Athletes - Don Muraco

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	Athletes - Don Muraco

Don Muraco, also The Magnificent Muraco, later known as "The Rock", was a Hawaiian professional wrestler in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

Career

Born on September 10, 1949, Muraco wrestled in the old AWA, and several National Wrestling Alliance territories (including Vancouver-based NWA All-Star Wrestling, Georgia Championship Wrestling and Jim Crockett Promotions). His greatest success was in the early 80's in the WWE where he held the Intercontinental Championship twice for a combined period of almost 18 months. The hugely muscular and genuinely intimidating Don Muraco had bloody feuds with Pedro Morales, Bob Backlund, Rocky Johnson, Jimmy Snuka and Tito Santana. Muraco's character was based on being an incredibly arrogant heel, and in one of his more famous moments, he brought a sandwich to the ring and ate it during the match as a show of disrespect to his opponent. During his tenure in the WWE, Muraco had several colorful managers (The Grand Wizard, Captain Lou Albano, Mr. Fuji, and Superstar Billy Graham). Fuji and Muraco famously debuted Fuji Vice, a soap opera starring them (and parodying Miami Vice) on Tuesday Night Titans in 1985. It is rumored that Muraco was fired from the then-WWF in late 1988 after supposedly "disrespecting" booker Nick Bockwinkel; after that, Muraco split his time between Stampede Wrestling (where he defeated Makhan Singh to win the North American Heavyweight title) and the AWA.

In the early 90's Muraco was the first to hold the ECW World Heavyweight Championship, before it became Extreme Championship Wrestling.

Although Muraco wrestled mostly as a heel, his intensity, charisma and cockiness won him many fans, especially in New York and Philadelphia. Along with Jake The Snake Roberts, Roddy Piper, and Randy Savage, Muraco was a precursor to the 90's attitude era when lines were blurred between heels and babyface. He was the first wrestler to be known as "the Rock", originally simply as a play on his name, and his finishing maneuvre, which The Undertaker would later call the "tombstone", was the infamous reverse piledriver.

After retiring from the ring, Muraco returned to Hawaii. In 2003 he founded Hawai'i Championship Wrestling, and acted as the onscreen commissioner and Director of Operations.

Profile

Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight: 286 lb
Birthday: September 10, 1949
Hometown: Sunset Beach, Hawaii
Trained By: Ray Stevens
, Ivan Koloff
Professional Debut: 1970
Previous Identities: Aka Oni, Don Morrow (Vancouver), Magnificent Muraco, The Rock
Previous Manager(s): Mr. Fuji
, Sir Oliver Humperdink,"Superstar" Billy Graham
Finishing/Signature Move(s): Reverse Piledriver, Asian Spike Muraco Hammer

Championships and accomplishments

World Wrestling Federation

2-Time WWF Intercontinental Champion
1985 King of the Ring (non PPV)
Member of WWE Hall of Fame (inducted 2004)

National Wrestling Alliance

1-Time NWA United States Heavyweight Champion (San Francisco version)
1-Time NWA World Tag Team Champion (San Francisco version) (with The Invader)
1-Time NWA America's Heavyweight Champion
1-Time NWA Pacific International Heavyweight Champion
1-Time NWA Hawaii Tag Team Champion (with Rick Martel)

Eastern Championship Wrestling

2-Time ECW World Heavyweight Champion

Florida Championship Wrestling

1-Time Florida Heavyweight Champion
1-Time Florida Television Champion
1-Time Florida United States Tag Team Champion (with Jos LeDuc)

Other titles

1-Time New Zealand British Commonwealth Champion
1-Time Polynesian Pacific Wrestling Heavyweight Champion
1-Time ACCW Heavyweight Champion
1-Time Stampede Wrestling North American Heavyweight Champion

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) ranked him # 50 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Don Muraco ]

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