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Wahoo McDaniel


Last updated by Chris George on April 18, 2016

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[Wahoo McDaniel GALLERY]

Title History

  • Florida Heavyweight title defeating Louie Tillet (May 1, 1967);
  • NWA American Tag Team titles w/ Thunderbolt Patterson defeating Fritz Von Erich and Fred Curry (June 27, 1969);
  • NWA American Tag Team titles w/ Thunderbolt Patterson defeating Dusty Rhodes and Baron von Raschke (August 1969);
  • Texas Heavyweight title defeating Johnny Valentine (October 1969);
  • Texas Heavyweight title defeating Johnny Valentine (January 26, 1970);
  • NWA American Heavyweight title defeating Toru Tanaka (March 5, 1971);
  • NWA American Tag Team titles w/ Johnny Valentine defeating Chris Markoff and Bronco Lubich (September 1971);
  • NWA American Tag Team titles w/ Johnny Valentine defeating Chris Markoff and Bronco Lubich (1971);
  • NWA Mid Atlantic Heavyweight title defeating Johnny Valentine (April 11, 1974);
  • NWA World Tag Team titles w/ Paul Jones defeating Gene Anderson and Ole Anderson (1975);
  • NWA Mid Atlantic Heavyweight title defeating Ric Flair (July 1975);
  • NWA World Tag Team titles w/ Rufus R. Jones defeating Gene Anderson and Ole Anderson (November 17, 1975);
  • NWA Mid Atlantic Heavyweight title defeating Ric Flair (May 3, 1976);
  • NWA Mid Atlantic Heavyweight title defeating Ric Flair (September 11, 1976);
  • NWA Mid Atlantic Heavyweight title defeating Ric Flair (December 27, 1976);
  • NWA Mid Atlantic Heavyweight title defeating Greg Valentine (August 9, 1977);
  • NWA (Florida) Southern Heavyweight title defeating The Spoiler (August 24, 1978);
  • NWA American Heavyweight title defeating The Spoiler (May 13, 1979);
  • NWA Georgia Heavyweight title defeating Masked Superstar (May 14, 1979);
  • NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/ Tommy Rich defeating Ole Anderson and Ivan Koloff (June 8, 1979);
  • NWA Georgia Heavyweight title defeating Masked Superstar (August 1979);
  • Southwest Championship Wrestling Heavyweight title defeating Tully Blanchard (August 23, 1980);
  • Southwest Championship Wrestling Heavyweight title defeating Terry Funk (1981);
  • Southwest Championship Wrestling Tag Team titles w/ Terry Funk defeating Tully Blanchard and Gino Hernandez (August 15, 1981);
  • NWA Florida Television title defeating Eddie Masfield (1981);
  • NWA United States Heavyweight title defeating Sgt. Slaughter (October 4, 1981);
  • NWA United States Heavyweight title defeating Sgt. Slaughter (August 22, 1982);
  • NWA World Tag Team titles w/ Mark Youngblood defeating Don Kernodle and Bob Orton Jr. (January 8, 1984);
  • NWA World Tag Team titles w/ Mark Youngblood defeating Jack Brisco and Jerry Brisco (May 5, 1984);
  • NWA United States Heavyweight title defeating Ricky Steamboat (June 24, 1984);
  • NWA United States Heavyweight title defeating Manny Fernandez (October 7, 1984);
  • NWA (Florida) Southern Heavyweight title defeating Rick Rude (October 2, 1985);
  • NWA National Heavyweight title defeating Tully Blanchard (August 28, 1986);

Career Highlights

In The Beginning:

  • Former United States President George Bush Sr. was Woohoo McDaniel’s baseball coach when he was a kid.
  • Wahoo McDaniel was one of wrestling’s biggest names from the 60s to 80s and was also something of a cult legend.
  • Check out Wahoo McDaniel’s page on www.footballcardgallery.com: http://www.footballcardgallery.com/player/Wahoo+McDaniel/.

Early Years:

Mid-Atlantic Area:

Southwest Texas:

  • Wahoo McDaniel also wrestled for Joe Blanchard’s Southwest Championship Wrestling in San Antonio, Texas.
  • May 26, 1983: Wahoo McDaniel competed in a tournament for the “Undisputed World Championship”.
  • ~~~Wahoo McDaniel lost to the eventual winner of the tournament, Adrian Adonis, in the semi-finals.
  • April 24, 1983 – AWA Super Sunday: Wahoo McDaniel defeated Eddie Boulder (Ed Leslie).

Mid-Atlantic – The Heel Turn:

  • 1983: Wahoo McDaniel had been one of “Nature Boy” Ric Flair’s closest allies.
  • November 24, 1983 – Starrcade: Dick Slater and Bob Orton Jr. defeated Wahoo McDaniel and Mark Youngblood.
  • Wahoo McDaniel and Mark Youngblood won the NWA World Tag Team titles together twice in 1984.
  • Summer 1984: Wahoo McDaniels complained that NWA World Champion Ric Flair was ducking him.
  • Wahoo decided to walk away when Ric Flair was attacked by Tully Blanchard during a Television confrontation.
  • June 24, 1984: Wahoo beat Ricky Steamboat for the U.S. title when Blanchard (aiming for Wahoo) hit Ricky with a chair!
  • ~~~Instead of helping Ricky Steamboat, Wahoo McDaniels became a heel by siding with Tully Blanchard.
  • The United States title was vacated due to the interference, but Wahoo McDaniel regained it in a tournament.
  • November 22, 1985 – Starrcade: Wahoo McDaniel defeated Superstar Billy Graha to retain the United States title.
  • Wahoo McDaniels received several title shots against NWA Champion Ric Flair but never won the belt from him.
  • March 1985: Magnum TA defeated Wahoo McDaniel in a Steel Cage match to win the NWA United States Title.
  • Wahoo McDaniel left the Mid-Atlantic area soon after dropping the NWA United States championship.

Florida:

  • Wahoo McDaniel moved on to Florida Championship Wrestling, working as a babyface.
  • Wahoo McDaniel won the Southern Heavyweight title and feuded against Ravishing Rick Rude.
  • Wahoo McDaniel and Billy Jack Haynes won the Florida version of the United States Tag Team titles.
  • Late 1985: Wahoo McDaniel and Billy Jack Haynes both made some appearances for Jim Crockett Promotions.
  • November 28, 1985 – Starrcade: National Tag Team Champions Ole and Arn Anderson beat Wahoo McDaniel and Billy Jack Haynes.

Jim Crockett Promotions:

  • 1986: Wahoo McDaniel had left Florida to return to the Mid-Atlantic full-time as a fan-favorite again.
  • April 19, 1986 – Crockett Cup: Wahoo McDaniel and Mark Youngblood defeated Mike Miller and Bobby Jaggers (1st Round).
  • ~~~The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal) defeated Wahoo McDaniel and Mark Youngblood in the 2nd Round.
  • April 20, 1986 – AWA WrestleRock: Colonal DeBeers defeated Wahoo McDaniel by Disqualification..
  • Great American Bash Tour: Wahoo McDaniel fought Jimmy Garvin in a series of “Indian Strap” matches.
  • July 5, 1986 – Great American Bash: Wahoo McDaniel defeated Jimmy Garvin in an Indian Strap match.
  • July 26, 1986 – Great American Bash: Wahoo McDaniel defeated Jimmy Garvin in an Indian Strap match.
  • August 28, 1986: Wahoo McDaniel defeated Tully Blanchard for the National Heavyweight title
  • September 28, 1986: Nikita Koloff (US Champion) defeated Wahoo McDaniel (National Champion) to unify their titles.
  • 1986: Wahoo McDaniel feuded against members of Paul Jones’ Army
  • November 27, 1986 – Starrcade: Wahoo McDaniel defeated Rick Rude in a Indian Strap match.
  • April 10-11, 1987 – Crocket Cup: The MOD Squad defeated Wahoo McDaniel and Baron Von Raschkein the 1st Round.

American Wrestling Association:

  • 1987: Wahoo McDaniel joined Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association.
  • Wahoo McDaniel and DJ Peterson chased after AWA Tag Team Champions Soldat Ustinov and Boris Zhukov.
  • Wahoo McDaniel was also one of the top contenders to the AWA World Title held by Curt Hennig.
  • April 16, 1988 – AWA Rage In The Cage II: Wahoo McDaniel defeated Curt Hennig in a Non-title Steel Cage match.
  • Wahoo McDaniel fought Manny Fernandez in a series of violent grudge matches.
  • December 13, 1988 – SuperClash III: Wahoo McDaniel defeated Manny Fernandez in an Indian Strap match
  • Wahoo McDaniel was one of the participants in a battle royal (won by Larry Zbyszko) to crown a new AWA Champion
  • Early 1989: Wahoo McDaniel was attacked by The Destruction Crew (Wayne Bloom and Mike Enos).
  • It was later announced that Wahoo McDaniel was forced to retire due to the resulting injuries from the assault.

Retirement:

  • Wahoo McDaniel wrestled on various independent wrestling cards in the years that followed.
  • May 23, 1993 – WCW Slamboree: Wahoo McDaniel/Blackjack Mulligan/Jim Brunzell vs. Don Muraco/Jimmy Snuka/Dick Murdoch.
  • May 21, 1995 – WCW Slamboree: Wahoo McDaniel defeated Dick Murdoch – and was inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame.
  • April 19, 2002: Wahoo McDaniel passed away in Houston at the age of 63. He had been in poor health for many years.