The old school territorial wrestling of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s produced a number of iconic talents who were big deals in their time, but whose name recognition is sadly lacking nowadays. While fans obviously know names like Ric Flair and Andre the Giant, there are also others like Wahoo McDaniel, a football player turned big pro wrestling star.
A popular performer in the National Wrestling Alliance, Wahoo McDaniel wrestled all over the place during his time, including the promotion that would later become WCW. Let’s take a look at Wahoo’s career, from his major rivalries in wrestling to his time in pro football.
10 Actually Native American
In the history of pro wrestling, it’s not uncommon for wrestlers portraying identity-based gimmicks to not actually be part of the ethnicity or identity they’re representing. Fans of WWE trivia certainly remember Akeem the African Dream, and when it comes to Native Americans there’s WWE legend Chief Jay Strongbow, who was actually Italian-American, and his tag team partner Billy White Wolf, who was in reality Iraqi. However, by contrast, Wahoo McDaniel was actually Native American, his heritage being from the Choctaw-Chickasaw tribe.
9 Started Out As A Football Player
Wahoo McDaniel can be counted as one of the many professional football players who ended up making a successful transition to pro wrestling. Playing for the University of Oklahoma Sooners, McDaniel went pro and played for the American Football League’s Houston Oilers and later the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, and the Miami Dolphins. He wasn’t a football also-ran either — rather, he ended up being a recognizable name in the sport, and even won the very first AFL championship game in 1960, when the Oilers beat the LA Chargers.
8 Had A Rivalry With Superstar Billy Graham
In the squared circle, Wahoo McDaniel put on countless matches all over America and internationally. Early on his his pro wrestling career, McDaniel found himself wrestling for the American Wrestling Association, where he entered a feud with future WWE Champion Superstar Billy Graham in the early to mid 1970s.
The Graham/McDaniel feud was not only intense, but proved to be a huge draw for fans, and ended up being one of the company’s big feuds of the decade as they __fought how
7 Renowned For His Toughness
A linebacker in the NFL, Wahoo McDaniel displayed a serious toughness on the field, so much that some legends of the sport remarked that he was one of the hardest hitters in the league. He brought that toughness to the wrestling ring as well, gaining a notoriety for his toughness in that sport, too. In particular, McDaniel had one of the stiffest chops in the game, with Sgt. Slaughter reportedly getting chopped so hard on one occasion that he needed to get stitches afterward.
6 Was Also Into Golf
Outside of the ring, however, Wahoo McDaniel resorted to another sport for recreation: golf. McDaniel was known to play with some seriously notable names, too, including professional golfer Lee Trevino and baseball player Mickey Mantle. But even his recreation apparently needed to have stakes — McDaniel was also known for gambling, and often wagered money when playing. There are tales of Wahoo wagering a lot of money against not only Trevino, but also legendary 1970s__ daredevil Evel Knievel. LINK:
5 Competed In Football & Wrestling At The Same Time
While he was playing pro football in the 1960s, the pay wasn’t anywhere near what it is today. As a result, Wahoo McDaniel elected to venture into pro wrestling to make extra money, and received training from Dory Funk Sr., making his debut in 196__. However, McDaniel was able to work double duty, and moved from territory to territory depending on what team he played for. For example, while on the New York Jets he worked for WWE (back then known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation), and in the Miami Dolphins he worked for Championship Wrestling From Florida.
4 “I Broke Wahoo’s Leg”
Wahoo McDaniel left football to focus on pro wrestling in 1969, and in 1974 moved from the Texas territory__ to Jim Crockett Promotions, which would later become WCW in the late 1980s. There, he continued his rivalry from Texas with Johnny Valentine, putting on intense matches for the Mid-Atlantic Championship__. In 1977, Valentine’s son Greg entered the fray, resulting in an iconic moment for the younger Valentine.
In one encounter for the title, Greg Valentine not only won the belt, but also broke McDaniel’s leg in the bout. In the following weeks, Valentine ended up donning one of the most iconic T-shirts in wrestling history, which simply read “I broke Wahoo’s leg.”
3 The “Table Leg” Match
In the 1970s, Wahoo McDaniel also had a big rivalry going on with fellow legendary chopper Ric Flair for the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title, a feud that also resulted in an infamous moment. In one match, action spilled out to ringside, where Flair not only smashed a wooden table over McDaniel, but also swung a table leg at him. Unbeknownst to Flair, however, the table leg had a nail in it, and the Nature Boy ended up slashing Wahoo in the eye area, requiring a reported 40 stitches.
2 The Origin Of “Wahoo”
Fans may be wondering just what the story is behind “Wahoo.” Born Ed McDaniel, the legendary wrestler actually got his name from his father, who was an avid fisherman and was nicknamed “Big Wahoo,” after the wahoo fish. The younger McDaniel took the name as his own, using it as not only his ring name but also his first name in football. Notably, McDaniel had the nickname “Wahoo” on the back of his jersey, which is a rarity in pro sports.
1 Decorated NWA & WCW Champion
When he wasn’t wrestling in the AWA, Wahoo McDaniel was a staple of the National Wrestling Alliance, and wrestled all over the NWA territories. In addition to being a six-time Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion for Jim Crockett Promotions, he also captured some of the big NWA Titles. In particular, he was a four-time NWA World Tag Team Champion as well as a five-time NWA United States Heavyweight Champion, with the US belt’s lineage carrying on to WCW and later WWE.