Tom Zenk

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Tom Zenk
Data
Ring name Tom Zenk
Z-Man
height 185 cm
Fighting weight 109 kg
birth November 30, 1958
Robbinsdale , Minnesota
death 9 December 2017
Robbinsdale
Announced from Robbinsdale, Minnesota
Trained by Eddie Sharkey
Brad Rheingans
debut 1984
retirement 1996

Thomas Erwin "Tom" Zenk (born November 30, 1958 in Robbinsdale , Minnesota ; † December 9, 2017 ibid) was an American pro wrestler who was also known by the name suffix The Z-Man . He also became Mr. Minnesota in bodybuilding .

Career

Early years

Tom Zenk started at AWA in 1984 , then moved to NWA . At the request of Rick Martel , Zenk moved to Montreal to compete for the International Wrestling Association (IWA). Zenk and Martel formed the tag team The Can-Am Connection , which later also appeared in the WWF .

Between 1987 and 1994, Zenk made nine tours of Japan , competing for both AJPW and NJPW .

World Wrestling Federation

Zenk and Martel joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1986 as a Can-Am Connection . At WrestleMania III on March 29, 1987 , they defeated the tag team of Don Muraco and Bob Orton, Jr. This victory should give them a push as a possible challenger to the Hart Foundation for the World Tag Team Championship . With Zenk leaving the league, presumably because of failed contract negotiations, this storyline ended .

Jim Crockett Promotions / World Championship Wrestling

In early 1989 Zenk was back in the American Wrestling Association , where he took part in a Battle Royal for the vacant AWA World Heavyweight Title . There he was eliminated by Larry Zbyszko , who thus secured the title. After a few title fights for the Awa title, Zenk went to Jim Crockett Promotions (later renamed World Championship Wrestling ) in 1989 . Zenk made his debut there as The Z-Man on the first Halloween Havoc . With Brian Pillman he formed a tag team that could win the United States Tag Team Championship . During this time they led feuds against The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane) and Fabulous Freebirds .

During this time, Zenk pulled a muscle tear while lifting weights, which meant that he had to take several months off. When he returned, he looked slimmer and began a feud against Arn Anderson for the World Television Championship , which he was allowed to win. When the promotion changed its name to World Championship Wrestling in 1991 , Zenk became the last NWA World Television Champion and also the first WCW World Television Champion. On January 7, 1991 he had to give up the title to Anderson.

Later that year, he and Dustin Rhodes and Big Josh vied against the York Foundation and the Fabulous Freebirds for the World Six-Man Tag Team Championship . Zenk, Rhodes and Josh were allowed to win the title in August from the Freebirds, but had to lose them to the York Foundation (which were the last titleholders) in October. Zenk left the WCW in 1994 and ended his career in 1996.

Private

Zenk went to high school with Nikita Koloff , Brady Boone , Curt Hennig , Rick Rude , John Nord , and Barry Darsow , who also later became wrestlers.

Titles and awards

  • Lutte Internationale

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g Tom Zenk on Cagematch . Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  2. ↑ Tom Zenk on a broken neck . Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  3. ↑ Wrestling: Former WWE wrestler Tom Zenk died , accessed December 18, 2017
  4. ↑ Tom Zenk as a bodybuilder on his homepage . Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  5. ↑ Zenk's Tag Teams on Cagematch . Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  6. ↑ Zenk's league list on a broken neck . Retrieved May 20, 2013.
personal data
SURNAME Zenk, Tom
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Zenk, Thomas Erwin (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American wrestler
DATE OF BIRTH November 30, 1958
PLACE OF BIRTH Robbinsdale , Minnesota , United States
DATE OF DEATH December 9, 2017
Place of death Robbinsdale , Minnesota , United States