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Saturday Night Slam |
Dr. Death |
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I need to take just a moment and reflect on the losses, both personal and property, of the hurricane victims in the state of Florida. Mother Nature has a vindictive way of showing her admiration of our possessions. I hope that someday there will also be a way to stop these horrific storms from doing so much damage every year. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.--Percival |
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This week's column is one of the sad items that I need to post on occasion. There have been many greats of our business that have gone the extra mile for the fans. They also have been involved in the amateur and collegiate ranks of wrestling. Some have even participated in other sports like football, hockey and boxing. Steve "Dr. Death" Williams was one of these great athletes that produced a cloud of dust behind him wherever he performed. It is with great sadness that I write about one of my post retirement heroes. I need to express his many accomplishments. I need to look the other way when it comes to his health issues he is having today. I need to have everyone join with me in saying an extra prayer for an operation that he is facing in a few days. During his professional wrestling career, Steve never backed up from anybody that he faced on the mat. He had a huge understanding of holds and counter holds. He had the strength and the size to become a real bully if he wanted to. He behaved himself in the professional rings as a more aggressive style competitor. He won almost every title there was in every area he went to. He had a huge following of fans and friends. He made countless more friends inside the confines of the squared circle that he called his office. Nobody will ever take the place of this gentle giant in the ring, nor will they ever replace the smile that he wore before being stricken with cancer. Here are a few facts about Steve from his website www.oklastamped.com: · Valuable player in both football and wrestling in 1978 Steve went to school at Lakewood High School in Lakewood, Colorado. He graduated in 1978 and was one of the star athletes. He was given an athletic scholarship to the University of Oklahoma, where he got his handle "Dr. Death" because of his tough reputation on the gridiron. This is where his famous tackle was formed. No one could tear down a defensive line like Steve Williams using his tackle attack, and no one has since. After four years of college, he graduated in 1982 with a B.S. in Health and Recreation. Soon after college, he signed a contract with the USFL New Jersey Generals. As an offensive guard, he was cut in 1983 for playing too rough. It was then that promoter Bill Watts offered Steve a contract with the UWF (Universal Wrestling Federation); this lasted from 1982 through 1987. During this period, he held the World Heavyweight Championship in 1987, and the Tag Team championship in 1986 and 1988. From there, he moved to the NWA (National Wrestling Alliance); this one lasted from 1987 through 1988. From there, he moved on to the New NWA; this is when Ted Turner bought into the wrestling business. Steve left the NWA in 1990. This is where he left the eyes and ears of American wrestling fans; it was like he dropped off the earth, other then a few appearances here and there. He had signed a contract with All-Japan Pro Wrestling, where he had held countless titles and belts as only Dr Death could do, including the International Tag Team Championship in 1990. This is a letter from a post on Legends group that I am a member of.... Dear Family/Friends, However, as you can imagine, there is a great bit of emotion and anxiety that he is dealing with and will for a good number of moons to come and will need all the support he can get due to this life changing disease! Best Regards Always! Jeffery S. Williams The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Percival A. Friend, Retired
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