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Dr. Bill Miller

{{Short description|American professional wrestler (1927–1997)}}

{{Use American English|date=February 2024}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}{{Infobox professional wrestler

|name=Dr. Bill Miller

|image=Bill Miller (wrestler).jpg

|image_size=200px

|birth_name = William M. Miller

|names=Big Bill Miller
Dr. Bill Miller
Doctor "X"
Mr. M
The Crimson Knight

|height={{height|ft=6|in=6}}

|weight={{convert|290|lb|kg|abbr=on}}

|birth_date={{birth date|1927|6|5}}

|birth_place = Fremont, Ohio, U.S.

|death_date = {{death date and age|1997|3|24|1927|6|5}}

|death_place= Columbus, Ohio, U.S.

|billed=Fremont, Ohio

|trainer=

|debut=1951

|retired=1976

|alma_mater = Ohio State University

|}}

William M. Miller{{Cite web |title=Bill Miller profile |url=https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/bios/b/bill-miller/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602184856/https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/bios/b/bill-miller/ |archive-date=June 2, 2013 |access-date=May 20, 2023 |publisher=Online World of Wrestling}} (June 5, 1927 – March 24, 1997) was an American professional wrestler. He was a one-time American Wrestling Association world champion and also wrestled in the National Wrestling Alliance, the World Wrestling Association and the World Wide Wrestling Federation.

Professional wrestling career

Born on June 5, 1927, Miller was raised on the Twin Pines Farm in Fremont.{{Cite book |last1=Johnson |first1=Steven |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H-6DoPuiRkEC&pg=PA261 |title=Pro Wrestling Hall Of Fame: The Heels |last2=Oliver |first2=Greg |publisher=ECW Press |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-55490-284-2 |pages=261–264 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last1=Murphy |first1=Dan |title=The Wrestlers' Wrestlers: The Masters of the Craft of Professional Wrestling |last2=Young |first2=Brian |publisher=ECW Press |year=2021 |isbn=9781773056876 |pages=66–70 |language=en}} He was a nine-letterman at Ohio State University in wrestling, football and track; he was also a member of the OSU team that won the 1950 Rose Bowl.{{Cite web |last=Mooneyham |first=Mike |date=June 9, 2013 |title=MOONEYHAM COLUMN: Pro wrestling great Danny Miller filled big shoes |url=https://www.postandcourier.com/staff/mike_mooneyham/mooneyham-column-pro-wrestling-great-danny-miller-filled-big-shoes/article_30abf52f-ba6f-5374-a0ae-33acb23af6d7.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230520180027/https://www.postandcourier.com/staff/mike_mooneyham/mooneyham-column-pro-wrestling-great-danny-miller-filled-big-shoes/article_30abf52f-ba6f-5374-a0ae-33acb23af6d7.html |archive-date=May 20, 2023 |access-date=May 20, 2023 |website=The Post and Courier |publisher=Evening Post Industries}} He was an all-american heavyweight wrestler, a two-time Big Ten heavyweight champion, and Conference MVP in his senior year. Miller was also an All-American shot-put and discus track star. He was voted into the Ohio State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997 for both wrestling and track.

After a stint in the U.S. Navy, Miller began to wrestle professionally in Columbus under promoter Al Haft. He became a veterinarian while starting his wrestling career, hence, the "Dr." in his name. On May 1, 1952, Miller defeated Don Eagle to win the Ohio version of the AWA title, until losing it on September 2 to Don Arnold. He wrestled as "Mr. M" in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area and held the AWA title for over seven months while engaging in a feud with Verne Gagne. On August 21, 1962, Mr. M was unmasked by Gagne. Under his own name, he wrestled in the Detroit area with The Sheik (Eddie Farhat) through the 60s. Miller also donned a mask as the Crimson Knight, until November 20, 1970, when he lost to Dory Funk Jr. and was subsequently unmasked by him. Near the end of his career, he worked for the WWA with Dick the Bruiser in the Indianapolis area. He was also a frequent challenger to Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF World Championship in the mid-1960s, facing him in a one-hour bout and a 48 second squash loss.

File:Bill and Dan Miller, 1973.png

In the early 1960s, Bill teamed with both his storyline brother Big Ed Miller, and real life brother Danny Miller.{{Cite web |last=Oliver |first=Greg |date=July 10, 2005 |title=Newton HOF set to grow by six |url=http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2005/07/10/1125346.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309144833/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2005/07/10/1125346.html |archive-date=March 9, 2016 |access-date=May 20, 2023 |website=Slam! Wrestling |publisher=Canadian Online Explorer}} From August 1965 to February 1966, Bill and Danny held the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship, winning it from Gorilla Monsoon & Cowboy Bill Watts, but losing them to Johnny Valentine & Antonio Pugliese in Madison Square Garden.{{cite book|title=WWE Encyclopedia|last1=Shields|first1=Brian|last2=Sullivan|first2=Kevin|page=[https://archive.org/details/wweencyclopediad0000shie/page/31 31]|publisher=DK|year=2009|isbn=978-0-7566-4190-0|url=https://archive.org/details/wweencyclopediad0000shie/page/31}} He was also a part of a brutal feud against Ray Stevens for the San Francisco version of the United States title, leading to a death match between the two on June 21, 1969, at the Cow Palace, where guest referee Rocky Marciano knocked out Miller, disappointed in his rule breaking tactics.

After retiring from the ring in 1976, he returned to his first love of veterinarian medicine and opened a practice in Ohio, performing autopsies on animals.

Death

On March 24, 1997, Miller died of a heart attack at the age of 69, after working out at a gym while leaving the building. He was survived by his wife and six kids.

Championships and accomplishments

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{professional wrestling profiles}}

{{AWA World Heavyweight Championship}}

{{IWA World Heavyweight Championship}}

{{NWA World Tag Team Champions (Detroit version)}}

{{World Heavyweight Championship (Omaha)}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Dr Bill}}

Category:1927 births

Category:1997 deaths

Category:20th-century American male actors

Category:American male professional wrestlers

Category:American male sport wrestlers

Category:AWA World Heavyweight Champions

Category:Masked wrestlers

Category:Professional wrestlers from Ohio

Category:Stampede Wrestling alumni

Category:Ohio State Buckeyes football players

Category:Players of American football from Ohio

Category:Ohio State Buckeyes men's track and field athletes

Category:Ohio State Buckeyes wrestlers

Category:20th-century male professional wrestlers

Category:20th-century American professional wrestlers

Category:WCWA Brass Knuckles Champions

Category:IWA World Tag Team Champions (Australia)

Category:AWA United States Heavyweight Champions

Category:WWWF United States Tag Team Champions

Category:World Heavyweight Champions (Omaha)

Category:20th-century American sportsmen