Moondog Rex
| Birth name | Randy Colley |
|---|---|
| Born |
May 2, 1950 Alexander City, Alabama |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) |
Moondog Hawkins [1] Moondog Rex[1] Smash[1] Shadow #1 The Nightmare[2] Detroit Demolition[1] Deadeye Dick[1] Randy the Mountaineer[1] Assassin #2[1] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Billed weight | 290 lb (130 kg)[1] |
| Debut | 1971 |
| Retired | 1996 |
Randy Colley (born May 2, 1950) is a retired professional wrestler better known as Moondog Rex.[1]
Professional wrestling career
World Wrestling Federation (1981 - 1987)
Colley competed in the World Wrestling Federation, where in 1981 he won the WWF Tag Team Championship with Moondog King (later replaced by Moondog Spot) as The Moondogs. In 1984, Rex had a WWF Title shot against Hulk Hogan on the Canadian television tapings that aired on both Maple Leaf and All-Star wrestling.
On January 4, 1987, in Springfield, MA, Colley was repackaged as "Smash" in the new tag-team of Demolition, facing and defeating The Islanders [3] The following day in East Rutherford, NJ he made his televised debut at a WWF Superstars taping. Despite having his hair buzzed, his beard shaved off, and wearing face paint, fans almost immediately recognized him and began chanting "Moondog" when he entered the ring.[4] Following a third appearance, this time at a Wrestling Challenge taping he was replaced by Barry Darsow.
As compensation, Colley was placed into another tag-team. This time wrestling under a mask, he teamed with Jose Luis Rivera in a tandem known as The Shadows. They made their debut at a WWF Superstars taping on April 23, 1987 and defeated Nick Kiniski & Lanny Poffo. The Shadows were immediately placed into a house show program that spring with The Young Stallions and were defeated in every instance. The Shadows dissolved following a contract dispute that led to Colley leaving the company in October 1987. Jose Luis Rivera would go on to become one half of the Conquistadors.
Continental (1988 - 1989)
He had a long singles run on top in Mid South as "The Nightmare" and "The Champion" managed by both Eddie Gilbert and Sir Oliver Humperdink. After Demolition ended for him in the WWF, he went to Continental where he worked as Detroit Demolition. He was able to do this because he was co-creator of the original gimmick. His biggest career feud was in Memphis where the Moondogs had a series of wild, bloody main event matches with the Fabulous Ones.
World Championship Wrestling (1990 - 1991)
In the summer of 1990, Randy Colley returned to WCW as Moondog Rex in singles competition. His first match was on a July 6th house show in Norfolk, VA against El Gigante. His televised debut would not come for several months, when he finally appeared on World Championship Wrestling on September 29th and defeated Reno Riggins. Rex's highest profile match was losing to The Junkyard Dog at Halloween Havoc 90. Wrestling as Moondog Rex he continued to appear on televised programs and house shows into the spring of 1991. [5]
In May 1991 World Championship Wrestling (WCW) created a stable known as "the Desperados" consisting of Dutch Mantell, Black Bart, and Colley, who played "Deadeye Dick". The Desperados were packaged with the gimmick of being three bumbling cowboys looking to meet Stan Hansen to go to WCW and become a team. Over the course of a few weeks, they were promoted through a series of vignettes in which they were beaten up in saloons, searched ghost towns, were jailed, and rode horses. Hansen reportedly wanted no part of the storyline and left for Japan, never to return to wrestle in North America. Without Hansen, the group were dissolved as a stable almost immediately, never appearing on television other than in their vignettes. They wrestled just three matches as a trio, all at house shows in July against the Fabulous Freebirds.[6]
In 1994, Colley was called as a prosecution witness in the Vince McMahon steroid distribution trial on Long Island, New York.[7]
In wrestling
- With Ax
- Demolition Decapitation – WWF
- Managers
Championships and accomplishments
- NWA Gulf Coast Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jim Dalton[1]
- NWA Southeastern Continental Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with D.I. Bob Carter
- Hardcore Championship Wrestling
- HCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Steve Morton[11]
- Mid-South Wrestling Association
- USWA World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Moondog Spot[1]
- WWC North American Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Moondog Spot[1]
- WWC World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Moondog Spot[1]
- WWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Moondog Spot[1]
- WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Moondog King and replacement partner Moondog Spot[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "Randy Colley's profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
- ↑ "Oliver Humperdink profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
- ↑ http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/87.htm
- ↑ http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2011/1101/546289/demolition/
- ↑ http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/wcw91.htm
- ↑ http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/wcw91.htm
- ↑ "Wrestling Promoter's Trial On Steroids Charges Begins"
- ↑ Ellison, Lillian. First Goddess of the Squared Circle, p.166–167.
- ↑ Matt Mackinder (January 17, 2008). "Sir Oliver Humperdink recalls career of yesteryear". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ↑ "House of Humperdink". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
- ↑ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.