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Tex McKenzie

{{Short description|American wrestler (1930–2001)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}

{{Infobox professional wrestler

|name = Tex McKenzie

|image =Tex McKenzie 1982.png

|alt =

|caption =

|birth_name = Frank Hugh McKenzie{{Cite book |last=Johnson |first=Steven |title=The Pro Wrestling Hall Of Fame: Heroes and Icons |last2=Oliver |first2=Greg |last3=Mooneyham |first3=Mike |publisher=ECW Press |year=2012 |isbn=9781770902695 |language=en}}

|names = Tex McKenzie{{cite web |last=Mooneyham |first=Mike |date=June 16, 2001 |title=Tex McKenzie Dead At 73 |url=http://www.mikemooneyham.com/2001/06/16/tex-mckenzie-dead-at-73/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712121505/https://mikemooneyham.com/2001/06/16/tex-mckenzie-dead-at-73/ |archive-date=July 12, 2011 |accessdate=April 16, 2019 |publisher=The Wrestling Gospel}}
Goliath
Dakota Mack

|height = 6 ft 9 in{{Cite web |title=Tex McKenzie bio |url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/bios/t/tex-mckenzie/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911163915/http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/bios/t/tex-mckenzie/ |archive-date=September 11, 2012 |access-date=June 18, 2023 |publisher=Online World of Wrestling}}

|weight = 280 lb

|birth_date = {{birth date|1930|7|21}}

|birth_place = Edmonds, Washington, United States

|death_date = {{Death date and age|2001|5|31|1930|7|21}}

|death_place = Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

|billed =

|trainer = Jack Pfeffer

|debut = 1950

|retired = 1977

}}

Frank Hugh McKenzie (July 21, 1930 – May 31, 2001) was an American professional wrestler. During his career, he appeared in the American Wrestling Association, IWA Australia, National Wrestling Federation and Maple Leaf Wrestling.

Professional wrestling career

=Early career=

McKenzie wrestled in Texas during the early 50s under the name Goliath. In 1954, he went to Canada to wrestle for Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling in Calgary. He formed a tag team with Ilio DiPaolo and won the NWA Calgary Tag Team Championship by defeating Al and Tiny Mills in early November.{{Cite web |title=Canadian Tag Team Title (Alberta & Saskatchewan) |url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/ab/stampede/ab-can-t.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424114917/https://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/ab/stampede/ab-can-t.html |archive-date=April 24, 2023 |access-date=June 18, 2023 |website= |publisher=Wrestling Titles}}{{Cite book |last=Lentz III |first=Harris M. |url=https://archive.org/details/biographicaldict0000lent/page/229/mode/2up |title=Biographical Dictionary of Professional Wrestling |publisher=McFarland |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-7864-1754-4 |edition=2nd |page=229 |language=en}} McKenzie also held the NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship in June with Whipper Billy Watson.

=American Wrestling Association (1958, 1961–1965, 1970)=

McKenzie started wrestling for the American Wrestling Association in Minnesota in 1958, competing there for many years. In 1961, he feuded with Bob Geigel and Bill Miller. On October 10, 1970, McKenzie defeated Tarzan Tyler for the AWA Midwest Heavyweight Championship in Omaha, Nebraska, before dropping the title a month later to Ole Anderson and leaving the company.{{Cite web |title=Midwest Heavyweight Title (Nebraska) |url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ne/awa/awa-mw-h.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202082053/https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ne/awa/awa-mw-h.html |archive-date=December 2, 2022 |access-date=June 18, 2023 |website= |publisher=Wrestling Titles}}

= IWA Australia (1964–1969) =

File:Tex McKenzie, Haystacks Calhoun and Mario Milano - 1971 - Wrestling News n.24.jpg and Mario Milano, {{Circa|1971}}]]

In 1964, he went to Australia to wrestle for IWA Australia, feuding with Killer Kowalski. On June 6, 1967, McKenzie defeated Kowalski for the IWA World Heavyweight Championship.{{Cite web |title=IWA World Heavyweight Title (Australia) |url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/australia/wcw/au-iwa-h.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230611234716/https://www.wrestling-titles.com/australia/wcw/au-iwa-h.html |archive-date=June 11, 2023 |access-date=June 19, 2023 |website= |publisher=Wrestling Titles}} He dropped the title to Skull Murphy in August. A year later, he regained the title by defeating Toru Tanaka on November 13, 1968, before once again dropping the title to Murphy and leaving Australia in 1969.

=Various promotions=

From 1965 to 1967, he wrestled for Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, forming a tag team with Nelson Royal in the late 60s.{{Cite web |last=Mooneyham |first=Mike |date=February 10, 2002 |title=Nellie Royal Leaves Behind Golden Memories |url=https://mikemooneyham.com/2002/02/10/nellie-royal-leaves-behind-golden-memories/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002090839/https://mikemooneyham.com/2002/02/10/nellie-royal-leaves-behind-golden-memories/ |archive-date=October 2, 2015 |access-date=June 18, 2023 |publisher=The Wrestling Gospel}} McKenzie would wrestle in Toronto for Maple Leaf Wrestling from 1970 to 1975. He teamed with various partners against the Love Brothers and the Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Don Kent). In 1974, he and Red Bastien held the NWA Texas Tag Team Championship. McKenzie also did commentary for the International Wrestling Association during this time before retiring from wrestling in 1977.

Death

On May 31, 2001, McKenzie died at a hospital in Victoria, British Columbia, at the age of 70, from complications of an abdominal aortic aneurysm he suffered while on a boat.

Championships and accomplishments

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • {{professional wrestling profiles}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McKenzie, Tex}}

Category:1930 births

Category:2001 deaths

Category:20th-century male professional wrestlers

Category:20th-century American professional wrestlers

Category:American male professional wrestlers

Category:People from Edmonds, Washington

Category:Professional wrestlers from Washington (state)

Category:NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Champions

Category:IWA World Heavyweight Champions (Australia)