Tuffy Truesdale
| Tuffy Truesdale | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Adolph Albert Truesdale |
| Born | September 8, 1916 Nokomis, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | March 30, 2001 (aged 84) Asheville, North Carolina |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name | Tuffy Truesdale |
| Billed height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) |
| Billed weight | 165 lb (75 kg) |
| Debut | c. 1936 |
| Retired | c. 1984 |
Adolph Albert Truesdale (September 8, 1916 – March 30, 2001), better known as Tuffy Truesdale, was an American professional wrestler.
Biography
Truesdale was born September 8, 1916, in Nokomos, Illinois. He began wrestling during the 1930s. In September 1944, Truesdale was billed as the World Middleweight Champion in the Tennessee wrestling territory. He reportedly won the title from Gust Kallio in Mexico City, Mexico the previous year.[1] On May 31, 1946, Truesdale unsuccessfully challenged El Santo in a match for the then vacant Mexican National Middleweight Championship.[2]
However, Truesdale later became known for his matches against animals. On March 7, 1947, he wrestled a 'Wrestling Alligator' in Wichita, Kansas.[3] In later matches the Alligator was named Rodney the Alligator.[4]
Later he began wrestling with a bear named Victor.[5] Truesdale and Victor made several televised appearances, including on The Ed Sullivan Show, To Tell the Truth and Let's Make a Deal.[6] Truesdale and Victor would also appear in Sports Illustrated in 1970.[7]
Truesdale died on March 30, 2001, at the Oteen Veterans Administration Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina.[8]
Championships and accomplishments
- Gulas-Welch Enterprises
- World Middleweight Championship (Tennessee version) (1 time)[1]
References
- ^ a b Royal Duncan; Gary Will (2000). "NASHVILLE: World Middleweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 187. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ Royal Duncan; Gary Will (2000). "MEXICO: National Middleweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 397. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ Gallo, Donald R. (2009-10-14). Ultimate Sports. Random House Children's Books. ISBN 978-0-307-56843-4.
- ^ Howard, Gary (June 2007). The Rassler from Renfrew: Larry Kasaboski and the Northland Wresting Enterprises. GeneralStore PublishingHouse. ISBN 978-1-897113-59-2.
- ^ "The Wonderful World of Oz. Or Tuffy, as the case may be". Lesley Krueger, Author. 2025-02-20. Retrieved 2025-07-14.
- ^ "A HAPPY PAIR OF HAIRY SPORTS". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Archived from the original on 2023-03-05. Retrieved 2025-07-14.
- ^ "Deadspin | The Amazing True Story Of Victor, The Wrestling Bear". deadspin.com. Retrieved 2025-07-14.
- ^ GoshenHistory. "GoshenHistory". GoshenHistory. Archived from the original on 2024-05-25. Retrieved 2025-07-14.