Ed White (wrestler)

Ed White
Ring name(s)	Big John Strongbo[1] Moondog King[1] Sailor White[1]
Billed height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[1]
Billed weight	150 kg (330 lb)[1]
Born	May 18, 1949[1] St. John's, Newfoundland
Died	August 25, 2005(2005-08-25)[1] (Aged 56)
Debut	May 22, 1972

Edward J. "Ed" White (May 18, 1949 – August 25, 2005) was a Canadian professional wrestler, best known as Moondog King of the Moondogs when he joined the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) in the early 1980s.^[1] White won 48 championships in Canada and around the globe. He wrestled in South Africa as Big John Strongbo and in eastern Canada as Sailor White.^[1]

Career

After doing work on Great Lakes boats, White made his wrestling debut in Pembroke, Ontario on May 22, 1972 against Michael Gango for promoter Larry Kasaboski. While in Quebec he was the Grand Prix tag team champion in 1976, International Heavyweight champion in 1982, International tag team champion twice in 1982–1984 and won the Canadian Television Championship in 1984.

He was most known for his time in the WWF as Moondog King where he teamed with Moondog Rex and won the WWF Tag Team Championship (then WWWF) from Tony Garea and Rick Martel in Allentown, Pennsylvania in March 1981. After he was denied re-entry to the United States at the Canadian border the WWWF replaced him with substitutes including Stan Hansen, Hulk Hogan, Lou Albano and Sgt. Slaughter before selecting Moondog Spot as a permanent replacement, and explained his absence stating King had been hit by a car. White claims the border dispute involved a rival wrestling promoter alerting the authorities to his criminal past whereas some say it was drug related.

Late in his life Sailor was still active with various St. John's-based wrestling troupes: he started "All-Star Wrestling". Sailor could not afford to maintain All-Star Wrestling and ended up selling his ring to Gord Glynn. After Sailor got out of promoting wrestling he returned to wrestle for "Cutting Edge Wrestling". Cutting Edge Wrestling was founded by Gord Glynn. Other of White's students went on to form their own wrestling troops: "Newfoundland Championship Wrestling" was started by the Bennett Family, "Fierce Threat Wrestling" was started by Dan Gosse, and the Provincial Wrestling Association (PWA), which was created by former Cutting Edge Wrestlers Shane Murphy, Mitchell Fifield, and Bradley Bishop. The PWA was created several years after Cutting Edge Wrestling brought back Newfoundland Championship Wrestling for a joint company, originally, several wrestlers had intended to use the purchased PWA ring for training purposes only, but after a dispute with the Bennett family, the owners of what would become PWA were released from CEW-NCW. PWA had a change of ownership after a year or so and for a brief period of time was being run by Michael Barrington. Michael re-branded the organization to Republic Professional Wrestling (RPW) shortly after taking over. Several shows took place before it closed in late 2008.

Sailor White ran twice for Canada's House of Commons. In April 2000, Sailor White in a St. John's West by-election for the Canadian Extreme Wrestling Party. His motto was "Parliament Needs a Moondog". On July 28, 2004, Sailor ran for the Canadian House of Commons, representing the Green Party of Canada in Bonavista—Exploits, but lost to Scott Simms of the Liberal Party of Canada. White received 367 votes to Simms's 15,970. He suffered from Bell's palsy in 1999 and has two heart attacks by then as well. In 2002 he underwent triple bypass surgery and on December 2, 2004 his taxi crashed, breaking two bones in his neck and pinching a nerve in his spinal cord. He remained in the hospital on life support from then until his death on August 26, 2005. White is survived by his daughter Rozlynn and grandson Keygan.

His biography Sailor White was written by Dave Elliott.

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Bear hug^[1]

• With Moondog Rex
  • Backbreaker hold / Diving elbow drop combination – WWF

• Managers
  • Lou Albano^[2]

Championships and accomplishments

• Eastern Sports Association

• NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Halifax version) (1 time)

• Lutte Internationale

• Canadian International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Canadian International Tag Team Championship (3 times)

• World Wrestling Federation

• WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Moondog Rex^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} "Sailor White's profile". Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/s/sailor-white.html. Retrieved 2009-09-05. 
2. ^ Ellison, Lillian. First Goddess of the Squared Circle, p.166–167.

External links

• SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Sailor White
• SLAM! Wrestling: Sailor White dead at 56 by Greg Oliver
• SLAM! wrestling: Sailor White to continue in politics by Greg Oliver
• Redemption of Sailor White
• Gary Will's Canadian Pro Wrestling Page of Fame: Sailor White
• Online World of Wrestling profile

Persondata
Name	White, Ed Sailor
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	May 18, 1949
Place of birth	St. John's, Newfoundland
Date of death	August 25, 2005
Place of death