The King Has Passed
(RIP King Curtis Iaukea)
By Mike Lano
The incredibly amazing Curtis Iaukea, known first in our industry as Prince and later as King(not sure how he made that jump quicker than England’s Prince Charles who’s still waiting to become a “king”) was a total, well-known Hawaiin sports legend. He was first a name high school football and wrestling athlete and later
revolutionized the way 5 star promos were done. He sadly died this past Saturday, Dec. 04 after a long illness at age 73.
“He died peacefully, with family around him,” his former wrestling son, Rocky, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “At his home in Papakolea.”
Iaukea starred in amateur sports at Punahou, and then at the University of California, where he received an award for football excellance on offense and defense.
He went on to a year in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders and several seasons in the CFL. But his biggest fame as a pro athlete came in wrestling, where he was known as “Prince and then King Curtis Iaukea,” and “Da Bull.” For those who only remember him as walking slowly to the ring as a heel manager with a shaved head(WWF as The Wiz in tribute to Ernie) or as Sully’s Diety in FL and WCW; you missed the once-speedy and agile Prince/King in his 60’s and early 70’s heyday. Watch him, even in ’72 WWWF and you’ll be blown away. Or his many AJPW matches on youtube, etc.
After he left wrestling full-time, he also had a successful concession stand in Waikiki renting out surboards, kontiki like boats and snorkle gear.
“He was a pioneer of the modern-day beach stand. He was a visionary in many ways,” said his son. “His accomplishments went beyond football and wrestling.” Don Muraco, Curtis’ longtime friend had worked with and for Curtis there and said he’ll miss Iaukea terribly. “He was one of a kind and a great inspiration,” Muraco said.
Rocky said his father had not been well for a while.
“My dad had been sick for quite a while. He was originally crippled from wrestling in 1979,” Rocky said. “Over the
last year things accelerated, but his health problems started a long time ago.” Rocky had a brief career in the Islands and for AJPW. He was no where near the size of his mammoth pop. Nick Bockwinkel and so many others who made dedicated tours and trips working in Honolulu for promoters Ed Francis and Lord James “TallyHo!” Blears in the 60’s and 70’s(it was the ultimate stopoff point for a payday while going/coming to work in Japan for gaijins) said they were blown away by his state of the art promos. When he came to work for Vince Sr in the WWWF(becoming one of the earliest WWWF tag champs with Baron Mickel Scicluna) his interviews overshadowed even those of the loquitious manager Vince Sr paired him with in Louis(pre captain) Albano. “Bull would often do a serious interview with only his back initially facing the camera and then slowly, slowly turn around to hit the dramatic mark of whatever it was he was trying to say. I’d never seen anything like him and he was just incredible,” Bockwinkel said on my radio show in 2004. “Just mind-blowing.” Iaukea also worked in Florida for Eddie Graham and briefly in Atlanta for the Paul Jones(not the worker) NWA promotion in the early 70’s, with a big feud soon after Dusty Rhodes had turned face against Pak Song Nam. He was more a brawler, but had the mat and chain basics at least. He also worked a Cobo main with the Sheik that many still talk about plus feuded with his longtime pal in Mark Lewin which got the attention of Jim Barnett who regularly booked him in Australia during the great Lewin/Abby/Spyros Arion early 70’s days. Soon after Baba really got AJPW off the ground, as with Blassie and Sheik, King Curtis did regular tours there circa ’73 and ’74. He was amazing there and still talked about because of his tremendous aura there. Then of course was Kevin Sullivan’s idolation of him, involving Curtis whenever possible later on in the 80’s Florida and later on in the mid 90’s earliest Bischoff/Hogan era of WCW in ’94 before WCW blew up in ’96. And let’s not forget his work in his second home of SF for Roy Shire against Ray Stevens, Pepper Gomez, Bob Ellis, Kinji Shibuya, and even Fred Blassie.
One look at any of his promos in the 60’s and 70’s with that amazing billowing Hawaiin volcano of a voice will cinch his legendary status. Once visiting him at his home, he admitted that’s what he patterned his mike style after–that of “a volcano slowly brewing and finally spewing.”
I’ll dig up my taped Vic Christy/John Tolos ’92 interviews where Vic talked about all the gentle ribs he played on Curtis when he first came to work for Jules Strongbow in L.A. in contrast to the “meaner stuff Johnny Valentine played on him,” Vic said. “What we did to Curtis, put the Mabel to shame.”
Some great results follow from fellow historian Mike Rodgers great archive:
11/27/61 Portland, OR results just found of Iaukea working for Don Owen
Nicoli Volkoff & Soldat Gorky beat Baby Face Nelson & Bill Savage, King Curtis beat Danno McDonald, Fritz Von Goering beat Seymour Freeman, Rocky Columbo beat Haru Sasaki.
12/1/61 Portland
Billy WHitewolf beat Nicoli Volkoff to win NW title, Rocky Columbo beat King Curtis dq, Luigi Macera drew Fritz Von Goering, Herb Freeman beat Soldat Gorky dq.
12/4/61 Portland
ROcky Columbo won battle royal, Rocky Columbo drew Soldat Gorky, Seymour Freeman beat Haru Sasaki dq, Luigi Macera drew Bill Savage.
12/8/61 Portland
King Curtis beat Soldat Gorky, Rocky Columbo beat Nicoli Volkoff, Fritz Von Goering beat Seymour Freeman, Luigi Macera drew Baby Face Nelson, Herb Freeman beat Haru Sasaki.
12/13/61 Portland
Lou Thesz drew Pat O’Conner, Billy WHitewolf beat Fritz Von Goering, Herb & Seymour Freeman beat Nicoli Volkoff & Soldat Gorky, Rocky Columbo drew Baby Face Nelson, BIll Savage beat Danno McDonald, Bobby Nichols beat Haru Sasaki dq.
12/15/61 Portland
King Curtis won battle royal, Luigi Macera beat Ripper Collins, King Curtis beat Danno McDanold, Herb Freeman beat Fritz Von Goering dq.
12/20/61 Portland
King Curtis & Haru Sasaki beat Herb & Seymour Freeman, Baby Face Nelson drew Danno Mcdonald, Luigi Macera beat Bill Savage dq, Rocky Columbo drew Fritz Von Goering dq.
12/23/61 Portland
herb & Seymour Freeman & Luigi Macera beat King Curtis & Haru Sasaki & Fritz Von Goering, Billy Whitewolf beat Danno McDonald, Bill Savage drew Nicoli VOlkoff, Rocky Columbo beat Baby Face Nelson.
12/25/61 Portland
Billy WHitewolf beat Nicoli Volkoff, King Curtis beat Herb Freeman, Danno McDonald beat Fritz Von Goering dq, Rocky Columbo drew Bill Savage.
12/30/61 Portland
Shag Thomas beat King Curtis dq, Herb & Seymour Freeman beat Bill Savage & Baby Face Nelson, Fritz Von Goering drew Rocky Columbo, Danno McDonald beat Nicoli Volkoff dq, Luigi Macera drew Billy Whitewolf
1/1/62 Portland
King Curtis beat Bill Savage, Seymour Freeman beat Fritz Von Goering dq, Luigi Macera beat Baby Face Nelson, Herb Freeman drew Ripper Collins, Billy White Wolf beat Haru Sasaki.
1/5/62 Portland
King Curtis beat Shag Thomas, Herb & Seymour Freeman beat Soldat Gorky & Nicoli Volkoff, Billy Whitewolf beat Baby Face Nelson, Luigi Macera drew Ripper Collins, Fritz Von Goering beat Danno McDonald.
1/8/62 Portland
Herb & Seymour Freeman won battle royal, KIng Curtis beat Luigi Macera, Ripper Collins beat Baby Face Nelson, Billy Whitewolf drew Herb Freeman, Danno McDonald beat Haru Sasaki dq.
1/12/62 Portland
Shag Thomas beat King Curtis dq, Herb Freeman beat Baby Face Nelson, Ripper Collins drew Billy Whitewolf, Luigi Macera beat Fritz Von Goering dq.
1/15/62 Portland
King Curtis beat Seymour Freeman, Herb Freeman drew King Curtis, Billy Whitewolf beat Danno McDonald, Luigi Macera drew Baby Face Nelson, Haru Sasaki beat Bobby Nichols.
1/19/62 Portland
King Curtis & Haru Sasaki beat Herb & Seymour Freeman to win NW tag titles, Ripper Collins beat Baby Face Nelson, Shag Thomas beat Luigi Macera, Danno McDonald beat Fritz Von Goering dq, Billy Whitewolf beat Kurt Von Poppenheim.
1/22/62 Portland
Fritz Von Goering won battle royal, Fritz Von Goering beat Danno McDonald, Ripper Collins drew Kurt Von Poppenheim, Seymour Freeman beat Haru Sasaki dq, Billy Whitewolf beat Baby Face Nelson.
1/26/62 Portland
Fritz Von Goering beat King Curtis dq, Herb Freeman drew Ripper Collins, Billy Whitewolf beat Haru Sasaki, Luigi Macera beat Kurt VOn Poppenheim dq, Shag Thomas drew Danno McDonald.
1/29/62 Portland
King Curtis & Haru Sasaki beat Billy Whitewolf & Bill Savage, Danno McDonald beat Kurt Von Poppenheim dq, Fritz Von Goering drew Herb Freeman, Ripper Collins beat Tito Kopa dq.
2/2/62 Portland
Fritz Von Goering drew King Curtis, Kurt Von Poppenheim drew Danno McDonald, Bill Savage beat Seymour Freeman, Herb Freeman drew Billy Whitewolf, Luigi Macera beat Tito Kopa.
2/5/62 Portland
Billy Whitewolf beat Fritz Von Goering dq, Ripper Collins beat Kurt Von Poppenheim, Luigi Macera drew Bill Savage, Dick Garza (Mighty Igor) beat Haru Sasaki, Tito Kopa drew Seymour Freeman.
2/9/62 Portland
Billy Whitewolf won battle royal, Fritz Von Goering beat Luigi Macera, Dick Garza beat Tito Kopa, Billy WHitewolf drew Bill Savage, Seymour Freeman beat Haru Sasaki dq.
2/12/62 Portland
Fritz Von Goering beat Shag Thomas, Bill Savage & Tito Kopa beat Luigi Macera & Ripper Collins, Dick Garza beat Kurt Von Poppenheim dq, Herb Freeman beat Haru Sasaki, Danno McDonald drew Seymour Freeman.
2/16/62 Portland
King Curtis drew Bill Savage, Fritz Von Goering beat Seymour Freeman, Herb Freeman beat Tito Kopa, Billy WHitewolf beat Dick Garza, Shag Thomas beat Danno McDonald, Ripper Collins beat Haru Sasaki.
2/19/62 Portland
Shag Thomas beat Fritz Von Goering, Bill Savage beat Haru Sasaki, Billy Whitewolf beat Seymour Freeman, Tito Kopa drew Dick Garza, Danno McDonald beat Luigi Macera.
2/23/62 Portland
Shag Thomas & Bill Savage beat Herb & Seymour Freeman, Billy WHitewolf drew Fritz Von Goering, Ripper Collins beat Tito Kopa, Danno McDonald beat Haru Sasaki dq, Dick Garza beat Frenchy Robbierre.
2/26/62 Portland
Fritz Von Goering & Kurt VOn Poppenheim beat Billy Whitewolf & Shag Thomas, Bill Savage drew Dick Garza, Luigi Macera beat Tito Kopa dq, Haru Sasaki beat Bobby Nichols.
3/2/62 Portland
Billy Whitewolf beat Fritz Von Goering chain match, BIll Savage drew Ripper Collins, King Curtis beat Luigi Macera, Herb Freeman beat Tito Kopa dq, Haru Sasaki beat Dick Garza.
3/5/62 Portland
Fritz VOn Goering beat Shag Thomas, King Curtis beat Kurt VOn Poppenheim, Billy WHitewolf beat Tito Kopa, Bill Savage beat Luigi Macera, Haru Sasaki drew Bobby Nichols.
3/9/62 Portland
King Curtis beat Tony Borne, Danno McDonald beat Tito Kopa, Ripper Collins drew Bill Savage.
3/16/62 Portland
Tony Borne beat King Curtis, Dr. Moto beat Danno McDonald, Fritz Von Goering beat Dick Garza, Billy Whitewolf beat Haru Sasaki, Herb Freeman beat Tito Kopa, Bill Savage beat Luigi Macera.
3/19/62 Portland
Dr. Moto beat Shag Thomas, Billy WHitewolf & Dean Ho drew King Curtis & Haru Sasaki, Fritz Von Goering beat Luigi Macera, Bill Savage beat Dick Garza, Kurt VOn Poppenheim drew Tito Kopa.
3/23/62 Portland
Billy Whitewolf beat Fritz Von Goering, Herb Freeman beat King Curtis dq, Dr. Moto beat Luigi Macera, Danno McDonald drew Dean Ho, Dick Garza beat Haru Sasaki dq.
3/26/62 Portland
D.r Moto beat Shag Thomas, Fritz Von Goering drew Ripper Collins, King Curtis beat Dick Garza, Kurt Von Poppenheim drew BIll Savage, Dean Ho beat Tito Kopa.
3/30/62 Portland
Ripper Collins won battle royal, King Curtis beat Dean Ho, Herb Freeman drew Bill Savage, Dr. Moto beat Ripper Collins, Billy Whitewolf beat Haru Sasaki.
4/2/62 Portland
Tony Borne beat King Curtis, Dean Ho drew Danno McDonald, Herb Freeman beat Tito Kopa, Dr. Moto beat Ricky Hunter, Billy Whitewolf beat Bill Savage, Fritz Von Goering & Kurt Von Poppenheim drew Ripper Collins & DIck Garza.
4/6/62 Portland
Billy WHitewolf beat King Curtis dq, Fritz Von Goering beat Dick Garza, Herb Freeman beat Kurt Von Poppenheim dq, Ripper Collins beat Dean Ho, Bill Savage beat Dr. Moto dq.
4/9/62 Portland
King Curtis beat Shag Thomas, Herb Freeman drew Dr. Moto, Kurt Von Poppenheim drew Dean H o, Billy WHitewolf beat Haru Sasaki.
4/13/62 Portland
Kurt Von Poppenheim & Fritz Von Goering beat King Curtis & Haru Sasaki, Ripper Collins beat Dr. Moto dq, Bill Savage drew Dick Garza, Herb Freeman beat Tito Kopa.
6/15/62 Portland
Dory Dixon beat Kurt Von Poppenheim, Fritz Von Goering beat Dick Garza, Ripper Collins drew Bill Savage.
6/19/62 Portland
Buddy Rogers beat Billy WHitewolf NWA title, Dory Dixon beat Bill Savage, Fritz Von Goering beat Pepper Gomez, Mad Dog Vachon beat Al Pago.
6/22/62 Portland
Mad Dog Vachon won battle royal, Mad Dog Vachon drew Luther Lindsey, Herb Freeman beat Al Pago, Pepper Gomez drew Jack Kiser, Dory Dixon beat Joe Coleman.
6/26/62 Portland
Dory Dixon & Little Beaver & Cowboy Cassidy beat Sky Low low & Tiny Tom & Mad Dog Vachon dq, Ripper Collins drew Al Pago, Kurt Von Poppenheim beat Pepper Gomez, Luther Lindsey beat Bill Savage.
6/29/62 Portland
Little Beaver & Cowboy Cassidy & Dory Dixon beat Sky Low Low & Tiny Tom & Mad Dog Vachon dq, Herb Freeman beat Ripper Collins, Bill Savage beat Al Pago, Luther Lindsey beat Kurt Von Poppenheim.
7/2/62 Portland
Luther Lindsey & Dory Dixon beat Fritz Von Goering & Kurt Von Poppenheim dq, Pepper Gomez drew Al Pago, Billy Whitewolf beat Tito Kopa, Mad Dog Vachon beat Ripper Collins.
7/6/62 Portland
Fritz Von Goering beat Dory Dixon, Herb Freeman drew Pepper Gomez, Mad Dog Vachon beat Al Pago, Luther Lindsey beat Tito Kopa, Billy WHitewolf beat Kurt Von Poppenheim.
7/9/62 Portland
Billy Whitewolf beat Fritz Von Goering dq, Mad Dog Vachon beat Pepper Gomez, Luther Lindsey beat Al Pago, Herb Freeman drew Kurt Von Poppenheim.
7/13/62 Portland
Mad Dog Vachon beat Billy WHitewolf dq, Herb Freeman beat Danny O’Rourke, Kurt VOn Poppenheim drew Al Pago, Fritz Von Goering beat Pepper Gomez, Luther Lindsey beat Bobo Newman.
7/16/62 Portland
Shag Thomas & Luther Lindsey won battle royal, Shag Thomas drew Billy Whitewolf, Fritz Von Goering beat Herb Freeman, Luther Lindsey beat Kurt Von Poppenheim.
7/20/62 Portland
Billy WHitewolf beat Mad Dog Vachon chain match, Pepper Gomez beat Danny O’Rourke, Herb Freeman beat Kurt Von Poppenheim dq, Luther Lindsey beat Al Pago, Fritz VOn Goering beat Shag Thomas.
7/23/62 Portland
Shag Thomas & Luther Lindsey beat Fritz Von Goering & Kurt Von Poppenheim, Mad Dog Vachon beat Frenchy Robbierre, Herb Freeman beat Pepper Gomez, Billy Whitewolf beat Al Pago.
7/27/62 Portland
Mad Dog Vachon & Fritz Von Goering beat Billy Whitewolf & Luther Lindsey, King Curtis beat Pepper Gomez, Herb Freeman beat Frenchy Robbierre, Dean Ho beat Kurt Von Poppenheim.
7/30/62 Portland
Pat O’Conner beat King Curtis dq in an NWA title match, Shag Thomas & Luther Lindsey beat Fritz Von Goering & Kurt Von Poppenheim, Pat Patterson beat Pepper Gomez, Mad Dog Vachon beat Dean Ho, Herb Freeman drew Billy Whitewolf.