John's Icons of Wrestling: Paul Orndorff Quiz

Answer: Mid-Southern Wrestling

Paul Orndorff, a future renowned wrestler, embarked on his wrestling journey in 1976 with Mid-Southern Wrestling. During his tenure, he engaged in an intense rivalry with a young and upcoming wrestler, Jerry Lawler. It was during this time that Orndorff attained his first wrestling title by defeating Lawler and clinching the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship on June 7, 1977.

However, Orndorff's reign as the champion was short-lived as he lost the title back to Lawler before he left the Memphis territory.

Answer: Mr. Wonderful

During the early days of his career, Paul was immediately recognized for his remarkable physical attributes, which earned him the nickname "The Brandon Bull." However, it wasn't until 1983 when he joined the World Wrestling Federation and made his debut on Championship Wrestling in November of that year that his star truly began to rise.

It was in January of 1984 that "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, a fellow wrestler, became his manager and christened him with the moniker "Mr. Wonderful." This name would stick with him throughout his professional wrestling career, and he would go on to achieve great success and notoriety in the industry.

Answer: NWA World Tag Team Titles

During the month of December 1978, Paul joined forces with "The Superfly" Jimmy Snuka to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship from Baron von Raschke and Greg Valentine. Their impressive triumph allowed them to hold onto the title for an impressive five months. However, despite their valiant efforts, they were eventually defeated by Raschke and his new partner, Paul Jones, on the 16th of April in 1979.

Snuka and Paul ended up on different teams just seven years later when they both participated in the main event of "Wrestlemania". Snuka was in a feud with Roddy Piper, who was Orndorff's tag team partner. During an episode of Piper's Pit, Roddy had hit Snuka's head with a coconut, leading to their rivalry.

Answer: Paula

During his wrestling matches, the fans would chant "Paula! Paula!!" to taunt Paul, particularly when he played the villain. This would often trigger a reaction from him, causing him to throw a tantrum by kicking and shaking the ropes like a child. The fans would persist in using this chant to insult him.
In a twist of fate, Paul found himself in a wrestling match against the Magnificent Muraco, also known as Beach Bum among fans. Paul was a babyface and urged the audience not to provoke Muraco with chants. It was an unusual turn of events, but such is the nature of professional wrestling.

Answer: Roddy Piper

In 1985, the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York City played host to the first-ever "WrestleMania". The founder of the event, Vince McMahon, had envisioned it as a means to give his company's finances a boost. The event was held on March 31st and witnessed an overwhelming success as ardent fans gathered to cheer on their favorite wrestlers.

That evening, a large crowd of over 19,000 enthusiastic fans gathered to support their favorite wrestlers. The event was a huge success, featuring a total of nine matches. The most highly anticipated match was the grudge match between WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan, and Mr. T, with Jimmy Snuka as their teammate. On the other team, Paul, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, and "Cowboy" Bob Orton teamed up against Hogan's team. However, Hogan's team won the match that night. While the match was ongoing, Orton tried to cheat by hitting Hogan with his casted arm but ended up hitting his own teammate, Piper, instead. Hogan utilized this opportunity to his advantage and pinned Piper for the win.

In my humble opinion, Roddy Piper was perhaps the most successful heel of all time. He was a constant threat to Hogan's WWF World Championship. Though he never did win that particular championship. He was a one-time WWF Intercontinental Champion. He was a 2005 inductee into the "WWE Hall of Fame". On July 24, 2015, Roddy passed away from a heart attack caused by an embolism.

Answer: Bobby Heenan

While Paul was a part of the World Wrestling Federation, he received assistance from a manager who played a pivotal role in supporting his matches and overall career development. When Paul found himself in a heated rivalry with the legendary wrestler Hulk Hogan, fans were curious about who was managing him during this intense period. It is worth noting that the esteemed leader of the Heenan Family, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, was in fact the manager who helped Paul during this time.

Bobby, also known as "The Brain", was a professional wrestler who gained popularity in the early 1970s while working with Verne Gagne and the AWA. He was a successful manager, guiding Nick Bockwinkle to win his first of several AWA World Heavyweight Titles. In 1984, Bobby joined the WWF and became known for his team of wrestlers who were always trying to take down Hogan's WWF World Title. Heenan was a beloved entertainer in the wrestling world, particularly when he was knocked around by a babyface in the ring. However, on September 17, 2017, Bobby passed away at the age of 72 in his home in Largo, Florida. His cause of death was organ failure due to complications from throat cancer. Despite his nickname, "The Weasel", Bobby will always be remembered as a talented manager and wrestler who left a lasting impact on the sport.

Answer: Piledriver

Paul has a preference for utilizing the piledriver as his ultimate maneuver in wrestling. This move necessitates the wrestler to grasp their adversary, invert them, and subsequently sit or kneel to strongly thrust their opponent's head onto the mat. Nevertheless, the piledriver is a contentious technique and has been banned by multiple wrestling organizations because of the grave injuries it can inflict if not executed with utmost precision.

During a wrestling match, Owen Hart unintentionally caused Steve Austin to suffer a neck injury due to a hold. As a result, the WWE banned the use of that particular move. However, there were two wrestlers, Mark Calaway (The Undertaker) and Glenn Jacobs (Kane), who were granted an exception to use the hold because of their exceptional abilities.

Answer: University of Tampa

Paul Orndorff was originally a fullback for the University of Tampa but was later switched to tight end in his final year. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints, but left during training camp to pursue a career in professional wrestling. Paul had a keen interest in Championship Wrestling from Florida and eventually got in touch with the booker, Eddie Graham, which led to his successful career in wrestling.

In 1931, the University of Tampa was founded by Frederic H. Spaulding, a principal at a nearby high school who recognized the demand for advanced education in the Tampa community. Interestingly, the institution has also welcomed professional wrestlers as alumni, such as "Dirty" Dick Slater and Chyna (Joan Laurer), who made history as the first female WWF Intercontinental Champion.

Answer: False

"Pretty Wonderful" was formed in the early 1990s. Paul and Paul would hold the WCW World Tag Team Championship on two separate occasions. During the 1994 pay-per-view, "Bash at the Beach", the two men would dethrone reigning champions, Cactus Jack and Kevin Sullivan. Their first reign lasted well over two months. They would lose the straps the first time to "Stars and Stripes". Marcus Bagwell and The Patriot comprised the team of Stars and Stripes. Pretty Wonderful would regain the belts for the last time at the 1994 pay-per-view, "Halloween Havoc". Their reign this time was just short of thirty days. They were defeated by Stars and Stripes for the belts.

Paul teamed up with Roma and faced a rival from his past. In 1995, Orndorff and Hogan had their first WCW match since 1987. Hogan and Savage emerged victorious against "Pretty Wonderful", marking their only WCW match against each other.

Answer: Dementia

It was with great sadness that the passing of Orndorff on July 12, 2021, in Fayetteville, Georgia, at the age of 71 due to dementia was announced. Orndorff was a legendary wrestler who entertained fans for decades, whether he played the role of a heel or a babyface. Throughout his career, he competed in various promotions and won numerous championships.

Many fans, including myself, will always remember his unforgettable battles with Hulk Hogan. Orndorff will be deeply missed, but his legacy in the wrestling world will live on.