Wahoo McDaniel was a multi-decade professional wrestling star, and the most famous Native American Wrestler in the history of the sport. He was the King of the Indian Strap match and a five-time NWA United States Heavyweight Champion. McDaniel was also a former IWA World Heavyweight Champion during the 1970’s. He spent 10 years in the American Football League, playing with four different teams. McDaniel was a talented kicker, fullback and defensive end. He also played linebacker. Wahoo went to college at the University of Oklahoma. While a member of the Sooners, McDaniel had a 91 yard punt in 1958 against Iowa State. The punt was the longest in NCAA History. Also in ’58, he had a 86-yard pass from Bobby Boyd against West Virginia. Even to today, it remains the 5th longest in school history. He entered the AFL in 1960 playing for the Houston Oilers. In ’61, he joined the Denver Broncos. On Thanksgiving, November 22, 1962, McDaniel was involved in one of the greatest games in AFL History. The Broncos were playing the New York Titans and over 15,000 fans packed Bear Stadium. During the game, McDaniel intercepted a Johnny Green pass and made a successful lateral to Jim McMillan. McMillan ran 48-yards for a touchdown. The final score ended up being 46-45, Titans. Newspaper reports stated that McDaniel made his professional ring debut on Friday, February 9, 1962 in Denver, Colorado, but other resources said that he had his first match two years earlier. McDaniel was a football player for the Denver Broncos at the time and the off season had kicked in a month earlier. He was billed as Ed McDaniel. After twenty-minutes, he drew with Bronko Lubich at the Denver Coliseum before nearly 4,000 fans. His wrestling debut was highly documented in Denver. McDaniel ventured into West Texas where he suffered his first pro loss on Thursday, April 19, 1962. He was beaten by Nelson Royal at the Sports Arena. Royal received some outside assistance in the third fall from his second, Jeeves. McDaniel continued to play football during the winter. He was traded from the Broncos to the New York Jets in January 1964. The Broncos sent McDaniel, Gene Prebola, Gordy Holtz and Bob Zeman to the Jets for Sid Fournet, Jim Price, Ed Cooke, Charlie Janerette and Dick Guesman. Wahoo played for the Jets between ’64 and ’65, where he wrestled out of the northeast, including in the famous Madison Square Garden. In 1966, he went to the Miami Dolphins and remained there until retirement from football in ’68. While in Florida, McDaniel excelled in Cowboy Luttrall and Chris Dundee’s promotions. He was a local superstar and captured numerous regional championships. Late in the 1960s, Wahoo ventured back to Texas. In 1971, he won the NWA American Heavyweight Title in Houston. Back on the east coast, McDaniel effected a whole generation of wrestling fans while working for Jim Crockett. It was there that he captured the NWA United States Title five times. He also feuded with a young grappler by the name of “Nature Boy” Ric Flair. Flair was arrogant and McDaniel was not going to have it. The two engaged in many bloody matches from Virginia to South Carolina. They also feuded over the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title. In April ’76, Flair beat McDaniel after he had used a piece of a broken table to smash him after the assigned referee was knocked out. McDaniel needed 47-stitches to close the wound. He suffered a broken ankle during an attack by Greg Valentine in late 1977. On August 8, 1981, McDaniel defeated Roddy Piper in Greensboro to capture the NWA United States Heavyweight Title. The following month, he was brutally attacked by Piper and Abdullah the Butcher. He suffered an injury and was stripped of the U.S. Title for failure to defend. McDaniel regained the belt from the winner of the vacant U.S. Title Tournament in Richmond on May 21, 1982, Sgt. Bob Slaughter. Officials again were forced to strip McDaniel of the U.S. Title after missing a defense on June 7th against Slaughter. Slaughter was, in turn, handed the belt. The reason behind the no-show was because he was previously attacked by Piper and Don Muraco. He returned to win the belt back from Slaughter for the third time in Charlotte on August 22nd. In November, Greg Valentine took the title from McDaniel in Norfolk, Virginia. He teamed with Mark Youngblood to capture the NWA World Tag Team Title from Bob Orton Jr. and Don Kernodle in Charlotte at the Stadium on March 4, 1984. They lost the belts on April 4th, to the Briscos. McDaniel and Youngblood regained the title on April 27th in Richmond, but lost them to Kernodle and Ivan Koloff in May. He beat Rick Steamboat on June 24th for his fourth NWA United States Title win on June 24, 1984 at the Greensboro Coliseum. The belt was quickly held-up and declared vacant after officials reviewed McDaniel’s victory over Steamboat. It was found that Tully Blanchard had interfered. A tournament was scheduled. On October 7th in Charlotte, McDaniel won his fifth U.S. Title with a tournament victory over Manny Fernandez. He dropped the belt to Magnum T.A. in a cage match on March 23, 1985 in the Charlotte Coliseum. McDaniel was managed by Jimmy Hart in ’85 in the Mid-Southern Territory for a very brief time. He also wrestled in Florida before returning to the Mid-Atlantic Region for Starrcade 1985. He teamed with young Billy Jack Haynes in Atlanta on the 28th of November and lost to Arn and Ole Anderson. A little more then a month later, McDaniel was on the losing end of a tournament final between himself and Arn for the vacant NWA World Television Title on January 4, 1986 in Charlotte. He soon returned to Minneapolis and competed for Verne Gagne in the AWA. He challenged Curt Hennig for the AWA World Title on April 16, 1988 in Las Vegas at the Showboat Pavilion. The bout was a steel cage match and McDaniel got the victory. He did not capture the title, though, as the match was non-title. McDaniel suffered a broken nose on January 7, 1989 in Las Vegas during a steel cage match with Manny Fernandez. He was attacked with hardhats by the Destruction Crew on May 6, 1989 in Rochester. Wahoo suffered a detached retina in his right eye. He announced his retirement several weeks later. The imposed hiatus from the sport would not last. He continued to wrestle off-and-on through the eastern independents well into the ’90s. On May 21, 1995, McDaniel was inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame in St. Petersburg. Title History: -NWA Florida Heavyweight Title (1968) Johnny Valentine -A two-time NWA American Heavyweight Champion -Defeated Toru Tanaka (1971) -Defeated The Spoiler (1979) -IWA World Heavyweight Title (1973) defeated Strong Kobayashi -Co-holder of the NWA Georgia Tag Team Title (1979) w/ Tommy Rich -A five-time NWA United States Heavyweight Champion -Defeated Roddy Piper (1981) -Defeated Sgt. Slaughter (1982) -Defeated Sgt. Slaughter (1982) -Defeated Rick Steamboat (1984) -Defeated Manny Fernandez (1984) tournament final -A multiple-time co-holder of the NWA World Tag Team Title w/ Mark Youngblood (1984) defeated Don Kernodle and Bob Orton Jr. w/ Mark Youngblood (1984) defeated The Brisco Brothers -NWA Georgia National Heavyweight Title (1986) defeated Tully Blanchard |
Wahoo McDaniel Wrestling History |
PPV Ring Record TV Ring Record Career Record Legends of Pro Wrestling |