Athletes - Del Wilkes

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	Athletes - Del Wilkes

Del Wilkes (born December 21, 1961 in Columbia, South Carolina) was a masked professional wrestler best known as The Patriot.

Career

Del Wilkes started wrestling in 1988 in the American Wrestling Association as The Trooper. He formed a tag team with D.J. Peterson and they won the World Tag Team Titles in a feud with Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom. Wilkes went to the Global Wrestling Federation as The Patriot after the AWA folded in 1991 and quickly became the top face there by winning both the North American Title and the Television Title. He feuded with Al Perez, Eddie Gilbert and The Dark Patriot while there. In early 1993, Wilkes went to wrestle in All Japan Pro Wrestling after the GWF folded and he had success with Jackie Fulton who wrestled as "The Eagle" to Wilkes' Patriot gimmick.

In 1994, Wilkes went to World Championship Wrestling to form a team with Marcus Bagwell called Stars N Stripes. They feuded with Paul Orndorff and Paul Roma and won the World Tag Team Titles twice. In 1997, Wilkes wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation and feuded with Bret Hart. The premise of this feud was that Hart had just started his anti-American Hart Foundation, and the Patriot was, as the name implied, a man who stood up for America. He defeated Hart on television in a non-title match on July 28, 1997, but never won the WWF Title from Hart when it was on the line.

After leaving the WWF, Wilkes wrestled in the independent circuit until 2002, when he sold his Patriot gimmick to Tom Brandi and retired. Since his retirement, Wilkes admitted that he had used steroids and cocaine during his career starting with his college football days. He spent 9 months in prison in 2002 for forging a prescription due to his addiction to pain killers. He is now cleaned up and off drugs.

In wrestling

Finishing and signature moves

Patriot Missile (Top Rope Shoulderblock)
Uncle Slam (Full Nelson Slam)

Championships/Accomplishments

World Championship Wrestling

:*2-Time WCW World Tag Team Champion (with Marcus Bagwell)

American Wrestling Association

:*1-Time AWA World Tag Team Champion (with D.J. Peterson)

Global Wrestling Federation

:*2-Time GWF North American Heavyweight Champion :*1-Time GWF Television Champion

All Japan Pro Wrestling

:*1-Time AJPW All-Asia Tag Team Champion (with The Eagle)

Other Titles

:*1-Time NCW Heavyweight Champion :*1-Time EWA Heavyweight Champion

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) ranked him # 208 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
Wilkes also won the PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler Award in 1991.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Del Wilkes ]

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