10 Things Wrestling Fans Should Know About The Legend Bill Dundee
The history of pro wrestling is full of regional talents who are well-regarded legends, but never became a matter of national concern. In other words, for every Jerry "The King" Lawler, there’s wrestlers like “Superstar” Bill Dundee. A Scottish-born Australian, Dundee clashed and teamed with Lawler in the Memphis territory, and over the course of his career became a decorated champion and tag team specialist.However, because he never got wider exposure in a company like WWE, many fans likely don’t know very much about Bill Dundee. Let’s take a look at Dundee’s career, from his origins all the way to his brief, forgotten run in WCW.
10 Started Out Working For The Circus
Pro wrestling started out as part of the circus back in 1800s, but there are a number of performers in the 20th century that got their start under the big top, including Harvey Wippleman, who coincidentally also made a name for himself in the Memphis wrestling scene. Born William Cruickshanks, the future Bill Dundee joined the circus as a teenager in Australia, working as an animal handler, Cruickshanks learned about how to work an audience, a skill that would come into play in his later career as a pro wrestler.
9 Feuded With Jerry Lawler
After making his debut in 1962, Bill Dundee would end up in the Memphis, Tennessee wrestling territory that would define his career. In 1977, he entered a feud with Jerry Lawler over the King’s NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship, lasting from July to September of that year with their 10 huge matches being contested under a variety of stipulations, including Steel Cage matches and Texas Death matches as well as bouts where Dundee not only put his hair and his car on the line, but also his wife’s hair.
8 Became Tag Team Partners With Jerry Lawler
However, Bill Dundee’s relationship with Jerry Lawler wasn’t limited to them being opponents. In fact, they spent a lot of time as tag team partners, with their first bout together happening in 1975 — two years before their above-mentioned feud.
The two would share the ring together for over 40 years, capturing titles in Memphis-based outfits like Continental Wrestling Association, Power Pro Wrestling, United States Wrestling Association, and even the Minneapolis-based American Wrestling Association, where they captured the World Tag Team Championship.
7 Part Of The Tupelo Concession Stand Brawl
Alongside Jerry Lawler, Bill Dundee would become part of a crucial moment in the development of hardcore/deathmatch wrestling known as the Tupelo Concession Stand Brawl. The bout was an AWA Southern Tag Team Championship match, with Lawler and Dundee defending against The Blonde Bombers, the team of Larry Latham (a.k.a. Moondog Spot) and Wayne Ferris (a.k.a. Honky Tonk Man). When the Bombers won the belts under dubious circumstances, a huge brawl broke out that spilled out of the ring and eventually ended up at the concession stand, where everything in sight became a weapon.”
6 Became A Booker
Over the course of his career, Bill Dundee wasn’t just an in-ring competitor — he also worked backstage as a booker. Thanks to CWA promoter Jerry Jarrett, Dundee got his first opportunity booking in Memphis, which led to further gigs booking in other territories. One of the more notable of his career was working for Mid-South Wrestling, the result of MSW business being down while Memphis was on a hot streak. Dundee’s booking revitalized the territory in 1984 and 1986 thanks to some Memphis-style storylines and employing some fast-paced matches and younger wrestlers to add some variety to the cards.
5 Worked For WCW
Bill Dundee also spent some time booking WCW, but he also became an on-screen character on WCW television in the early 1990s. Presented as “Sir William,” Dundee worked as the manager for the newly heel Lord Steven Regal — before Regal put together a full-on stable in the Blue Bloods. Sir William was pretty much a non-wrestling role, but Bill Dundee did end up wrestling a couple of matches as Sir William against Ricky Steamboat at WCW house shows.
4 Had An Altercation With Randy Savage
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Poffo Family — Angelo Poffo and his sons, Lanny Poffo and Randy Savage — were a thorn in the side of various regional promotions due to the elder Poffo’s “outlaw” promotion, International Championship Wrestling. On top of horning in on everyone’s territories, ICW would also antagonize their rival promotions in various ways, creating a tense situation and leading to an altercation between Randy Savage and Bill Dundee in the parking lot of a Tennessee gym in 1982.
Details on the incident vary, but basically an outnumbered Dundee pulled a gun and Savage struck Dundee, breaking his face. Eventually, however, the tension would die down and Savage would even venture to Memphis to put on some big matches with Jerry Lawler.
3 His Son And Son-In-Law Were Wrestlers
Bill Dundee isn’t the only wrestler in his family. His son, Jamie, followed in his father’s footsteps and would be best-known as J.C. Ice of the tag team PG-13, wrestling for all the major promotions of the 1990s, including WWE and WCW. Additionally, he gained a pro wrestling son-in-law when his daughter Donna married “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton, a tag team specialist who’d prove to be highly influential as part of the legendary team the Midnight Express, which put on numerous classics with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express and other teams.
2 Won A Title At 75
Much like his on-again, off-again tag team partner Jerry Lawler, Bill Dundee never really retired, and continued to wrestle into his 70s. He even won a championship at the age of 75 when he defeated Tony Deppen for a title called the WOMBAT Television Title at the Game Changer Wrestling show The Invisible Man Presents WOMBAT in July of 2019. To date, his last match was in December 2019, when he took part in an eight-man tag team match in a benefit show for his son-in-law, Bobby Eaton.
1 Wrote A Book
Like many old veterans, Bill Dundee committed the story of his life and career to paper by writing a book. Co-written with Memphis wrestling expert Mark James, If You Don't Want The Answer, Don't Ask The Question: Bill Dundee's Life Story covers Dundee’s career, with a lot of time spent talking about the art of booking. Readers of Bill Dundee’s book have also noted that Dundee went against the grain when it comes to books written by wrestlers, electing not to trash wrestlers he had beef with or share anecdotes about the crazy antics that went down on the road.
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