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Outback Jack (wrestler)

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Outback Jack
Birth namePeter Stilsbury
Born (1958-02-04) 4 February 1958 (age 66)[1]
Victoria, Australia
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)The Mercenary
Sgt. Green
Outback Jack
Billed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)[2]
Billed weight300 lb (140 kg)[2]
Billed fromHumpty Doo, NT, Australia[2]
Trained byLes Thornton[1]
Debut1986
Retired1988

Peter Stilsbury (born 4 February 1958) is an Australian former professional wrestler, best known for appearing in the World Wrestling Federation as Outback Jack from 1986 to 1988. He portrayed a northern Australian bushman coming to America to compete in the WWF.

Professional wrestling career

Early career

Stilsbury started his career in Canada with Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling in November 1986.[1] He was brought into the WWF that month in response to the mainstream popularity of the Australian film Crocodile Dundee.[3] Wearing an Australian bush jacket,[4] he appeared in several vignettes hyping his debut by showing him in the wilds of the Australian Outback—specifically, the Northern Territory.[2][5] In the vignettes, he drove a Jeep and drank beer with cows.[5] In addition, as part of the storyline, he claimed to have learned survival skills from the Aborigines.[2]

World Wrestling Federation (1986–1988)

Stilsbury, as Outback Jack, made his WWF debut in November 1986.[6] His wins mainly came over jobbers such as Jose Estrada, Steve Lombardi, Barry O, Barry Horowitz and "Iron" Mike Sharpe.[1][7] However, Outback Jack also defeated well-known superstars such as Nikolai Volkoff and former WWE Champion The Iron Sheik.[8] Eventually, Stilsbury started becoming a jobber himself, losing matches to high-level superstars such as "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase and Rick Rude.[8] Outback Jack feuded with Frenchy Martin, and the two had matches featured on 4 May and 25 May 1987 episodes of WWF Prime Time Wrestling, both of which Outback Jack won.[9][10] During this time, he also feuded with Killer Khan.[8]

On 3 August episode of Prime Time Wrestling, Outback Jack rescued Tito Santana from an attack by Ron Bass, leading to a match between him and Bass later in the show, which Bass won.[11] The pair continued to face each other into the following year.[8][12] Outback Jack made one appearance on the interview segment The Snake Pit with Jake "The Snake" Roberts on 6 June.[1][13]

On 7 May 1988 episode of WWF Superstars of Wrestling, Outback Jack competed in his final televised match, teaming with Brady Boone and Steve Blackman in a loss to The Islanders; this was the only match in which The Islanders competed as a team of three, as they were joined by new Islander Siva Afi.[1][14] On 15 May, Outback Jack wrestled his last match in Kissimmee, Florida, against Greg Valentine.[15] The outcome of his rematch with Valentine remains a mystery although Valentine had pinned him three days prior at the Columbus Municipal Auditorium.[12] The WWF had LJN Wrestling Superstars create an Outback Jack action figure to be produced and distributed worldwide.[5] His sudden departure from the WWF has led to him being described as "one of the most asked about people in the business".[16]

Personal life

Stilsbury is blind in one eye due to a helicopter crash, and has limited vision in his other due to diabetes.[17][18]

Awards and accomplishments

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Outback Jack profile". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on 11 October 2009. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d e Shields, Brian and Kevin Sullivan (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. DK/BradyGAMES. p. 228. ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
  3. ^ Reynolds, R.D.; Blade Braxton (2007). The Wrestlecrap Book of Lists!. ECW Press. pp. 339–340. ISBN 978-1-55022-762-8.
  4. ^ Ball, Michael R. (1990). Professional Wrestling as Ritual Drama in American Popular Culture. Edwin Mellen Press. p. 93. ISBN 0-88946-112-0.
  5. ^ a b c Reynolds, R.D. (2003). WrestleCrap: The Very Worst of Pro Wrestling. ECW Press. p. 34. ISBN 1-55022-584-7.
  6. ^ Cawthon, Graham. "Ring Results: 1986". The History of WWE. Archived from the original on 27 June 2009. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  7. ^ Nevada, Vance (12 May 2008). "Iron Mike Sharpe Jr". SLAM! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  8. ^ a b c d Cawthon, Graham. "Ring Results: 1987". The History of WWE. Archived from the original on 15 March 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  9. ^ "Prime Time Wrestling". WWF Television. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 4 May 1987. USA Network.
  10. ^ "Prime Time Wrestling". WWF Television. Toronto, Ontario. 25 May 1987. USA Network.
  11. ^ "Prime Time Wrestling". WWF Television. New York City, New York. 3 August 1987. USA Network.
  12. ^ a b Cawthon, Graham. "Ring Results: 1988". The History of WWE. Archived from the original on 28 July 2009. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  13. ^ "WWF Superstars of Wrestling". WWF Television. Buffalo, New York. 6 June 1987. Syndicated.
  14. ^ "WWF Superstars of Wrestling". WWF Television. New Haven, Connecticut. 7 May 1988. Syndicated.
  15. ^ Carroll, Frank (11 May 1988). "Camp Will Highlight Introduction To Football". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  16. ^ "Outback Jack shoots on McMahon's ego". Online World of Wrestling. 4 May 2009. Archived from the original on 8 May 2009. Retrieved 25 June 2009.
  17. ^ "Outback Jack reveals who was nice and who was not in the WWF back in the '80s". ProWrestling.net. 20 May 2008. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  18. ^ "Former WWE wrestler Outback Jack reveals which title belt he heard he was going to win, says he's blind in one eye". ProWrestling.net. 4 May 2009. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  19. ^ "PWI's WWE Top 400 Wrestlers". Wrestling Information Archive. Archived from the original on 14 October 2009. Retrieved 28 June 2009.
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