Larry Cameron (November 4, 1952 – December 13, 1993) was an American professional football player and wrestler.
| Larry Cameron | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 4, 1952[1] Natchez, Mississippi, US[1] |
| Died | December 13, 1993 (aged 41)[1] Bremen, Germany[1] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Larry Cameron Lethal Larry Butcher |
| Billed height | 1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)[1] |
| Billed weight | 118 kg (260 lb)[1] |
| Billed from | Harlem, New York Chicago, Illinois Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Trained by | Eddie Sharkey[1] Stu Hart[1] Mr. Hito |
| Debut | 1985[1] |
Football career
edit| Career information | |
|---|---|
| CFL status | American |
| Position(s) | LB |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| College | Alcorn State |
| NFL draft | 1974, round: 12 / Pick 301 |
| Drafted by | Denver Broncos |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1975 | BC Lions |
| 1975–1977 | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| CFL All-Star | 1975 |
| CFL East All-Star | 1975, 1976 |
| Awards | 1975 - Jackie Parker Trophy |
| Honors | 1976 - Grey Cup champion |
Larry Cameron was born and raised in Natchez, Mississippi. He played football in high school and then in college at Alcorn A&M for the Alcorn A&M Braves. A linebacker, he was chosen #301 in the 1974 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. After being cut by the Broncos, he played with the BC Lions and Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League. In 1975 and 1976 he was an all-star and won the Grey Cup with Ottawa. His football career would be cut short due to injuries.[1]
Wrestling career
editAfter leaving football, Cameron developed an interest in bodybuilding and became Mr. Minnesota and Northern States Bodybuilding champion. After meeting Eddie Sharkey he briefly appeared for Verne Gagne and the American Wrestling Association. Later he trained with Stu Hart in Calgary alongside Brian Pillman.[1] Cameron made his Stampede Wrestling debut in 1985 billed as "Lethal" Larry Cameron, a strongman with a bad attitude. He won his first championship in September 1987, when he won Pro Wrestling America's Heavyweight Championship, defeating Ricky Rice.[2]
In 1988, he worked a few shows for the National Wrestling Alliance and the American Wrestling Association. In April 1989, he defeated Davey Boy Smith to win the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship.[1] He returned to the AWA in 1990, after Stampede shut down the year prior. He also wrestled for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. In 1990 he also worked for World Championship Wrestling where he was managed by Teddy Long and tag-teamed with Butch Reed in a feud with Ric Flair and Arn Anderson.[1][2]
After a tryout with the World Wrestling Federation, he toured Austria where he met Otto Wanz. Wanz hired Cameron to appear in his promotion, Catch Wrestling Association, in September 1991. He won the CWA World Tag Team Championship with his partner Mad Bull Buster in July 1992. The two held the titles for 53 weeks before losing them to Dave Taylor and Mile Zrno. In April 1993, he wrestled one show in the United States for an NWA territory in Minnesota. That October, he and Mad Bull Buster regained the CWA Tag Team titles.[1][2]
Death
editOn December 13, 1993, during a match with Tony St. Clair in Bremen, Germany, Cameron suffered a heart attack and died, aged 41 years.[2]
Championships and accomplishments
edit- Catch Wrestling Association
- International Wrestling Association
- IWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[3]
- Pro Wrestling America
- PWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[2]
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Stampede Wrestling
- Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[1][2]
- Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 1995)[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Larry Cameron at Cagematch". Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Larry Cameron at Online World of Wrestling". Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ "Awards « Larry Cameron « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". Archived from the original on October 21, 2021.
- ^ "Archived copy". www.100megsfree4.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Whalen, Ed (host) (December 15, 1995). "Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame: 1948-1990". Showdown at the Corral: A Tribute to Stu Hart. Event occurs at 27:55. Shaw Cable. Calgary 7.