- Lawrence Heinemi
Infobox Wrestler
name=Lawrence Heinemi
names="The Enforcer" Lars Anderson
"Luscious" Lars Anderson
Larry Heinemi
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birth_date=1939 (Age 69)
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resides=Bovey, Minnesota
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trainer=Verne Gagne
Eddie Sharkey
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website=Larry Heinemi is a retired
professional wrestler better known by the name of Lars Anderson. His career spans over a decade of performing inNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA) territories as well asAmerican Wrestling Association (AWA).Career
Larry Heiniemi started wrestling in 1965. He formed a
tag team with his "brother"Gene Anderson and also tagged with his other "brother"Ole Anderson .Bourne, Dick. [http://www.theglorydays.net/andersons/sections/history/macw_timeline.htm Anderson Brothers Timeline] The Glory Days (RetrievedNovember 19 ,2007 ).] He occasionally wrestled with them as theMinnesota Wrecking Crew . Lars did not have the success that the other Andersons had. However, he did win numerous NWA regional championships, including winning the Georgia version of theNWA World Tag Team Championship with Gene Anderson. Lars wrestled briefly in the Carolinas as Luscious Lars Anderson.In the early 1970s, he wrestled in the
San Francisco bay area (again as Luscious Lars Anderson), winning the NWA (San Francisco) World Tag Team title with partnerPaul DeMarco in 1972.On the microphone, Larry was one of the best talkers in an era when getting over on the microphone was important. In the early '70s, after leaving Gene Anderson, he returned to the AWA and hooked up with Larry "Pretty Boy" Hennig. The latter needed a new partner after the departure of "Handsome" Harley Race who ventured to the NWA.
In the mid 1970s, Heiniemi was joined by his college friend, Les "Budd" Wolfe. Together they formed a solid combination, and many felt they should have won the AWA World Tag Team titles. In March 1975, Heiniemi announced he was retiring from the ring, and after losing his last match to England's
Billy Robinson , Larry left the AWA. However, he did not retire; he was back to using the Lars Anderson handle and briefly feuded with his "brothers" Gene and Ole in Atlanta in 1977.He spent the last years of his career wrestling in
Hawaii for Polynesian Pacific Wrestling (PPW). When its owner,Peter Maivia , died in 1982, his wife hired Heiniemi as head booker. This lasted until 1988 when the dwindling promotion folded.Dwayne Johnson , former wrestler and grandson of Peter Maivia, spoke poorly of Heiniemi in his 2000 autobiography. Johnson described a scene where, as a teenager, he angrily confronted Heiniemi when he refused to drop the Polynesian Pacific Heavyweight title.In 1996, Heiniemi established World League Wrestling. This little known promotion consisted largely of wrestlers from his training school and former PPW talent. The promotion officially folded in 2000. Metcalf, Cody. [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/columns/misc/codymetcalf01.html "Hawaii: The Forgotten Wrestling Territory"] Online World of Wrestling (November 22, 2006).]
Championships and accomplishments
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American Wrestling Association :*AWA Midwest Tag Team Championship (1 time) - withLarry Hennig (Last)*
Championship Wrestling from Florida :*NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (1 time):*NWA Florida Southern Tag Team Championship (2 times) - withGene Anderson *
Georgia Championship Wrestling :*NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (2 times) - withOle Anderson :*NWA World Tag Team Championship "(Georgia Verson)" (1 time) - with Gene Anderson*NWA Polynesian Wrestling:*NWA Polynesian Pacific Heavyweight Championship (5 times):*NWA Polynesian Pacific Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Seiji Sakaguchi
*NWA San Francisco:*NWA World Tag Team Championship "(San Francisco Version)" (1 time) - with Paul DeMarco
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Pro Wrestling Illustrated :*PWI Tag Team of the Year award in 1975 - with Ole Anderson:*PWI Tag Team of the year award in 1977 - with Ole AndersonReferences
External links
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