In the old days of pro wrestling territory, there were countless artists who were big businesses in the regions they made their territory in, but were never able to make the same impact on a national level once. WWE took over the business. One such artist was “Playboy” Buddy Rose, who was no stranger to working for WWE but never got the exposure and attention he commanded in the territories.
With that being said, Buddy Rose is definitely a fighter worth getting to know, especially since it’s so easy to let these types of performers get away. Let’s take a look at what fans need to know about him, including his weird but remarkable wrestling moment.
10/10 Trained by Verne Gagne
While “Playboy” Buddy Rose got most of his notoriety in a different part of the country (see below), the young Paul Perschmann actually got his start in the American Midwest. There, he enrolled in the Minnesota-based training camp run by American Wrestling Association wrestler and promoter Verne Gagne.
Trained by Gagne and Billy Robinson, Pershmann made his in-ring debut for the AWA in 1973, working as a babyface against another trainee, future Sgt. Sacrifice. The future Buddy Rose left the promotion in 1976 but would return to the AWA in the following decade.
9/10 He made Pacific Northwest Wrestling his home
After leaving the AWA, Paul Perschmann wrestled in various NWA territories, beginning with Texas in 1976 and later Hawaii, among others. But it was later, in 1976, that Perschmann turned to the NWA affiliate Pacific Northwest Wrestling, which was based in Portland, Oregon. There, Perschmann eventually adopted the name Buddy Rose, developing the ultimate persona of him as a cocky heel.
It was through this change in heel, like that of many future notable stars, that set Rose on a path of success that he might not have achieved had he remained a good guy.
8/10 Eleven-time Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Champion
“Playboy” Buddy Rose spent much of his career as a mainstay in Pacific Northwest Wrestling, first reaching the top of the promotion in late October 1979. It was then that Rose defeated former WWE Champion Stan Stasiak and captured the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship. for the first time.
For most of the title’s existence, the reigns were relatively short, with Rose losing the belt to Stasiak the next day. But between 1979 and 1984, Buddy Rose held the title a whopping 11 times, his longest being his fifth reign, which lasted 98 days in 1980.
7/10 Also eleven-time Pacific Northwest Tag Team Champion
While 11 world title reigns is an impressive feat, Buddy Rose also matched that number in NWA Pacific Northwest tag team title reigns he enjoyed in his time with PNW. In October 1976, Rose won his first known title in wrestling when he and Jesse Ventura beat Dutch Savage and Jimmy Snuka for the belts, returning them to the team a week later.
Rose and Ventura held the belts together once again during a 140-day reign, with Rose’s future notable partners including Ed Wiskowski, a young Curt Hennig, and even the aforementioned Stan Stasiak.
6/10 Came to WWE in 1982
With 1982 came Vince McMahon’s purchase of WWE from his father, Vince Sr., after which he began recruiting talent from all territories to further his ambitions to expand the promotion. Buddy Rose joined the company that same year, wrestling on television and on house shows, including a house show rivalry with Tony Garea.
When WWE recruited him, Rose was also able to bring up-and-coming Curt Hennig into the company with him, acting as Hennig’s behind-the-scenes mentor.
5/10 Feuded with Bob Backlund for the WWE Championship
Debuting for WWE in 1982, it was only a matter of months before “Playboy” Buddy Rose found himself in the main cards by challenging Bob Backlund for the WWE Championship.
However, Rose was unable to dethrone the champion and Backlund eventually enjoyed a 2,135-day title streak through the end of the following year. From there, Buddy Rose set his sights a bit lower and challenged Pedro Morales for the Intercontinental title, but failed to capture that belt either.
4/10 Opened the first WrestleMania
While, for the most part, Buddy Rose’s WWE tenure wasn’t much to write home about in terms of in-ring success. He has a notable notch on his belt: fighting, and losing, the opening match right away. wrestling.
However, the circumstances of the ‘Mania party are quite strange. While appearing on television and in house shows like Buddy Rose, for the wrestling match against Tito Santana, Rose wore an ill-fitting mask as “The Executioner”, who was billed as part of “Parts Unknown”.
3/10 Returned to the AWA in the late 1980s
Buddy Rose disappeared from WWE after wrestling and returned to Pacific Northwest Wrestling, though he also ventured to other promotions, including the American Wrestling Association, where he began his career. There, Rose captured his only major title outside of PNW when he and Doug Somers defeated Curt Hennig and Scott Hall, capturing the AWA World Tag Team Championship in the process.
Their title reign lasted 255 days and featured countless title defenses against The Midnight Rockers, Shawn Michaels, and Marty Jannetty, with Rose and Somers helping put the Rockers on the map in some classic, bloody matches.
2/10 His weight was his gimmick in WWE in the early 1990s
The year 1990 saw “Playboy” Buddy Rose return to WWE, albeit in a different guise than his appearances in the early 1980s.
Having put on a lot of weight in the intervening years, Rose’s flabby physique became her WWE gimmick, a comedic character that consisted of correcting her billed weight to more flattering numbers and introducing a “Blow Away Diet” that consisted of lying on Dust on yourself and stand up. in front of a fan Despite his personality, Rose worked entirely as a broker and left the company in early 1991.
1/10 opened a wrestling school
Following his final departure from WWE, Buddy Rose once again returned to Pacific Northwest Wrestling, though the promotion was in decline in the early ’90s.
From there, Rose wrestled on the indies until the late 1990s, eventually wrestling his last match in 2005. At one point, Rose opened a wrestling school in Portland with frequent tag team partner Ed Wiskowski, better known to fans as Colonel DeBeers. , the South African military heel with a gigantic moustache.