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Moondog King

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Moondog King
File:Ed White (wrestler).jpg
Birth nameEdward John White[1]
BornMay 18, 1949[1]
St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada[1]
DiedAugust 26, 2005(2005-08-26) (aged 56)[1]
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Big John Strongbo[1]
Moondog King[1]
Sailor White[1]
Knuckles McKnight[1]
The Wharf Rat[1]
The Canadian Hit Man[1]
The Spoiler
Billed height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Billed weight150 kg (331 lb)[2]
DebutMay 22, 1972[1]

Edward John White (May 18, 1949 – August 26, 2005) was a Canadian professional wrestler, best known as Sailor White and as Moondog King of The Moondogs when he joined the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) in the early 1980s.[2] White won championships in Canada and around the globe. He also wrestled in South Africa as Big John Strongbo.[2]

Professional wrestling career

After doing work on Great Lakes boats, White made his professional wrestling debut in Pembroke, Ontario on May 22, 1972 against Michael Gango for promoter Larry Kasaboski.[1] While in Quebec he was the Grand Prix tag team champion in 1976, International Heavyweight champion in 1982, International tag team champion twice in 1982–1984 and won the Canadian Television Championship in 1984.

He was most known for his time in the WWF as Moondog King where he teamed with Moondog Rex and won the WWF Tag Team Championship (then WWWF) from Tony Garea and Rick Martel in Allentown, Pennsylvania in March 1981.[3]

After he was denied re-entry to the United States at the Canada–United States border, the WWWF replaced him with substitutes including Stan Hansen, Hulk Hogan, Lou Albano and Sgt. Slaughter before selecting Moondog Spot as a permanent replacement. Gorilla Monsoon explained his absence stating King had been hit by a car.[3] White claims the border dispute involved a rival wrestling promoter alerting the authorities to his criminal past whereas some say it was drug related.[4]

White ran twice for Canada's House of Commons. In April 2000, White in a St. John's West by-election for the Canadian Extreme Wrestling Party. His motto was "Parliament Needs a Moondog". On July 28, 2004, White ran for the House of Commons of Canada, representing the Green Party of Canada in Bonavista—Exploits, but lost to Scott Simms of the Liberal Party of Canada. White received 367 votes to Simms's 15,970.[5]

Illness and death

He suffered from Bell's palsy in 1999 and had two heart attacks by then. In 2002 he underwent triple bypass surgery and on December 2, 2004 his taxi crashed, breaking two bones in his neck and pinching a nerve in his spinal cord. He remained hospitalized on life support until his death on August 26, 2005. White was survived by his daughter, Rozlynn, and grandchildren. His biography Sailor White was written by Dave Elliott.[4]

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Sailor White".
  2. ^ a b c d e "Sailor White's profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
  3. ^ a b Cawthon, Graham (2013). the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 1: WWF 1963-1989. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 1492825972.
  4. ^ a b Oliver, Greg. "Sailor White dead at 56". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  5. ^ Oliver, Greg. "Sailor White to continue in politics". SLAM! wrestling. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
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