Post by Booker Thee on Jan 19, 2005 12:06:36 GMT -5
pwinsider.com
Peter Whatley, professionally known as “Pistol” Pez Whatley, passed away yesterday at the age of 54 in his hometown Chatanooga, TN while hospitalized. Whatley had been in poor health in recent years, and was believed to have been waiting for a heart transplant. He had suffered a heart attack in January 2003 and also some kidney probles that led to a long hospitalization, but was said to have improved greatly over the last year.
A native of Chattanooga, Whatley competed as an amateur wrestler for Notre Dame High School in his hometown and later for UTC in Chattanooga, TN. He broke in working Tennessee independents in the early 1970s for Phil Golden (uncle of Jimmy “Bunkhouse Buck” Golden), Nick Gulas, and Angelo Poffo. He teamed with the late Ray Candy as Mid-American Tag Team champions for the IWA promotion. While working for Poffo, Whatley and Rip Rogers held the old ICW United States Tag Team championships in 1982.
”Pistol” Pez (with the name believed to have come from his legitimate in-ring skills) did what every other wrestler of that timeframe did and traveled from territory to territory. He popped up in different areas, having runs in Toronto, Kentucky, Florida, and the Mid-Atlantic regions. During a run in Florida Championship Wrestling, he held the NWA Southern championship, later dropping the belt to Rick Rude.
Whatley’s heel turn against Jimmy Valiant for Jim Crockett Promotions in the mid-1980s will likely go down as the angle that he will be most identified with. During an interview, Valiant called Whatley one of the best "black wrestlers." Whatley questioned the comment and attacked him, cutting Valiant’s hair. "Shaska" Whatley was born, with their feud going on for several months. A blowoff hair vs. hair match was held at the 1986 Great American Bash.
Whatley worked as part of the Jive Tones tag team with Tiger Conway Jr. in the late 1980s for Bill Watts’ UWF. When that promotion was bought and absorbed by Jim Crockett Promotions, the team moved there, working undercard bouts. I can remember seeing the Tones have several really entertaining bouts against The Lightning Express, Brad Armstrong and Tim Horner in 1988.
Whatley’s biggest singles babyface push came under the name "Willie B. Hurt" in the old Continental territory where he feuded with Eddie Gilbert and manager Paul E. Dangerously in 1989. Gilbert’s brief run as booker had turned the company around for a few months when it appeared to be on its last legs. They ran an angle that was years ahead of its time on TV, where Gilbert and Dangerously beat up Whatley’s then-teenage son. The angle got a lot of play in the national wrestling magazines at the time and made him one of the territory's biggest babyfaces.
Whatley continued to work independents in the 1990s and did a lot of enhancement matches for both WWF and WCW. He did a few shots for the UWFi in Japan as well. Whatley later worked for World Championship Wrestling’s Power Plant, helping to train a number of performers and overseeing the ring crew for house shows.
Whatley's last national exposure came when he was a part of some squash matches taped in empty arenas for Nitro during the era when the NWO would "control" part of the program.
Whatley was always well liked within the business. When former AWF promoter Gordon Scozzari ran a few shows during that promotion’s run in 1991, he always credited Whatley with being one of the only people who legitimately tried to help him out and run a smooth ship. When commenting on his passing on the Mid-Southern Wrestling message board, TNA announcer Scott Hudson noted, "A nicer man you will not find."
Peter Whatley, professionally known as “Pistol” Pez Whatley, passed away yesterday at the age of 54 in his hometown Chatanooga, TN while hospitalized. Whatley had been in poor health in recent years, and was believed to have been waiting for a heart transplant. He had suffered a heart attack in January 2003 and also some kidney probles that led to a long hospitalization, but was said to have improved greatly over the last year.
A native of Chattanooga, Whatley competed as an amateur wrestler for Notre Dame High School in his hometown and later for UTC in Chattanooga, TN. He broke in working Tennessee independents in the early 1970s for Phil Golden (uncle of Jimmy “Bunkhouse Buck” Golden), Nick Gulas, and Angelo Poffo. He teamed with the late Ray Candy as Mid-American Tag Team champions for the IWA promotion. While working for Poffo, Whatley and Rip Rogers held the old ICW United States Tag Team championships in 1982.
”Pistol” Pez (with the name believed to have come from his legitimate in-ring skills) did what every other wrestler of that timeframe did and traveled from territory to territory. He popped up in different areas, having runs in Toronto, Kentucky, Florida, and the Mid-Atlantic regions. During a run in Florida Championship Wrestling, he held the NWA Southern championship, later dropping the belt to Rick Rude.
Whatley’s heel turn against Jimmy Valiant for Jim Crockett Promotions in the mid-1980s will likely go down as the angle that he will be most identified with. During an interview, Valiant called Whatley one of the best "black wrestlers." Whatley questioned the comment and attacked him, cutting Valiant’s hair. "Shaska" Whatley was born, with their feud going on for several months. A blowoff hair vs. hair match was held at the 1986 Great American Bash.
Whatley worked as part of the Jive Tones tag team with Tiger Conway Jr. in the late 1980s for Bill Watts’ UWF. When that promotion was bought and absorbed by Jim Crockett Promotions, the team moved there, working undercard bouts. I can remember seeing the Tones have several really entertaining bouts against The Lightning Express, Brad Armstrong and Tim Horner in 1988.
Whatley’s biggest singles babyface push came under the name "Willie B. Hurt" in the old Continental territory where he feuded with Eddie Gilbert and manager Paul E. Dangerously in 1989. Gilbert’s brief run as booker had turned the company around for a few months when it appeared to be on its last legs. They ran an angle that was years ahead of its time on TV, where Gilbert and Dangerously beat up Whatley’s then-teenage son. The angle got a lot of play in the national wrestling magazines at the time and made him one of the territory's biggest babyfaces.
Whatley continued to work independents in the 1990s and did a lot of enhancement matches for both WWF and WCW. He did a few shots for the UWFi in Japan as well. Whatley later worked for World Championship Wrestling’s Power Plant, helping to train a number of performers and overseeing the ring crew for house shows.
Whatley's last national exposure came when he was a part of some squash matches taped in empty arenas for Nitro during the era when the NWO would "control" part of the program.
Whatley was always well liked within the business. When former AWF promoter Gordon Scozzari ran a few shows during that promotion’s run in 1991, he always credited Whatley with being one of the only people who legitimately tried to help him out and run a smooth ship. When commenting on his passing on the Mid-Southern Wrestling message board, TNA announcer Scott Hudson noted, "A nicer man you will not find."