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William Cruickshanks (born 24 October 1943)[1] is an Australian retired professional wrestler and author better known by his ring name Bill Dundee. Cruickshanks is the father of Jamie Dundee and was the father-in-law of wrestler Bobby Eaton.[2]
| Bill Dundee | |
|---|---|
 Dundee in 2018 | |
| Birth name | William Cruickshanks |
| Born | 24 October 1943[1] Angus, Scotland[1] |
| Children | Donna Dundee–Eaton (deceased) Jamie Dundee |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Bill Dundee[1] William Dundee[1] Sir William Dundee[1] Squire William[1] |
| Billed height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[1] |
| Billed weight | 214 lb (97 kg; 15.3 st)[1] |
| Billed from | Australia |
| Debut | 1962 |
| Retired | December 14, 2019 |
Career
editDundee was born in Angus, Scotland, and raised in Melbourne. At 16, he joined the circus as a trapeze artist.[1] He started wrestling in Australia in 1962 and finally arrived in the United States as "Superstar" Bill Dundee in 1974 with his tag team partner George Barnes.
Dundee made a name for himself in the Memphis Territory, where he regularly teamed and feuded with Jerry Lawler and Jimmy Valiant for years. Dundee and Lawler ventured to the American Wrestling Association in 1987 and captured the AWA World Tag Team Championship twice.
As a singles wrestler, he held the Southern Heavyweight Championship belt several times from 1975 to 1985. Also, he had a successful team with "Nature Boy" Buddy Landel that wreaked havoc in Tennessee.
Dundee had a brief run in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions, Central States Wrestling and Florida Championship Wrestling in 1986, where he teamed with Jimmy Garvin and feuded with Sam Houston for the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship. He also briefly managed The Barbarian and The MOD Squad while in those territories.
In 1993, Dundee signed with World Championship Wrestling as Sir William, the manager for Lord Steven Regal, he was fired in October 1994 due to a contract dispute.
Dundee worked as a booker for Memphis, Louisiana and Georgia.
He frequently appears on Jackson, Tennessee, talk radio station WNWS 101.5 with Dan Reeves and on a talk show on Public-access television cable TV channels in West Tennessee. He still promotes indy cards across Tennessee and in Southaven, Mississippi. He currently runs a podcast on Anchor named If You Don't Want the Answer, Don't Ask the Question.
On 20 July 2019, Dundee, at 75 years old, defeated Tony Deppen to win the unofficial WOMBAT Television Championship for Game Changer Wrestling in Tullahoma, Tennessee. He retired from wrestling in December 2019.
Personal life
editDundee's son also became a wrestler under the name Jamie Dundee. On the 7 September 2023 episode of the YouTube series Story Time with Dutch Mantell, Jamie revealed that his father is suffering from late-stage dementia.[3]
Books
edit- If You Don't Want The Answer, Don't Ask The Question: Bill Dundee's Life Story
Championships and accomplishments
edit- American Wrestling Federation
- AWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[4]
- Central States Wrestling
- Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2017[6]
- Mid-South Wrestling Association
- NWA Mid-America / Continental Wrestling Association / Championship Wrestling Association
- AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (9 times)[8]
- AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (14 times) – with Norvell Austin (1), Robert Gibson (1), Jerry Lawler (4), Robert Fuller (1), Tommy Rich (2), Dream Machine (2), Steve Keirn (2) and Dutch Mantel (1)[9][10]
- AWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Jerry Lawler[11]1
- CWA International Heavyweight Championship (4 times)[12]
- CWA International Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rocky Johnson[13]
- CWA Southwestern Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[14][15]
- CWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[16]
- CWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Tommy Rich
- NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[17]
- NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ricky Gibson[18]
- NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Memphis version) (1 time)[8]
- NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version) (3 times) – with Big Bad John (2) and Tommy Rich (1)[9]
- NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[19]
- Ohio Valley Wrestling
- Power Pro Wrestling
- PPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jerry Lawler[21]
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked No. 56 of the 100 top tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Jerry Lawler in 2003
- Pro Wrestling This Week
- Wrestler of the Week (21–27 June 1987)[22]
- Southeastern Championship Wrestling
- Supreme Wrestling
- Supreme Mid-America Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rob Royale
- United States Wrestling Association
- USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[25]
- USWA Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[26]
- USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (3 times)[25]
- USWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (3 times)[27][28][29]
- USWA World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Jerry Lawler (2) and Jamie Dundee (1)[30]
- WOMBAT Wrestling
- WOMBAT Television Championship (1 time, current)
- World Class Wrestling Association
1Dundee's and Lawler's reigns with the AWA World Tag Team Championship began on cards hosted by the CWA through the interpromotional relationship between the AWA and CWA that also allowed the defense of the AWA Southern Heavyweight and Southern Tag Team Championships primarily within the CWA.
2The CWA Southwestern Heavyweight Championship was promoted in both the CWA and WCWA while the promotions had a working relationship in 1989 and 1990.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Bill Dundee profile". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on 29 November 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
- ^ "An Exclusive Interview with Bobby Eaton". DDT Digest. May 1999. Archived from the original on 7 April 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2007.
- ^ "Jamie Dundee on Gives Sad Bill Dundee Health Update". YouTube. 7 October 2023.
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ NWA Central States Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ "Next Official Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony". Official Memphis Wrestling. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
- ^ Mid-South Television Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ a b NWA/AWA Southern Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ a b Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2006) [2000.]. "(Memphis, Nashville) Tennessee: Southern Tag Team Title [Roy Welsch & Nick Gulas, Jerry Jarrett from 1977]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Waterloo, Ontario: Archeus Communications. pp. 185–189. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ "Southern Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ AWA World Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ CWA International Heavyweight Title (Memphis) history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ CWA International Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ a b Will, Gary; Duncan, Royal (2000). "Texas: CWA Southwestern Heavyweight title [Jarrett]". Wrestling Title Histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. p. 272. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ a b "CWA Southwestern Title". ProWrestlingHistory.com. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ^ CWA World Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ NWA Mid-America Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Title (Mid-America) history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ OVW Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ Hoops, Brian (17 April 2020). "Daily pro wrestling (04/17): WCW Spring Stampede 1994". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
- ^ Pedicino, Joe; Solie, Gordon (hosts) (27 June 1987). "Pro Wrestling This Week". Superstars of Wrestling. Atlanta, Georgia. Syndicated. WATL.
- ^ NWA Southeastern Tag Team Title (Northern Division) history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Title (Southeastern/Continental) history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ a b USWA Southern Heavyweight/Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ USWA Junior Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ Will, Gary; Duncan, Royal (2000). "Texas: NWA Texas Heavyweight Title [Von Erich]". Wrestling Title Histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. pp. 268–269. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ "NWA Texas Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ Texas Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ USWA World Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
External links
edit- Memphis Wrestling history
- Bill Dundee's profile at Cagematch.net
