-man tag team match against Dominic DeNucci, Vinnie Stone and Ric Rumskey at the third annual Joe Abby Memorial Tournament on March 27. On April 10, at the International Wrestling Cartel's "Night of Legends 2010", Jugan was part of The Billion Dollar Bone Breakers with Shane Taylor, The Irish Airborne (Dave and Jake Crist) and manager Chest Flexor which battled The Million Dollar Muscle Machine consisting of Jimmy DeMarco, Lumberjack Leroux, Doink the Clown, Virgil, and managed by Ted DiBiase. Jugan also made two appearances for Renegade Wrestling Alliance that spring. On April 17, Jugan teamed with The TV Casualties (Tommy Horror and Johnny Switchblade) at "RWA Spring Fling 2" to defeat J-Ru and Team Tapout (Mr. Tapout and Chris Coleman). He also joined K-Star and Seymour Snott in another six-man tag team match defeating Ghost Rider Kenny, Jamie Northstarr, and Chris Miles at "RWA No Retreat 2" on May 1. That same night, Jugan traveled from West Newton to the KSWA Arena in Lawrenceville for "Mayhem 2010". He teamed with Anthony Alexander and Lou Martin to wrestle Larry Zbyszko, Justin Sane and Kris Kash. The following night, Jugan held Deaf Wrestlefest 2010 for the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. The show featured former
Extreme Championship Wrestling Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) was an American professional wrestling promotion that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and operated by its parent company HHG Corporation. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as Nationa ...
stars The Blue Meanie and Shane Douglas as well as wrestlers from G.O.U.G.E. Wrestling and the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance. In the main event, with Mick Foley as the special guest referee,
David Sammartino David Lugogo Sammartino (born September 29, 1960) is an American personal trainer and retired professional wrestler. He is the son of former WWWF/WWF World Heavyweight Champion, Bruno Sammartino. Professional wrestling career Early career ...
and Larry Zbyszko defeated Lou Marconi and Frank Staletto (with Count Grog) by disqualification. A little over two weeks later, at the 2010 St. John Neumann School Fundraiser, Jugan defeated Alex Arcadian and later won a $1000 Battle Royal in the main event. The battle royal was aired on the debut episode of KSWA's internet television show at the end of the month. On July 24, Jugan and The VIPs (Shane Blanchard, Lou Martin, and Anthony Alexander) lost to Tommy Faime, Shane Starr, Justin Sane and Kris Kash in an Ultimate Survivor match at "Summertime Bruise 2010". Jugan defeated J-Ru at a high school fundraiser in
Monongahela, Pennsylvania Monongahela, referred to locally as Mon City, is a Local government in Pennsylvania#Third class cities, third class city in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,149 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh ...
, a week later. On August 14, Jugan once again teamed up with The VIPs (Lou Martin and Anthony Alexander) to defeat Kris Kash, Shane Starr, and Mike Malachi at KSWA's "Krazy Tour 2010". Jugan lost to KSWA Heavyweight Champion The Latin Assassin in a Triple Threat match, also involving Ali Kaida, via disqualification on August 21 "When Worlds Collide". One day later, Jugan and Steve Flash lost to The VIPs (Shawn Blanchard and Lou Martin) in the team's Mon Valley Pro Wrestling debut. On September 4, Jugan and Nick Crane lost to Doink The Clown and Dominic DeNucci at KSWA's memorial show for slain Pittsburgh police officer Paul Sciullo. On October 2 at "Autumn Annihilation 2010", Jugan defeated Bobby Badfingers. Two months later, Jugan and The Blood Beast lost to Bobby Badfingers and Mitch Napier at KSWA Fanfest/Toy Drive '10 on December 4, 2010. On May 1, 2011, Jugan held Deaf Wrestlefest 2011 at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. The event included Dominic DeNucci, Shane Douglas, Tony Atlas, Doink the Clown, and Zach Gowen among others. On June 11, Jugan teamed with Justin Sane, Kris Kash, and Shane Starr at "Heatwave Havoc 2011" to defeat Shawn Blanchard, Lou Martin, Drew Belanger, and JP Goulet in an Ultimate Survivor match. Jugan was also in attendance at UFC Live: Kongo vs. Barry, along with CountingTheLights.com columnist Chris Wood, at the
Consol Energy Center PPG Paints Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). It previously was the home of the Pittsburgh Power of the Arena Football Leagu ...
that same month. On July 2, Jugan and Justin Sane defeated Shawn Blanchard and Lou Martin at the "Lawrenceville Fireworks Celebration" to win the KSWA Tag Team Championship. Jugan also beat Blanchard in a single mat via countout at "Summertime Bruise 2011" a week later. Jugan and Justin Sane successfully defended the tag team championship during KSWA's "Krazy Tour 2011" against Drew Belanger with partners J.P. Goulet in Sharpsburg (July 16) and Nick Crane in Plum, Pennsylvania (July 30). On August 13 at "When Worlds Collide 2011", the team defeated Del Douglas and The Jester; Jugan also won a battle royal that night. On September 10 at "Clash Against Cancer II", Jugan defeated Lou Martin via disqualification. At the 2-day Millvale Days Celebration, during the KSWA's "Road to Fan Fest '11", Jugan and Justin Sane beat Drew Belanger and Shawn Blanchard. The second night saw Jugan defeat Lou Martin in a rematch. Jugan also wrestled Doink the Clown at the J.T. Lightning Memorial Show on September 25; Shawn Blanchard accompanied Jugan in his managerial debut. Jugan and Justin Sane defeated Del Douglas and Lou Martin, on the team's third stop during "Road to Fan Fest '11" (October 1), and Shawn Blanchard and Lou Martin at "Autumn Annihilation 2011". On November 5, Jugan and Justin Sane beat Del Douglas and The Jester and, at the final night of "Road to Fan Fest '11" (November 19), the team defeated Lou Martin, Drew Belanger, and J.P. Goulet in a six-man tag team match with Jay Flash; the event was a fundraiser for the Immaculate Conception School in Bloomfield, Pennsylvania. On December 3, 2011, Jugan and Justin Sane defended their belts against Drew Belanger and J.P. Goulet at KSWA's Fan Fest/Toy Drive '11. They barely avoided losing them thanks to outside interference from Tony Marino. That same night, Jugan participated in a "celebrity" roast of Dominic DeNucci, part of a PWHoF Hall of Fame fundraiser, at the Sheraton Hotel in
Green Tree, Pennsylvania Green Tree is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,941 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Green Tree is connected to Pittsburgh via the Fort Pitt Tunnel. Histor ...
. It was based on this performance that the organizers invited Jugan to host the 2012 induction ceremony a few months later. On January 14, 2012, Party Gras and Kris Kash defeated Shawn Blanchard, Del Douglas, and The Jester at "New Years Knockout 2012". On February 4, Jugan and Justin Sane beat Blanchard and Brock Hudson at a KSWA interpromotional show with the West Virginia Wrestling Alliance. He also defeated Del Douglas at "Revenge 2012" on February 18. On March 20, the Pittsburgh city council declared it "Ken Jugan Day" in recognition of his charity work and wrestling career. Four days later, at the fifth annual Joe Abby Memorial Tournament, Jugan was inducted into Keystone State Wrestling Alliance's Hall of Fame. He was the first-ever active wrestler to receive that honor. That same evening, Jugan and Justin Sane defeated Nick Crane and Shawn Blanchard. Party Gras beat the VIPs (Lou Martin and Shawn Blanchard) at a Lethal Championship Wrestling show the next night. On April 14, Jugan and Shawn Blanchard (with J. J. Dillon) lost to Shane Douglas and Dominic DeNucci (with Bruno Sammartino) at the Pro Wrestling Superstars supercard "Wrestle Reunion 8" in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
,
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
. Larry Zbyszko was originally supposed to be Jugan's partner in what was billed as another "Sammartino vs. Zbyszko" faceoff, but he was later replaced with Blanchard. Douglas and DeNucci won the match when Blanchard was pinned with a belly-to-belly suplex. The match received poor reviews, citing the advanced age of then 81-year-old DeNucci, however Jerome Cusson of PWPonderings.com defended the bout pointing out "when you've got someone as old as Denucci and a semi-retired wrestler in Douglas, it's tough to have a great artistic contest. At least it wasn't a long match. They kept it short and allowed the fans to honor the legends involved." On April 28 at KSWA's "Unsanctioned 2012", Bushwhacker Luke and Party Gras defeated Shawn Blanchard, Del Douglas, and The Jester. The next evening, Jugan held the Deaf Wrestlefest 2012 at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. Gregory Iron, Ryan Mitchell, Shark Boy, and Zach Gowen were among the performers. In the main event, Bushwacker Luke and Justin Sane (with Joker) defeated The VIP's (Shawn Blanchard and Lou Martin) with Big Bully Busick as the special guest referee. Bruno Sammartino also headlined the event and donated a replica championship title to raffle off. Jugan credited Sammartino's donation being responsible for making it the highest-grossing Deaf Wrestlefest ever. With both his sons no longer students at the school, and many of the original parents no longer involved, this proved to be the last Deaf Wrestlefest. The annual wrestling show had been the school's primary fundraiser and raised an estimated $100,000 during its run. Jugan, however, did not rule out bringing back the event if the school expressed interest. In early-May, Party Gras successfully defended the tag titles on the KSWA's "Krazy Tour '12" in Bloomington and Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania. Jugan was among a number of wrestling stars attending the 2012 Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame ceremony in
Amsterdam, New York Amsterdam () is a city in Montgomery County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 18,219. The city is named after Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The city of Amsterdam is bordered on the northern and ea ...
, and served as emcee during the induction ceremony. Jugan, a
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
fan, was interviewed by the ''
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving Greater Pittsburgh, metropolitan Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the fi ...
'' in June to give his opinion on how the team should be managed. The publication jokingly suggested the wrestler should be the team's new mascot. Jugan was also interviewed on 100.7 FM's "Bubba Show" about the Pittsburgh Pirates. He told the hosts that he was a longtime fan and went to at least 20 games a season. Bubba Snider said on-air that he wanted to start a fan-based effort to get "Zoltan on the big screen at
PNC Park PNC Park is a baseball stadium on the North Shore (Pittsburgh), North Shore of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth location to serve as the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates. Opened during the 2001 Major League Baseb ...
for a Pirates game" as well as a visit with the team in the dugout prior to the game. Fans reportedly had been doing the "Zoltan" hand gesture, performed by
Hal Sparks Hal Harry Magee Sparks III (born September 25, 1969) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, musician, political commentator, television and radio host and television personality. He made contributions to VH1, hosting E!'s ''Talk Soup'', and pl ...
' character in the 2000 film ''
Dude, Where's My Car? ''Dude, Where's My Car?'' is a 2000 American stoner comedy film directed by Danny Leiner. The film stars Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott as two best friends who find themselves unable to remember where they parked their vehicle after a ...
''. Party Gras continued defending the titles over the summer defeating Nick Crane and Sniper at "Heatwave Havoc 2012" on June 6 and Nick Crane and The Jester at "Super Summer Sizzler Tour '12" on June 30. Jugan also beat Nick Crane in a singles match at "Supertime Bruise '12" on July 14. On July 28 at "Super Summer Sizzler Tour '12" Jugan and Sane defeated J Ru and TJ Phillips in Plum, Pennsylvania. Party Gras defeated Shawn Blanchard and Brady Blaze at a Cleveland Wrestling Alliance show on August 4. On August 18, Party Gras teamed with Super Ginger to defeat The Jester, Del Douglas, and Nick Crane at "When Worlds Collide 2012". The team began feuding with Douglas and The Jester that fall. Jugan defeated The Jester in single competition at "Autumn Annihilation" (October 6) and the "Road to Fan Fest '12 Tour" (November 3). Party Gras lost to RWA Tag Team Champions Ashton Amherst and Patrick Hayes at the Renegade Wrestling Alliance's "Bloody Harvest 4". On December 8, 2012, Party Gras lost the belts to Del Douglas and The Jester at the "KSAW Fan Fest/Toy Drive '12". At the end of the year, Jugan announced that he would be cutting back his ring schedule to one event per month, down from his average 2–3 matches per week, to care for his parents who were both suffering health issues at the time.


Championship Wrestling Federation (2013)

On March 9, 2013, Jugan and Sane captured the CWF Tag Team Championship from The Mercenaries (Sniper and The Specialist) at CWF's Matt Madness in
Connellsville, Pennsylvania Connellsville is a City (Pennsylvania), city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, southeast of Pittsburgh and away via the Youghiogheny River, a tributary of the Monongahela River. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Th ...
. Three months later, Party Gras defended their titles at the third annual Celebrate America Festival in Monessen, Pennsylvania. The team held the tag team titles for a record 75 weeks. On April 16, Jugan received the Jason Sanderson Humanitarian Award at the 2013 Cauliflower Alley Club reunion for his charity and fundraising efforts. The ceremony was held at the CAC's annual "Bologna Blowout" dinner at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. He hired a sign language interpreter for the deaf wrestlers and fans attending the ceremony. He was subsequently honored by Glassport mayor Michael Evanovich and the Allegheny County Council for his charity work. Both Jugan and Evanovich expressed interest in holding a charity pro wrestling event in Jugan's hometown. Jugan also made an appearance at the 2013 Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame that same month in Amsterdam, New York. Additionally, Jugan was interviewed by the ''Ellwood City Ledger'' following the death of Doink the Clown, a one-time rival on the independent circuit and Deaf Wrestlefest regular, that summer.


Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (2013–2018)

Jugan and Justin Sane feuded with Nick Crane and Sniper in KSWA over the summer. On May 4, 2013, they lost to Crane and Sniper at "MAYhem 2013" via countout. Jugan and The Blood Beast defeated Crane and Sniper at "Heatwave Havoc" on June 15. A few weeks later, Jugan and Sane joined The Blood Beast to defeat Bobby Badfingers, "Nasty" Nick Crane and Sniper in a six-man tag team match at the July 6 Lawrenceville Fireworks Celebration in Arsenal Park. Jugan beat Nick Crane in a singles match at "Summertime Bruise 2013" on July 20. On August 3, Jugan reunited with longtime manager Mayor Mystery at the premier IWA Evolution show to wrestle Doink the Clown at the Youngstown Air Force Base in Vienna, Ohio. That same month, Jugan joined the KSWA's "Road to Fan Fest 2013" tour. On August 24, Jugan lost to KSWA Heavyweight Champion Lou Martin at a fundraiser for PA Connecting Communities. Jugan's next stop on the tour was the two-day Millvale Days Celebration event in
Millvale, Pennsylvania Millvale is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, along the Allegheny River, opposite Pittsburgh. The borough is located off Pennsylvania Route 28. The population was 3,376 at the 2020 census. Current estimates place the ...
, on the weekend of September 13–14. The first night saw Jugan defeat Lou Martin in a "Loser Wears a Chicken Suit" match. He and Justin Sane beat The VIPs (Shawn Blanchard and Lou Martin) in a tag team match the following night; as per the stipulation, Martin was wearing a chicken suit for the latter bout. Jugan also beat Justin Sane at "Autumn Annihilation 2013" on October 12. On November 16, 2013, Jugan defeated Sniper at the Mario Ferraro Sr. Memorial Tournament in
Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania Sharpsburg is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, northeast of downtown Pittsburgh, along the Allegheny River. In 1900, nearly 7,000 people lived here; in 1920, the population peaked at just over 8,900 people. The p ...
. He was also scheduled to appear at the MATA Expo, an international
social media Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...
trade show A trade show, also known as trade fair, trade exhibition, or trade exposition, is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services, meet with industry partners and ...
for people with hearing and speech disabilities, in
Ontario, California Ontario is a city in southwestern San Bernardino County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles and west of downtown San Bernardino, the county seat. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire metropolitan area, it lies ...
, along with
Amazing Kong Kia Michelle Stevens (born September 4, 1977) is an American actress and semi-retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. She is best known for her time with TNA Wrestling under the ring name Awesome Kong. She also worked with Ring ...
and other wrestling stars. The event also co-hosted the
Empire Wrestling Federation The Empire Wrestling Federation (EWF) is an professional wrestling promotion, independent wrestling promotion based in Covina, California. It is owned and operated by Jesse Hernandez. The EWF is also tied to Hernandez's wrestling school, ''The Scho ...
's "Inland Empire Invasion". He and Gangrel, however, were forced to pull out of the event. On March 29, 2014, Jugan entered the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance's 7th annual Joe Abby Memorial Tournament. He defeated The Bulldozer in the semi-finals and "Dr. Devastation" Lou Martin in the finals to win the tournament. On May 31 at "MAYhem 2014", Jugan teamed with Justin Sane and Bob Atlas to defeat Sniper, Blood Beast and "Nasty" Nick Crabe in a 6-man tag team match. On July 5, Zoltan appeared on Mid Ohio Valley Wrestling's "Cage Rage", its first-ever show in
Marietta, Ohio Marietta is a city in Washington County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located in Appalachian Ohio, southeastern Ohio at the confluence of the Muskingum River, Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, northeast of Parkersburg, West Virginia ...
. On July 28, Jugan defeated Lou Martin in a "Loser Wears a Chicken Suit" match at "Heat Wave Havoc 2014". KSWA Hall of Famer Ken Jugan (Lord Zoltan) faced another battle with cancer in 2018, but succeeded after surgery and follow-up procedures. A multi-promotional fundraising event was hosted in August, 2018. More than $5,300 was raised in the last Western Pennsylvania professional wrestling “Super Show” since Jugan's own Deaf Wrestlefest fundraisers. Lord Zoltan's last in-ring wrestling match was with the KSWA in February, 2018.


Personal life

Jugan is divorced from his wife Rosa from Glassport, Pennsylvania. They have two sons, Adam and Blaise, who are deaf; both are alumni of the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, where Deaf Wrestlefest was held. Jugan is retired as an
administrative assistant A person responsible for providing various kinds of administrative assistance is called an administrative assistant (admin assistant) or sometimes an administrative support specialist. In most instances it is identical to the modern iteration of th ...
for the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas.


Championships and accomplishments

*American Commonwealth Wrestling **ACW Keystone State Light Heavyweight Championship (2 times) *American Championship Wrestling **ACW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *American States Wrestling Alliance **ASWA Ohio Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *
Cauliflower Alley Club The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America. Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Ab ...
**Jason Sanderson Humanitarian Award (
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
) *Championship Wrestling Federation **CWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **CWF Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Nick Crane and Justin Sane *Great Lakes Wrestling Association **GLWA Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *International Wrestling Alliance **IWA Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *International Wrestling Association **IWA Junior Heavyweight Championship (4 times) *International Wrestling Federation **IWF Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *
Keystone State Wrestling Alliance The Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA) is a professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion that was founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2000 by Lou Zygmuncik and Shawn Blanchard. KSWA's longtime ring announcer Bobby O ...
**KSWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Justin Sane **KSWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2012) **Joe Abby Memorial Tournament (2014) *Masterz of Mayhem **MOM North American Championship (1 time) *Midwest Wrestling Association / Ohio All-Star Wrestling **MWA Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **MWA Television Championship (1 time) *North American Championship Wrestling **NACW Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times) * NWA West Virginia/Ohio **NWA West Virginia/Ohio Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with T. Rantula *
Pro Wrestling eXpress Pro Wrestling eXpress (PWX, also known as NWA East) is a professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion that was founded in North Versailles, Pennsylvania in 1994 by Jim Miller and Sean "Shocker" Evans. It is the longest-runnin ...
**PWX North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
**PWI ranked Lord Zoltan # 227 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the
PWI 500 ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
in 1997 * Steel City Wrestling ** SCW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time) ** SCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Shirley Doe *Undisputed Championship Wrestling **UCW Classics Championship (1 time) *United States Wrestling League **USWL Intercontiental Championship (1 time) **USWL Light Heavyweight Championship (2 times) *Western Pennsylvania Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame **Class of 2010


References


Further reading

*Pierce, Dale. ''Wrestling In Akron''. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2013.


External links

*
Lord Zoltan at CWF-Online.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zoltan, Lord 1957 births Living people American male professional wrestlers People from Glassport, Pennsylvania Professional wrestlers from Pennsylvania American professional wrestling executives Professional wrestling managers and valets American professional wrestling referees American professional wrestling trainers Sportspeople from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area