Ron Wright (wrestler)
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Ron Wright (October 26, 1938 – April 21, 2015) was an American
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 ...
, promoter and manager. He wrestled and managed primarily for
territory A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, belonging or connected to a particular country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually a geographic area which has not been granted the powers of self-government, ...
promotions in the Southeastern United States from the 1950s until the 1990s, particularly in the
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
and
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
areas, including for
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 ...
,
Southeast 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 ...
,
Continental Wrestling Association Continental Wrestling Association (later the Championship Wrestling Association) was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually ...
,
Continental 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 ...
,
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling Jim Crockett Promotions, at times branded as Eastern States Championship Wrestling and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, is a family-owned professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Founded in ...
and
Smoky Mountain Wrestling Smoky Mountain Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Appalachian area of the United States from October 1991 to December 1995, when it was run by Jim Cornette. The promotion was based in Knoxville, Tennessee, wit ...
.


Professional wrestling career

Ron Wright started wrestling in 1956 with his real life friend and future wrestling opponent
Whitey Caldwell Whitey Caldwell (July 2, 1935 – October 7, 1972) was an American professional wrestler who mainly worked in the Gulf Coast and Tennessee territories. Professional wrestling career Whitey Caldwell made his professional wrestling debut in the 1 ...
as well as his brother Don Wright, following an amateur start at the Kingsport Boys Club. Ron Wright and Caldwell, already a local athletic hero, soon caught the eye of Kingsport NWA promoter Mickey Baarnes as well as outlaw Buddy Russels for whom they made their debut on January 21, 1956. Both debuted as teenagers with a younger Ron Wright mostly working as a referee for Baarnes while the older Caldwell quickly made a name as a wrestler. Ron Wright gained a reputation for being a wrestling
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
when in 1961 he seriously and legitimately injured Caldwell (putting him out of action for a year) who was by then a very popular wrestling
babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...
and television champion. One of Ron Wright's early opponents was Japanese legendary wrestler
Antonio Inoki (born ; 20 February 1943 – 1 October 2022) was a Japanese professional wrestler, Glossary of professional wrestling terms#school, professional wrestling trainer, martial arts, martial artist, politician, and Promoter (entertainment), promot ...
during Inoki's early career and stay in Kingsport in 1966.. In the late 1970s Ron Wright and local wrestlers competed hard in the Tennessee area with the Poffo family, a member of which was another international wrestling legend,
Randy Savage Randy Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler and professional baseball player, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation ( ...
, with actual fights, death threats and talent poaching occuring regularly during their legitimate feud. During his career Ron Wright was the most hated heel in his territory (area where wrestling promoters and wrestlers operated) for almost three decades, engaging in extremely physical, violent and bloody matches, mostly as part of a tag team and often with his brother Don Wright. His most well-known and frequent opponent was Caldwell who he would try to provoke to genuine anger in order to make their bouts better. He was known not only for being a nefarious cheat and bully but also for his speaking ability, both as a wrestler and as a manager, with a style based on local preachers. Despite mostly wrestling as a heel, he did however appear as a face in a tribute match for Whitey Caldwell after his friend's death at the hands of a drunk driver in 1972. By the end of the 1970s Ron Wright had mostly transitioned to an on-screen management role while becoming an off-screen secret owner of his local territory (the Kingsport, Bristol and Johnson City region in Tennessee, i.e. Tri-City area, part of the future Southeastern Championship Wrestling territory). He suffered a serious injury at the beginning of the 80s and disappeared from wrestling as a wrestler, manager and promoter until 1987 when he came back as a manager in Continental Championship Wrestling, then USA Championship Wrestling, and later in Smoky Mountain Wrestling. His ability to draw
heat In thermodynamics, heat is energy in transfer between a thermodynamic system and its surroundings by such mechanisms as thermal conduction, electromagnetic radiation, and friction, which are microscopic in nature, involving sub-atomic, ato ...
was so great that he was legitimately shot at three times by fans as well as being slashed with razor, resulting in a wound that requires 160 stitches. He also had his personal small plane burnt by persons unknown, possibly wrestling fans (Wright himself believed that the plane was burnt to cover up the theft of expensive parts). Wright noted, with regret, that he had caused four or five elderly spectators to have heart attacks over his antics.


Personal life

Ron Wright was married to Teresa Wright. He would race go-carts that he built as an avid mechanic, with his children. Ron Wright worked as a pressman alongside his wrestling career and during hiatuses. Despite making a substantial living as a wrestler, Ron kept his job to have benefits for his children in case of injury, as his wrestling trainer had suffered an early career ending injury. He was well known for his charity work in Kingsport.. Ron Wright was a noted thrill seeker who piloted his own plane and was known for driving wildly, leading to an incident when a traffic stop cop jokingly demanded Ron's pilot license over the speed he was driving, and Ron in turn presented his real license.


Professional wrestling persona

* Crusher (official ring name) * Bonecrusher (nickname) * Kingsport's Bad Boy (nickname) * Backstreet Brawler (nickname) * King of Kingsport and Number One Hillbilly (Smokey Mountain Wrestling nickname)


Notable opponents

*
Boris Malenko Lawrence J. Simon (June 28, 1933 – September 1, 1994), better known by the ring name Boris Malenko ( rus, Бори́с Маленко́, p=bɐˈrʲis mɐˈlʲenkə), was an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling trainer. He i ...
*
Verne Gagne the Minnesota Golden Gophers wrestling, Minnesota Golden Gophers Laverne Clarence "Verne" Gagne ( ; February 26, 1926 – April 27, 2015) was an American amateur wrestling, amateur and professional wrestling, professional wrestler, Amer ...
*
Ron Fuller (wrestler) Ronald Welch (born March 3, 1948) is a retired professional wrestler and manager better known by his ring names Ron Fuller and Tennessee Stud. He is the elder brother of Robert Fuller ("Col. Robert Parker").Foley, Mick. Have A Nice Day: A Tale o ...
*
Killer Kowalski Wladek Kowalski (born Edward Władysław Spulnik; October 13, 1926 – August 30, 2008) was a Canadian professional wrestler, known by his ring name Killer Kowalski. Kowalski wrestled for numerous promotions during his career, including the ...
*
Blackjack Mulligan Robert Deroy Windham (November 25, 1942 – April 7, 2016), better known by his ring name Blackjack Mulligan, was an American professional wrestler and American football player. He was the father of wrestlers Barry and Kendall Windham, father- ...
* Kevin Sullivan * Dory Funk Jr. *
Whitey Caldwell Whitey Caldwell (July 2, 1935 – October 7, 1972) was an American professional wrestler who mainly worked in the Gulf Coast and Tennessee territories. Professional wrestling career Whitey Caldwell made his professional wrestling debut in the 1 ...
*
Danny Hodge Dan Allen Hodge (May 13, 1932 – December 24, 2020) was an American amateur and professional wrestler, who also had a brief professional boxing career. He is in both the U.S. amateur wrestling Hall of Fame, for his three NCAA titles and Ol ...
*
Ron Garvin Roger Barnes (born March 30, 1945) is a Canadian former professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin. He is best known for his appearances with Jim Crockett Promotions, Mid-Atlantic Champi ...
* Antonio Inoki * Rocky Smith * Louise Tillet * Lester Welch * The Assassins *
Jim Cornette James Mark Cornette (born September 17, 1961) is an American author, sports historian, and podcaster who previously worked in the professional wrestling industry as an agent, booker, color commentator, manager, photographer, promoter, tra ...


Wrestlers managed

*
Mongolian Stomper Archibald Edward Gouldie (November 22, 1936 – January 23, 2016) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He wrestled for Stampede Wrestling for decades as Archie "The Stomper" Gouldie, with the nickname coming from the wrestler's reputation ...
*
Phil Hickerson Phil Hickerson (born October 4, 1946) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the Tennessee-based NWA Mid-America and Continental Wrestling Association promotions. Professional wrestling career ...
*
Moondog Spot Larry Wayne Booker (June 6, 1952 – November 29, 2003), better known by his ring names Moondog Spot and Larry Latham, was an American professional wrestler. Professional wrestling career Early career (1977–1981) Booker debuted in ...
*
Dennis Condrey Dennis Condrey (born February 1, 1952) is an American retired professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the Continental Wrestling Association, Jim Crockett Promotions and World Championship Wrestling ...
*
Jim Dalton Jim Dalton (29 December 1904 – 2 June 1969) was an Australian rules footballer who played with St Kilda in the Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia opera ...
* Dirty White Boy


Gimmicks

As an active wrestler, Ron Wright would use weapons including a custom-made knucklebuster with a blade to legitimately cut his opponents in the ring and cause them to bleed profusely. He called this his "chisel". Faced with a violent assault from Wright, a young scared rookie Kevin Sullivan in what he believed was actual self-defense tried to knock out Wright in the ring with a chain to which the veteran Wright replied with laughter and congratulations. He is also known for using a loaded boot, which wrestlers like
Tony Anthony Darrell W. Anthony (born April 12, 1960) is a retired American professional wrestler, also known by his ring name Dirty White Boy. He wrestled in NWA territories in the Southeastern United States. He was most active throughout the 1980s and 1990 ...
,
The Grappler Edward Lynn "Len" Denton (born August 25, 1958) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, The Grappler. Professional wrestling career Len Denton worked early in his career under a few different monikers and wr ...
,
Tom Prichard Thomas Prichard (born August 18, 1959) is an American retired professional wrestling, professional wrestler and author better known by the ring name Dr. Tom Prichard. He is the older brother of Bruce Prichard. Professional wrestling career ...
and
Raven A raven is any of several large-bodied passerine bird species in the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between crows and ravens; the two names are assigne ...
would use in later years. As a manager, Ron Wright would pretend to have a heart condition and implore fans not to distress him with loud sounds which would lead them to making as much noise as possible, in the hope of causing him a heart attack. In his later career as a manager, Ron Wright would constantly claim to have been a "scientific", "Christian" wrestler which would mean a face in 1980s wrestling terminology and claim never to have hurt an opponent despite being widely known to generations of audiences as one of the most violent, nefarious and cheating heels during his days as an active wrestler, especially in light of Whitely Caldwell's first and real injury. As a manager in Continental Championship Wrestling, Wright would illegally interfere in matches handing heels weapons, distracting the referee or physically hindering or assaulting face opponents. Next as a manager in Smoky Mountain Wrestling (run by Jim Cornette), a still relatively young (in his mid fifties) Ron Wright would develop his character further and appear in a wheelchair claiming that he needed to find a wrestler (eventually mainly Dirty White Boy but with help from other heels) to manage, in order to make enough money for hip and heart operations, while still continuing his illegal ringside activities to the ire of commissioner
Bob Armstrong Joseph Melton James (October 3, 1939 – August 27, 2020) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Bullet" Bob Armstrong. In the course of his career, which spanned five decades, Armstrong held numerous championsh ...
, and heel manager
Jim Cornette James Mark Cornette (born September 17, 1961) is an American author, sports historian, and podcaster who previously worked in the professional wrestling industry as an agent, booker, color commentator, manager, photographer, promoter, tra ...
.


Championships and accomplishments

*
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 ...
**
NWA Hall of Fame The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) Hall of Fame is an American professional wrestling hall of fame maintained by the NWA. It was established in 2005 to honor select wrestling personalities, mostly alumni of the NWA. Inductees receive commemor ...
(class of 2015) *
NWA Mid-America NWA Mid-America was a professional wrestling promotion territory under the umbrella of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) that promoted shows in Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama from 1940 until 1981. The company was founded in 1940 by Nick Gulas ...
**
NWA Tennessee Tag Team Championship The NWA Tennessee Tag Team Championship was a secondary tag team title promoted as the name indicates mainly in the Tennessee region from 1967 until 1977, first by ''Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling'' and occasionally NWA Mid-America from 1967 to ...
(21 times) – with Don Wright (14), Frank Morrell (2), Whitey Caldwell (1), Jack Donovan (2),
Tommy Gilbert Thomas Edward Gilbert Sr. (January 15, 1940 – November 26, 2015) was an American professional wrestler. He wrestled for Continental Wrestling Association and throughout the South as Tommy Gilbert. He was the father of wrestlers Doug Gilbert ...
(1), &
Nelson Royal Nelson Combs (July 21, 1935 – February 3, 2002) was an American professional wrestler, trainer and promoter, better known by his ring name, Nelson Royal. He held the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship on six occasions along with numero ...
(1) **
NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship The NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship or ''Gulf Coast Heavyweight Championship'' was one of two identically named regional championship titles, a Southern and Northern division promoted by Southeast Championship Wrestling. The Southern di ...
(5 times) **NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship **
NWA World Tag Team Championship The NWA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship created by the National Wrestling Alliance. From 1948 to 1982, the NWA allowed List of National Wrestling Alliance territories ...
(1 time) – with Don Wright ** NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **
NWA United States Tag Team Championship The NWA United States Tag Team Championship is a name used for several secondary tag team championship used by various National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) members since 1958. There are eleven different versions of the NWA United States Tag Team Champ ...
(1 time) – with Frank Morrell **NWA Southern Tag Team Championship **NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship *Southern Championship Wrestling **NWA Tennessee Brass Knuckles Championship (2 times)


Notes


Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Ron 1938 births 2015 deaths American male professional wrestlers People from Kingsport, Tennessee Professional wrestlers from Tennessee Professional wrestling promoters 20th-century male professional wrestlers