CAC Benevolent Fund

The Big Cat

Remembering Ernie Ladd is not a hard thing to do. He was one of the biggest men in our profession, standing 6'9" tall and weighing in at 325 pounds. The epic battles he had with men like Fred Curry, Bobo Brazil, Domenic De Nucci and Bruno Sammartino are classics in the record books.

Ladd headlined may cards in Japan during his illustrious career, meeting the biggest of stars that the Land of the Rising Sun had to offer. Giant Baba, Kobiashi, Saka, Endo and Inoki, just to name a few.

If words were to be written about his style, they would have to include … the MEANEST ... CRUELEST ... MOST VIOLENT ... VICIOUS ... BLOOD THIRSTY man to ever wear a pair of wrestling trunks.

Ernie was not a Johnny-come-lately, either, in the art of being a legitimate tough guy. He wore jerseys for the San Diego Chargers, the Houston Oilers and the Kansas City Chiefs as a star defensive lineman. Many a player was carted off the field after coming in contact with him on the gridiron.

The Big Cat's wrestling career took off in 1968 after knee surgery when he was unable to return to training camp for the upcoming season with the Chiefs. The doctors were optimistic about Ladd going into the wrestling ring but gave him the nod when he glared into their eyes and told them that he needed to be in a rough contact sport as a one on one, not one against a bunch.

The doctors gave him the go-ahead, and he was soon headlining cards in Detroit, Cleveland, Toronto, Buffalo, Milwaukee, Denver, and most major cities where he had not been barred because of roughness in the ring and badgering officials.

Ernie's career lasted into the late 80's when he decided to try his hand at promoting in Texas and Louisiana. He was very successful and brought some of the greatest names to that area to do battle.

In 1994, Ernie was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame, along with Bobo Brazil and others. In giving his acceptance speech, he was quick to remind Brazil and Gorilla Monsoon that it was a good thing for them that they retired before he caused them any more medical problems.

Today, Ernie resides in Texas and is busy helping children recover from life threatening illnesses. It is truly a complete reversal from what he was in the ring some 35 years ago. Life is a full circle, and Ernie continues to live it to its greatest.

I wish I could have afforded your contract during my tenure as a manager … who knows; maybe I would have been fortunate enough to become a World Champion with your talents.

Percival A. Friend, Retired
The Epitome of Wrestling Managers