Dick Slater

Dick Slater
Data
Ring name	Dirty Dick Slater "The Rebel" Dick Slater Mr. Florida
height	1.85 m
Fighting weight	106 kg
birth	May 19, 1951 Tampa , Florida
death	October 18, 2018
Trained by	Hiro Matsuda Eddie Graham Jack Brisco Bob Roop Bill Watts
debut	1969
retirement	1996

Richard Van Slater (born May 19, 1951 in Tampa , Florida - † October 18, 2018 ), better known by his ring name Dick Slater , was an American wrestler . His active wrestling career took place between 1972 and 1996. He competed for various promotions , including Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).

Life

Beginnings

Slater began wrestling in 1968 at Robinson High School in Tampa, Florida with Mike Graham . His father Eddie Graham , a former wrestler in the National Wrestling Alliance and later promoter for Championship Wrestling from Florida ( reactivated in 2007 under the name Florida Championship Wrestling ), worked as a wrestling coach and also provided a ring to the high school. Slater was in the Amateur Athletic Union and later attended the University of Tampa , where he was also active as an American football player in addition to wrestling . He even got the chance to play with the Miami Dolphins , but turned it down for personal reasons.

Mike Graham persuaded him to become a wrestler. At the Florida sports arena he trained with Jack Brisco, Bob Roop, Hiro Matsuda and Bill Watts, among others. Slater began his active wrestling career with Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF). He stayed there for three years and was allowed to become NWA Florida Tag Team Champion several times together with various wrestlers such as Dusty Rhodes , Stan Vachon, Toru Tanaka and Johnny Weaver, as well as NWA Florida Television Champion .

Georgia Championship Wrestling (1972-1983)

After leaving the CWF, he worked for various promotions in California. Among other things, he played fights against Pat Patterson and Ray Stevens. Further stops were Las Vegas and Reno in Nevada . He then stayed with Georgia Championship Wrestling for eight years . There he won the NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship four times and, together with Bob Orton, Jr., the two promotional tag team belts. He also competed in Missouri and Florida. Slater later stated that he was also a candidate for the NWA World Heavyweight title in conversation, but the promoters denied him a win of the title.

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (1983–1985)

In 1983 Slater went to Knoxville, Tennessee and initially worked for the promotion of Ron Fuller until Jim Barnett persuaded him to appear on a television show on one of Ted Turner's broadcasting slots. At the same time Jim Crockett bought Barnett's shares and Slater began working for Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling . Booker at that time was Dusty Rhodes, who Slater with Bob Orton, Jr. one tag team was formed that a feud with Ric Flair had. The mastermind in the storyline was Harley Race , the reigning NWA World Heavyweight Champion . In addition to numerous title wins, Slater was also allowed to wear his own title and declare himself as a "true" heavyweight champion against Ric Flair.

Mid-South Championship Wrestling (1985–1986)

In 1985 Slater left Mid-Atlantic for the Bill Watts promotion Mid-South Wrestling . In Mid-South, Slater had an African-American ring companion, Linda Newton (as Dark Journey) , something that was not common at the time and was accordingly controversial. The reactions to it were so violent that Slater was even reported and he could no longer visit certain places. In Mid-South Slater fought mostly against Jake Roberts and won the Mid-South North American Championship , the Mid-South Television Championship and the UWF World Television Championship .

World Wrestling Federation (1986–1987)

In 1986 Slater began to compete for the World Wrestling Federation as Face . He took on the gimmick of a southern rebel. He fought there against Jake Roberts and Mike Sharpe (at The Big Event ). He also lost to Don Muraco in Saturday Night's main event . He lost the latter match after just two minutes. The WWE then wanted to use him as a jobber , but Slater went back to Florida.

World Championship Wrestling (1987-1996)

After a few appearances in the AWA as "bodyguard" of the reigning champion Curt Hennig , Slater returned to Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. However, he was soon fired for pulling a paper bag over Ric Flair's head. At World Championship Wrestling (WCW) he replaced the injured Terry Funk in a tag team match with The Great Muta at Clash of Champions VIII . The two lost to Ric Flair and Sting . Slater won the WCW United States Tag Team Champion belt together with the Barbarian ( Sione Vailahi ) . They were allowed to defeat The Fabulous Freebirds ( Jimmy Garvin and Michael Hayes ). However, the title was deactivated a month later. Slater replaced Terry Funk in the Stud Stable. The stable had a feud against Harlem Heat . With Jimmy Golden he won the WCW World Tag Team belt at WCW Saturday Night on July 22, 1995. In Fall Brawl 1995 , Harlem Heat received the title again. In 1996, on a television show recorded in Gainesville , Georgia , he injured two vertebrae . The injury ended his wrestling career.

Private life

Slater was an ex-boyfriend of Luna Vachon . He was also married to Nancy Turner for 24 years and had three children with her. He was married to Monica Walters until his death.

In June 2004, Slater was charged with allegedly stabbing his ex-girlfriend with a butcher knife on December 27, 2003. In his defense, he said he had taken a variety of pain medication the day before the incident . On June 10, 2004, he was sentenced to one year house arrest and two years probation . He also had to stay away from his ex-girlfriend and pay her $ 18,000 in damages.

title

• Championship Wrestling from Florida
  • 1 × NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Florida version)
  • 1 × NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship
  • 4 × NWA Florida Tag Team Championship with Dusty Rhodes (1 ×), Stan Vachon (1 ×), Toru Tanaka (1 ×) and Johnny Weaver (1 ×)
  • 2 × NWA Florida Television Championship
  • 4 × NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Florida version)
  • 1 × NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Florida version) with killer Karl Kox
• Georgia Championship Wrestling
  • 4 × NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship
  • 1 × NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship with Bob Orton, Jr.
  • 1 × NWA Macon Tag Team Championship with Bob Orton, Jr.
• International Wrestling Association of Japan
  • 1 × IWA World Heavyweight Championship
• Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling / World Championship Wrestling
  • 1 × NWA United States Heavyweight Championship
  • 1 × NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship
  • 2 × NWA Television Championship
  • 1 × NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) with Dusty Rhodes
  • 1 × WCW United States Tag Team Championship with The Barbarian
  • 1 × WCW World Tag Team Championship (1 ×) with Bunkhouse Buck (Jimmy Golden)
• Mid-South Wrestling Association / Universal Wrestling Federation
  • 2 × Mid-South North American Championship
  • 1 × Mid-South Television Championship
  • 1 × UWF World Television Championship
• Southeastern Championship Wrestling
  • 3 × NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Northern Division)
  • 2 × NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship with Jerry Blackwell (1 ×) and Paul Orndorff (1 ×)
• Southwest Championship Wrestling
  • 2 × SCW Southwest Heavyweight Championship
  • 1 × SCW Southwest Tag Team Championship with Bob Sweetan
  • 1 × SCW World Tag Team Championship with Bruiser Brody (Frank Goodish)
• St. Louis Wrestling Club
  • 1 × NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship
• United States Wrestling Association
  • 1 × USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards
  • Worst Tag Team (1995) with Bunkhouse Buck

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} Dick Slater . Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} Dick Slater . Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
3. ↑ Wrestler: Mr. Florida (1973) ( Memento November 21, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
4. ↑ ^{a b c d} Biography for Dick Slater . Internet Movie Database. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
5. ↑ ^{a b c} Slater sentenced in girlfriend's stabbing . Slam! Wrestling. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
6. ↑ Dick Slater . Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
7. ↑ ^{a b} Interview with Dick Slater . Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
8. ↑ The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection , World Wrestling Entertainment, 2006
9. ↑ Ric Flair: Now and Always 'The Man' . World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 12, 2008. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
10. ↑ Dick Slater . Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
11. ↑ ^{a b} Dick Slater . Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
12. ↑ ^{a b} Dick Slater . Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
13. ↑ prowrestlinghistory.com: Clash of Champions Results (VIII) . September 12, 1989. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
14. ^ Stud Stable . Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved September 8, 2009.
15. ↑ PWI Staff: Pro Wrestling Illustrated presents: 2007 Wrestling almanac & book of facts . In: "Wrestling's historical cards" , Kappa Publishing, p. 142. 
16. ↑ Slater discusses attempted murder charge . Slam! Wrestling. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
17. ^ NWA Florida Brass Knuckles Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
18. ↑ Florida Heavyweight Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
19. ↑ Florida Tag Team Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
20. ^ NWA Florida Television Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
21. ^ NWA Southern Heavyweight Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
22. ^ NWA United States Tag Team Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
23. ^ NWA Wildside Heavyweight Title NWA Georgia . NWA Wildside. Archived from the original on September 26, 2008. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved September 15, 2008. 
24. ^ NWA Georgia Tag Team Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
25. ↑ Macon Tag Team Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
26. ↑ International Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
27. ↑ NWA / WCW United States Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
28. ^ NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
29. ^ NWA Television Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Archived from the original on April 12, 2008. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved September 15, 2008. 
30. ↑ NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
31. ↑ United States Tag Team Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
32. ↑ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
33. ^ North American Heavyweight Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
34. ^ Mid-South Television Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
35. ↑ Universal Wrestling Federation World Television Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
36. ^ NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Title Southeastern / Continental . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
37. ^ NWA Southeastern Tag Team Title [Southeastern / Continental ] . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
38. ^ SCW Southwest Television Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
39. ^ SCW Southwest Tag Team Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
40. ^ Southwest Championship Wrestling World Tag Team Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
41. ^ NWA Missouri Heavyweight Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
42. ↑ United States Wrestling Association Southern Heavyweight Title . Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved September 15, 2008.

Web links

• CWF Archives ( Memento from November 21, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
• Dick Slater in the Internet Movie Database (English)