Mark Lewin

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Mark Lewin was a professional wrestler.

Contents 1 Career 2 Profile 3 Championships/Accomplishments 3.1 National Wrestling Alliance 3.2 World Class Championship Wrestling 3.3 Florida Championship Wrestling 3.4 Other titles 3.5 Pro Wrestling Illustrated 4 Trivia

[edit] Career

Mark Lewin broke into wrestling in the late '50s and had great early success in a matinee-idol babyface tag team with Don Curtis, headlining in major territories like New York and Chicago. The team's brief heel turn was a shock to its many fans. The team split up in the early '60s and Mark embarked on a singles career. In 1963 Mark first tried out the "Maniac" Mark Lewin persona, which he would alternate consistently with his 'normal' babyface persona for the rest of his career. He wrestled in Australia in the 1960's and 1970's with great success. He frequently formed a tag team with King Curtis Iaukea. He also spent time in Detroit working against The Sheik and fellow wildman, Terry Funk.

He found a lot of success in World Class Championship Wrestling in the late 1970's and early 1980's before going to Florida Championship Wrestling, where he joined Kevin Sullivan's "cult" as The Purple Haze, another variation of the 'Maniac' gimmick.

Lewin retired in 1996.

[edit] Profile

• Height:6'2"
• Weight: 220-275
• Birthday: February 26
• Hometown: Buffalo, New York
• Trainer: John Horton
• Debut: 1957
• Finisher: The Sleeper
• Managers: Gary Hart, Kevin Sullivan, The Mighty Atlas (Morris Shapiro)
• Other Gimmicks: "Maniac" Mark Lewin, The Purple Haze

[edit] Championships/Accomplishments

[edit] National Wrestling Alliance

• 3-Time NWA Australasian Tag Team Champion (1-time with Steve Rickard, 1-time with Al Perez and 1-time with Spiros Arion)
• 1-Time NWA America's Heavyweight Champion
• 1-Time NWA United States Tag Team Champion (Northeast version) (with Don Curtis)
• 2-Time NWA Pacific Coast (Vancouver) Heavyweight Champion
• 2-Time NWA United States Heavyweight Champion (Detroit version)

[edit] World Class Championship Wrestling

• 5-Time WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
• 1-Time NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Champion (Texas version) (with Killer Tim Brooks and One Man Gang)
• 3-Time NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion
• 1-Time WCCW Texas Tag Team Champion (with Dick Steinborn)
• 2-Time NWA American Tag Team Champion (with The Spoiler)

[edit] Florida Championship Wrestling

• 1-Time NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Champion

[edit] Other titles

• 1-Time WWA Heavyweight Champion
• 1-Time IWA Tag Team Champion (with Dominic DeNucci)
• 1-Time CWA Heavyweight Champion

[edit] Pro Wrestling Illustrated

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked him # 265 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.

[edit] Trivia

Mark's brothers Donn and Ted (now a well known author and illustrator) also wrestled. Their sister married wrestler Danny McShain.