Buddy Rose

Buddy Rose
Birth name Paul R. Perschamann
Born (1952-11-27)November 27, 1952
Las Vegas, Nevada, US
Died April 28, 2009(2009-04-28) (aged 56)[1][2]
Vancouver, Washington, US[1][2]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Buddy Rose[3]
The Executioner[3][1]
Billed height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[3]
Billed weight 317 lb (144 kg)[3]
"A slim, trim 217 lb"[3][1]
Billed from

Las Vegas, Nevada[3]

Parts Unknown (as The Executioner)
Trained by Verne Gagne[4]
Billy Robinson[4]
Debut 1973[4]
Retired 2005

Paul R. Perschmann[4][5] (November 27, 1952 – April 28, 2009) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Playboy" Buddy Rose.[3] He wrestled primarily for the AWA, WWF, and for promoter Don Owen in Pacific Northwest Wrestling.

Professional wrestling career

Paul Perschmann was trained by Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson in the early 1970s. Under his own name, he made his debut on December 3, 1973 in Rice Lake, Wisconsin in a 10-minute draw with fellow camp mate Bob Remus, the future Sergeant Slaughter.[2] While competing in the Pacific Northwest, Rose feuded with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, which Piper credits in his autobiography as establishing his name in the business. Rose teamed on and off with Colonel DeBeers for three decades.

Rose wrestled for the WWF in 1982-1983, working main events at Madison Square Garden against Bob Backlund for the WWF World Heavyweight Title. Rose also worked with Pedro Morales, and was managed by the Grand Wizard. Rose returned to the WWF in late 1984 and managed by Bobby Heenan, and then later put under a mask as The Executioner, losing to Tito Santana in the opening match of the inaugural WrestleMania.[2][5]

Rose competed in the AWA from 1986-1987. Rose teamed with Doug Somers, and feuded with the Midnight Rockers over the AWA World tag team title.

Rose returned to the WWF in 1990. Rose was primarily used as an enhancement talent during this run, losing all of his televised matches to elevate other stars. Rose lost to Kerry Von Erich in Von Erich's WWF television debut on the July 1990 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event. Having gained a large amount of weight, Rose turned it into a comical gimmick. When the ring announcer introduced him and listed his weight at 317 pounds, Rose would angrily take the microphone away from the announcer, and claim to weigh "a slim, trim, 217 pounds"; this drew jeers from the crowd. On occasion, he would do one-handed push-ups and kip-ups in the ring, and challenge muscular opponents to a "pose-down." Rose claims that Vince McMahon told the locker room, "I want everybody to work out... except for Buddy," knowing that Rose's weight was his gimmick.[6] Rose memorably appeared in a faux infomercial for the "Buddy Rose Blow Away Diet," which consisted of pouring powder all over himself and then "blowing away the fat" with a household fan; Rose looked exactly the same, after the blow away.

In the mid-to-late 1990s, Rose hosted a call-in talk show on a Portland radio station. Rose managed the Butcher in the short-lived revival of Portland Wrestling.[7] Rose's final match occurred at Wrestle Reunion 2005 in Tampa, Florida. Rose teamed with Colonel DeBeers and Bob Orton Jr. against Jimmy Valiant, Roddy Piper and Jimmy Snuka. The match was billed as Jimmy Valiant's retirement match, but Rose also retired after the match. Rose continued to make personal appearances, and opened a wrestling training school with DeBeers in Portland.

Death

On April 28, 2009, Rose was found dead in his home in Vancouver, Washington by his wife. The medical examiner attributed his death to natural causes. Rose, who had struggled with his weight since the late 1980s, experienced problems with blood sugar and diabetes.[1][8]

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Russell, Michael (April 30, 2009). "Ex-pro wrestler dies in Vancouver". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Oliver, Greg (2009-04-29). ""Playboy" Buddy Rose dies". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2009-04-29.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Buddy Rose". WWE.com. WWE. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Buddy Rose Profile". Online World Of Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  5. 1 2 3 "Legendary Portland Wrestling star Buddy Rose found dead". Wrestling Observer. 2009-04-28. Retrieved 2009-04-29.
  6. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20060508093246/http://playboybuddyrose.com/QandA/QandA-01.html
  7. ↑ Apter, Bill. "Names Makin' News." Inside Wrestling. Holiday 1997: 9+.
  8. ↑ Eck, Kevin (April 9, 2009). "Remembering Playboy Buddy Rose". The Baltimore Sun. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  10. ↑ Rodgers, Mike (2004). "Regional Territories: PNW #16". KayfabeMemories.com.
  11. 1 2 Rodgers, Mike (2004). "Regional Territories: PNW #16 Page #2". KayfabeMemories.com.
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