Paul Jones (wrestler)
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| Paul Jones | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Paul Frederick |
| Born | June 16, 1942 [1][2] Port Arthur, Texas |
| Residence | North Carolina |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Paul Jones Al Fredericks Mr. Florida |
| Trained by | Paul Boesch |
| Debut | 1964 |
| Retired | 1991 |
Paul Jones (born Paul Frederick on June 16, 1942) is a retired professional wrestler and manager. He had success in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)'s Mid-Atlantic region, including an NWA World Tag Team title reign with Ricky Steamboat.
Career
Paul Frederick was born on June 16, 1942 in Port Arthur, Texas. He started wrestling around 1964 in Texas and then in the Mid-Atlantic promotions on the east coast, where he spent most of his career. He was first called "Young" Paul Jones by promoter Paul Boesch because there was an original Paul Jones, who was regarded in the 1960s as an all-time great. Jones acquired his famous "Number One" nickname after winning a "Wrestler Of The Year" contest on Jim Crockett Promtions' "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling". Fans sent in postcards to vote for their candidate. He became famous in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions, both as a babyface and a heel.[3] He defeated Terry Funk for that promotion's United States Heavyweight Title; Funk won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Jack Brisco shortly after this loss, setting Jones up as the top contender for the NWA title in the Mid-Atlantic territory.[3] As U.S. champion, Jones' primary foe was Blackjack Mulligan, and he also defended the title successfully against Flair, Angelo Mosca, and Spoiler #2. Ric Flair's first singles title, the Mid-Atlantic TV title, was won in a match with Jones in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Jones was a major drawing card for Crockett Promotions as both a heel and a babyface, winning that promotion's World Tag Team Title and TV Champion titles in both roles.[3] Jones teamed with Wahoo McDaniel to defeat the promotion's first World Tag Team Champions, the Anderson Brothers, in Greensboro, North Carolina.[3] Jones and McDaniel lost the title in a televised rematch known to longtime fans as the "Supreme Sacrifice" match, where Ole Anderson slammed his brother Gene's head into Wahoo's head, knocking both men unconscious.[3] Gene Anderson fell outside the ring and lay almost motionless as Ole covered a stunned Wahoo to regain the titles.[3] Jones also held the promotion's World Tag Title with Baron Von Raschke (as a heel), Masked Superstar (as a babyface), and Ricky Steamboat (babyface).[3] The Mid-Atlantic TV title Jones lost to Flair later became the NWA World TV Title, which Jones held as a heel.[3] Briefly in 1980, Jones wrestled as Mr. Florida, a masked wrestler in Championship Wrestling from Florida.
In the 1980s, he became a heel manager, and he called his stable Paul Jones' Army. It was about this time fans at the cards started chanting "Weasel" at Jones.[3] He was involved in a huge feud with "Boogie Woogie Man" Jimmy Valiant where he ended up having his head shaved. Among the members of his "Army" were Masked Superstar, Rick Rude, Manny Fernandez, Pez Whatley (known as Shaska), Baron Von Raschke, The Barbarian, Teijho Khan, The Mighty Wilbur, Abdullah the Butcher, Superstar Billy Graham, Ivan Koloff and Vladimir Petrov, The Assassins and The Russian Assassins (David Sheldon and Jack Victory).[3] He also managed the Powers of Pain. He left Jim Crockett Promotions around the time Ted Turner bought it and renamed it World Championship Wrestling (WCW).[3]
Jones last competed in the Mid-Atlantic indy promotion South Atlantic Pro Wrestling, where he won its heavyweight championship in 1990. He retired in 1991 and now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he owns the Paul Jones Body Shop.
In wrestling
- Wrestlers managed[3]
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- Tag teams managed[3]
- The Assassins
- The Russian Assassins (David Sheldon and Jack Victory)
- The Powers of Pain (The Barbarian and The Warlord)
Championships and accomplishments
- Big Time Promotions
- Big Time Television Championship (1 time)[6]
- Cauliflower Alley Club
- Other honoree (2004)
- Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
- NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Nelson Royal
- NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship (5 times) - with Ricky Steamboat (3), Tiger Conway Jr. (1), and Bob Bruggers (1)
- NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Championship (4 times)
- NWA Television Championship (1 time)
- NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (3 times)
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (6 times) - with Ricky Steamboat (1), Masked Superstar (2), Baron Von Raschke (2), and Wahoo McDaniel (1)
- NWA Hollywood Wrestling
- NWA Americas Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Nelson Royal
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Tag Team of the Year award in 1978 - with Ricky Steamboat
- South Atlantic Pro Wrestling
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Worst Manager (1986)
References
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