Rick McGraw
| Rick McGraw | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Richard McGraw |
| Born |
March 19, 1955 Charlotte, North Carolina, United States |
| Died |
November 1, 1985 (aged 30) Fair Haven East, Connecticut |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Rick McGraw |
| Billed height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[1] |
| Billed weight | 235 lb (107 kg)[1] |
| Billed from | Charlotte, North Carolina[1] |
| Trained by | Rip Hawk |
| Debut | 1976 |
Richard McGraw (March 19, 1955 – November 1, 1985) was an American professional wrestler best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring name "Quickdraw" Rick McGraw during the 1980s.
McGraw also had a notable career in various regional territories of the National Wrestling Alliance.[1] He was one half of the New York Dolls with Troy Graham in the World Wrestling Association, winning the WWA World Tag Team Championship in 1982, the Carolina Connection with Steve Travis and later formed a tag team with André the Giant.
History
McGraw began his career in 1976 in the Florida area. He competed in the Mid-Atlantic region a couple of years later before entering the World Wrestling Federation.[2]
McGraw defeated enhancement talent, but mostly put over heels that were ready to challenge WWF champion Bob Backlund.[3] He also competed on the Showdown at Shea show in August 1980, losing to Greg Gagne.[3]
McGraw then moved to Memphis and was part of the tag team duo called "New York Dolls" with Troy Graham. The team was managed by Jimmy Hart.
Rick then re-entered Vince McMahon Sr.'s WWF as part of the tag team called the Carolina Connection with Steve Travis.[3]
Quickdraw had notable matches with numerous top heels during his time in the WWF. He was once managed by Arnold Skaaland and also had his neck "broken" by Killer Khan in a match.[3] Towards the end of his career, McGraw teamed up with André the Giant[1] to form a lopsided tag team duo: McGraw was 5'7" with the Giant billed at 7'4".
McGraw was well known in the business as having a severe drug problem, and was one of the first of many in professional wrestling to die from one. In Bret Hart's autobiography Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling, Bret wrote: "Every night he'd swallow a handful of Placidyls and wind up passed out face down in his dinner...The cause of his death was labelled a heart attack, but we all knew his heart had given out under deadly dosages of downers."
On a 1985 episode of WWF Championship Wrestling, McGraw was a guest on the "Piper's Pit" segment and got on host "Rowdy" Roddy Piper's case about always shooting his mouth off and not wrestling on television, prompting Piper to accept a challenge to wrestle him on the show the very next week.[3] McGraw died just days after wrestling "Hot Rod" in the nationally televised match (Quickdraw wore a "Hot Rod" t-shirt to the ring) in Poughkeepsie, New York. McGraw took such a beating that referee Dick Kroll stopped the match after Piper delivered numerous DDT's.[3] Though some mystery still exists today about whether or not this match contributed to this death there exists nothing beyond circumstantial evidence to support this theory. Shortly after McGraw's death, Roddy Piper headlined a show held to benefit McGraw's family. He had left behind a wife "Lisa" and a newborn son "Ricky".
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Managers
Championships and accomplishments
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. Dorling Kindersley. p. 239. ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
- ↑ Cawthon, Graham (2013). the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 3:Jim Crockett and the NWA World Title 1983-1989. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 149480347X.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Cawthon, Graham (2013). the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 1: WWF 1963 - 1989. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 1492825972.
- ↑ "Jimmy Hart profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
- ↑ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Alabama: NWA Alabama Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ↑ "W.W.A. World Tag Team Title (Indianapolis)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003.