Hangman (2)

Title History

 

• MWCW (Ohio) Tag Team titles w/Gene Labelle defeating Chico Garcia & Krusher Kowalski (Late 1967);
• WWA (Indianapolis) Heavyweight title by winning a Tournament (Early 1968);
• NWA (Ohio) Tag Team titles w/Dapper Dan defeating The Currys (May 1968);
• MWCW (Ohio) North American Heavyweight title defeating Killer Karl Kox (June 1968);
• NWA (Ohio) Tag Team titles w/Dapper Dan defeating The Hell’s Angels (July 1968);
• GCW (Georgia) Tag Team titles w/Lonnie Lee defeating Mike Webster & The Black Hand (Late 1976);

 

Career Highlights

The Hangmen (Gene Lebell & Roy Staggs):

• Roy Staggs formed a masked heel tag team with Gene Lebell known as “The Hangmen” in the Indianapolis-based WWA..
• Late 1967: The hangmen defeated Chico Garcia & Krusher Kowalski to win the MWCA Tag Team titles in Ohio..
• ~~~The Hangmen were notorious for their rough style and using the rope to “hang” their helpless opponents..
• ~~~The Hangmen were accomplished grapplers and used choke-outs, arm bars and leg/ankle locks etc..
• ~~~~~~~~~~~~Hangman #1 (Gene Lebell) retired from wrestling to pursue other interests..
• Early 1968: The Hangman defeated Chico Garcia and The Crusher in a Tournament to win the WWA Heavyweight title..
• ~~~The Hangman was booked to drop the WWA title to the promoter’s nephew in two straight falls..
• ~~~The Hangman broke character, knocked out the challenger and tossed his rope and the WWA title belt into the audience..The Continentals (Dapper Dan & “Gentleman” Tony Christie):
• March 1968: A man in a tuxedo came out the audience and helped Dapper Dan defeat wild Bull Curry in Cincinnati..
• March 1968: “Gentleman” Tony Christie w/Dapper Dan debuted against The Big O (aka Bugsy McGraw) in Columbus..
• May 1968: The Continentals (Dapper Dan & Tony Christie) defeated The Currys for the NWA (Ohio) Tag Team titles!
• June 1968: Tony Christie defeated Killer Karl Kox for the MWCW North American title in Cincinnati, Ohio..
• July 1968: The Continentals defeated The Hell’s Angels in a 2/3 Falls match to win the NWA (Ohio) Tag Team titles!
• Roy Staggs was forced to temporarily retire from wrestling after suffering a knee injury..Roy Staggs as “Pegasus”:
• Late 1976: Pegasus & Lonnie Lee (Lonnie Staggs) were both Disqualified at a GCW event in Gulfport, Florida..
• ~~~When the Medics failed to appear, Pegasus & Lonnie Lee beat Mike Webster & The Black Hand for the GWC Tag Team titles!
• Early 1977: Pegasus & Lonnie Lee meet Leon Graham and The Beast in a GWC vs IWF (Florida) cross promotional event..
• ~~~Pegasus & Lonnie Lee were Disqualified for using a stun gun on the IWA Champions as well as the referee….
• 1977: Roy Staggs retired after suffering another knee injury..
• June 22, 2003: Roy Staggs passed away afer a long illness..
  

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  Lonnie Lee (Roy’s Brother) wrote in to share the following memories: I was watching my Niece’s 8 year old daughter and she asked if I was rich, because wrestlers make “lots of money” I told her back when her uncles were screwing around in the ring, very few made “tons of money.” She then asked what the most I made for one match was, so here’s what I told her: When I first started, I made about $300 or $350 per night. I eventually could get around a grand per gig. Roy, before retiring with knee problems could get more, because he had worked most of the big circuits. When we were in South Dakota, I remember it being somewhere around the middle of ’84, wrestling had been on a downturn for some time, this was right before Cyndi Lauper and MTV were about to catapault Hulk/Piper and the WWF into the stratosphere. A promoter that Roy had worked for in the Indy/Chicago areas, sensing things were about to “pop” as he put it, offered Roy $5000 to bring the Hangmen back to face his tag champions (I believe they were called the Wild Men or Wild Warriors). Roy would have to get a partner, which wasn’t a problem–I was still active, but this guy wanted the Hangmen to drop two straight to his guys–and Roy never dropped two straight! So, we decline (Roy said he wouldn’t use the hangmen name, anyway), but make a counter offer. We’ll show up as Pegasus and Lonnie Lee, the undefeated IWF Champs–which was technically true, as we did have the belts when the company folded. It was a lot of fun, the house was filled, and our opponents were big and gnarly. Roy’s knees were completely shot, so he couldn’t do any of the throws and grappling/judo stuff he was noted for, and went straight for the brawling heel routine. After about 20 minutes, I dropped the first fall, when I missed a moon flip off of the top rope. With his legs really aching, we decided to forego the second fall win, and just do a wild finish: we had brought the young lady that ran our telemarketing room with us, as lady Liera. She brought out a red velvet rope from which Roy “hanged” the Wild Men’s manager, before they saved him. And as we battled in the ring , she chased the manager around the ring with the stun gun (the crowd loved it). Of course the match was ruled a “no contest”. It was a lot of fun, for which I got my biggest payday–$2,500, but more importantly, it was the last time I was in the ring with Roy. I miss him.