Larry Cameron (November 4, 1952 – December 13, 1993) was an American professional football player and wrestler.
| Larry Cameron | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 4, 1952[1] Natchez, Mississippi, US[1] |
| Died | December 13, 1993 (aged 41)[1] Bremen, Germany[1] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Larry Cameron Lethal Larry Butcher |
| Billed height | 1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)[1] |
| Billed weight | 118 kg (260 lb)[1] |
| Billed from | Harlem, New York Chicago, Illinois Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Trained by | Eddie Sharkey[1] Stu Hart[1] Mr. Hito |
| Debut | 1985[1] |
Football career
edit| Career information | |
|---|---|
| CFL status | American |
| Position(s) | LB |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| College | Alcorn State |
| NFL draft | 1974, round: 12 / Pick 301 |
| Drafted by | Denver Broncos |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1975 | BC Lions |
| 1975–1977 | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| CFL All-Star | 1975 |
| CFL East All-Star | 1975, 1976 |
| Awards | 1975 - Jackie Parker Trophy |
| Honors | 1976 - Grey Cup champion |
Larry Cameron was born and raised in Natchez, MS. When he was a teenager, he played football in high school and college. He was drafted in the NFL in 1973 by the Denver Broncos and later by the Canadian Football League, where he played with the BC Lions and Ottawa Rough Riders. In 1975 and 1976 he was an all-star and won the Grey Cup with Ottawa. His football career would be cut short due to injuries.[1]
Wrestling career
editAfter his football career ended, Cameron became Mr. Minnesota and Northern States Bodybuilding champion before he got discovered by Ed Sharkey and wrestled in his Promotion AWA. Later he also went up to Calgary to train with Stu Hart in the Dungeon, where he trained alongside another former NFL and CFL star, former Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, and Calgary Stampeders nosetackle Brian Pillman.[1] Cameron made his wrestling debut with Stampede Wrestling in 1985, where he would wrestle as "Lethal" Larry Cameron. He was a straight up powerhouse with a bad attitude. He would also wrestle in various promotions in the United States. He won his first championship in September 1987, when he won Pro Wrestling America's Heavyweight Championship, defeating Ricky Rice.[2]
In 1988, he had wrestled handful of shows for the National Wrestling Alliance and the American Wrestling Association. In April 1989, he defeated Davey Boy Smith to win the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship.[1] He would hold on to the title, until the promotion closed in December 1989. After Stampede shut down, he would return to the AWA in 1990. He would also wrestle for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. That same year he worked for World Championship Wrestling where he was managed by Teddy Long.[1][2] Cameron and Butch Reed feuded with Ric Flair and Arn Anderson in December 1990.
After the AWA shut down and a tryout with the World Wrestling Federation, he went on a tour of Austria, where he caught the eye of Otto Wanz. Wanz offered Cameron to work for his promotion, Catch Wrestling Association. And in September 1991, Cameron began touring with the CWA. He would return to NJPW for a month in April 1992. In July 1992, he won the CWA World Tag Team Championship with his partner Mad Bull Buster. The two would hold the titles for 53 weeks, before losing them to Dave Taylor and Mile Zrno. In April 1993, he wrestled one show in the United States for an NWA territory in Minnesota. That October, he and Mad Bull Buster regained the CWA Tag Team titles and held them, until the unfortunate accident.[1][2]
Death
editOn December 13, 1993, during his match with Tony St. Clair in Bremen, Germany, Cameron suffered a heart attack. He was 41 years old.[2]
As a result of Cameron's death, Mad Bull Buster had to vacate the CWA World Tag Team Championship, on behalf of himself and his late partner.
Championships and accomplishments
edit- Catch Wrestling Association
- International Wrestling Association
- IWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[3]
- Pro Wrestling America
- PWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[2]
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Stampede Wrestling
- Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[1][2]
- Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 1995)[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Larry Cameron at Cagematch". Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Larry Cameron at Online World of Wrestling". Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ "Awards « Larry Cameron « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". Archived from the original on October 21, 2021.
- ^ "Archived copy". www.100megsfree4.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Whalen, Ed (host) (December 15, 1995). "Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame: 1948-1990". Showdown at the Corral: A Tribute to Stu Hart. Event occurs at 27:55. Shaw Cable. Calgary 7.