Moondogs

The Moondogs
Stable
Members	see below
Promotions	WWF CWA USWA

The Moondogs were a professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and in two Memphis promotions: the Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) and the United States Wrestling Association (USWA). Known for wrestling in blue jeans, sporting shaggy blond hair and beards and carrying animal bones around with them (which they chewed on and used as weapons), The Moondogs became notorious in the CWA and the USWA for their wild, brawl-filled bloodfests where weapons often came into play (essentially the hardcore style).

History

World Wrestling Federation

Moondog Rex and Moondog King joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1981, where they defeated Rick Martel and Tony Garea for the WWF Tag Team Championship.^[1] After winning the title, Moondog King was replaced by Moondog Spot after King—a Canadian—was denied entry into the United States.^[1][2] Rex and Spot's gimmick consisted of them carrying chewed up bones to the ring and wearing cut-off blue jeans.^[1] While in the WWF, the Moondogs feuded with Tony Garea, Rick Martel, Bob Backland, Ivan Putski, Pat Patterson, and the Wild Samoans.^[1]

In 1984, on an episode of Maple Leaf Wrestling, Moondog Rex earned a WWF Championship title shot against Hulk Hogan.^[1] Rex and Spot teamed together until 1990 in various promotions.^[1]

United States Wrestling Association

The Moondogs' success mostly came in the United States Wrestling Association (USWA), with numerous members winning the USWA tag team titles on several occasions during the late 1980s and early 1990s as well as Moondog Spot, Moondog Spike and Moondog Cujo's long running feud with Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Lawler and The Bruise Brothers during their stint in the USWA. Their feud with Jarrett and Lawler was later voted the 1992 PWI Feud of the Year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

Independent circuit

In the latter part of 2003, the Moondogs (Spot and Puppy Love) began working in Memphis Wrestling, with April Pennington acting as their manager.^[2] On November 29, 2003, Moondog Spot died in the ring during a tag team match in Memphis.^[1]

Moondog Cujo appeared at the Clash of the Legends show in Memphis (headlined by Hulk Hogan vs. Paul Wight) on April 29, 2007, where he defeated The Barbarian.^[3]

Members

Core

• Moondog King (Ed White)
• Moondog Rex (Randy Colley)
• Moondog Spot (Larry Booker)
• Moondog Spike (Bill Smithson)
• Moondog Cujo (Lanny Kean)
• Moondog Splat (Bill "Bubba" White)
• Moondog Max (John Walton)

Others

• Black Moondog (aka The Big Black Dog)^[4]
• Moondog Fido^[4]
• Moondog Fifi (Dianne Von Hoffman)^[4]
• Moondog Rover (Paul J. Mcknight)^[4]
• Moondog Mange (Jimmy Stone)
• Moondog Lonnie Mayne
• Moondog Ed Moretti
• Moondog Puppylove (Mike Flowers)
• Moondog Spot/Spike 1987-1988 (Tony Nardo)
• Moondog Nathan (Nathan Brian Randolph)^[4]
• Moondog Splash (Eddie Harrell)
• Moondog Duke (Frank Cody)
• Moondog Ravage (Brad Worrell)

In wrestling

• Double-team finishing moves
  • Backbreaker hold / Diving elbow drop combination – WWF

• Managers
  • Lou Albano^[5]
  • Downtown Bruno^[6]
  • April Pennington^[2]
  • Jimmy Hart^[2]
  • Gabriel Grange AKA Doctor Grange managed Max

Championships and accomplishments

• Continental Wrestling Association

• AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Rex and Spot^[7]

• Dyersburg Championship Wrestling
  • DCW Tag Team Championship (1 time)^[8]

• International Championship Wrestling (New England)

• IWCCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Spike and Spot^[9]

• Ozark Mountain Wrestling
  • OMW Tag Team Championship (1 time)^[8]

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated

• PWI Feud of the Year (1992) vs. Jerry Lawler and Jeff Jarrett

• United States Wrestling Association

• USWA World Tag Team Championship (14 times) – Splat and Spot (4), Spike and Spot (3), Rex and Spot (3), Cujo and Spike (2), Cujo and Spot (1) and Rover and Spot (1)^[10]

• World Wrestling Council

• WWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Rex and Spot^[11]
• WWC North American Tag Team Championship (2 times) – Rex and Spot^[12]
• WWC World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Rex and Spot^[13]

• World Wrestling Federation

• WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Rex, King & Spot (who replaced King during title reign)^[14]

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter

• Feud of the Year (1992) vs. Jerry Lawler and Jeff Jarrett

• UFO Wrestling
  • UFO Tag Team Champions 2008-2009 (1 time) Max and Bidondi "The Animals"

• Ultimate Wrestling Dynasty
  • UWD Hardcore Champion 2007-2008 (2 time) Max

• New World Wrestling
  • NWW Tag Team Champions 2005-2006 (1 time) Max and Kohuko

• New Generation Wrestling
  • NGW Tag Team Champions 2004 (2 time) Max and Ryan Bean

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Ward, Marshall (December 7, 2009). "Moondog Rex still howling at the moon". SLAM! Wrestling. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2009/12/06/12060731.html. Retrieved 2009-12-08. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Oliver, Greg (November 30, 2003). "Moondog Spot dies during match". SLAM! Wrestling. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2003/11/30/273197.html. Retrieved 2009-12-08. 
3. ^ "Lanny Kean's profile". Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/b/big-daddy-cyrus.html. Retrieved 2009-09-05. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Moondogs profile". Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/m/moondogs.html. Retrieved 2009-09-05. 
5. ^ Ellison, Lillian. First Goddess of the Squared Circle, p.166–167.
6. ^ "Bruno Lauer's profile". Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/h/harvey-wippleman.html. Retrieved 2009-08-03. 
7. ^ "A.W.A. Southern Tag Team Title". Puroresu Dojo. 2003. http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/cwa/awa-s-t.html. Retrieved 2007-05-25. 
8. ^ ^{a b} Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2000). Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
9. ^ "I.C.W./I.W.C.C.W. Tag Team Title". Puroresu Dojo. 2003. http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/newengland/icw/icw-t.html. Retrieved 2007-05-25. 
10. ^ "U.S.W.A. World Tag Team Title". Puroresu Dojo. 2003. http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/uswa/uswa-t.html. Retrieved 2007-05-25. 
11. ^ "W.W.C. Caribbean Tag Team Title". Puroresu Dojo. 2003. http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pr/wwc/carib-t.html. Retrieved 2007-05-25. 
12. ^ "W.W.C. North American Tag Team Title". Puroresu Dojo. 2003. http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pr/wwc/wwc-na-t.html. Retrieved 2007-05-25. 
13. ^ "W.W.C. World Tag Team Title". Puroresu Dojo. 2003. http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pr/wwc/wwc-t.html. Retrieved 2007-05-25. 
14. ^ "W.W.E. World Tag Team Title". Puroresu Dojo. 2003. http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwf/wwf-t.html. Retrieved 2007-05-25. 

Further reading

Professional wrestling portal

• Greg Oliver and Steve Johnson (2005). "Territorial Era (1960s – 1980s): The Moondogs". The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-5502-2683-6.