https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–GzloUE8zs
Title History
- NWA (Tri State) United States Tag Team titles w/Dennis Stamp defeating Eddie Sullivan & Rip Tyler (May ??, 1973);
- NWA (Toronto) International Tag Team titles w/Billy Red Lyons defeating Hartford & Reginald Love (June 23, 1974);
- NWA (Toronto) International Tag Team titles w/Billy Red Lyons defeating Hartford & Reginald Love (December 29, 1974);
- NWA (Toronto) International Tag Team titles w/Billy Red Lyons defeating Mike & Pat Kelly (August 24, 1975);
- NWA (Toronto) Canadian Heavyweight title defeating Greg Valentine [Tournament] (September 9, 1979);
- NWA Mid Atlantic Tag Team titles w/George Wells defeating Luke Williams & Butch Miller (December 12, 1980);
- NWA Mid Atlantic Tag Team titles w/Johnny Weaver defeating Genichiro Tenryu & Mr. Fuji (????, 1981);
- NWA Central States Tag Team titles w/Rufus R. Jones defeating Jerry Brown & Bob Sweetan [Tournament] (October ??, 1981);
- NWA Central States Television title defeating Gene Lewis (October 22, 1981);
- NWA Central States Tag Team titles w/Steve Regal defeating Jerry Valiant & Roger Kirby (March ??, 1982);
- NWA Central States Tag Team titles w/Steve Regal defeating Jerry Valiant & Roger Kirby (March ??, 1982);
- NWA Central States Tag Team titles w/Hercules Hernandez defeating Mark Romero & Mike George (August ??, 1982);
- NWA Central States Tag Team titles w/Hercules Hernandez defeating Mark Romero & Mike George (September 30, 1982);
- NWA Central States Heavyweight title defeating Manny Fernandez (Febuary 10, 1983);
- NWA Central States Heavyweight title defeating Bob Brown (May 19, 1983);
Career Highlights
Dewey Robertson:
- Mid-1960s: Byron “Dewey” Robertson began his professional wrestling career on the Hamilton TV show..
- Byron Robertson became very popular in the Toronto territory as babyface under the name “Dewey Robertson”..
- Dewey Robertson had an excellent physique and good mat skills, although he was never particularly charismatic..
- 1973: Dewey Robertson left Toronto to wrestle in the United States and Internationally..
- 1974: Dewey Robertson came back to Canada as the masked Crusader (with manager John St. John)..
- ~~~The Crusader gimmick was that he was on a crusade for good clean “scientific” wrestling..
- ~~~The Crusader wore an all-white costume and was soon unmasked after losing a match by countout to The Sheik..
- April 7, 1974: The Sheik defeated The Crusader by COUNT OUT and unmasked the Crusader as Dewey Robertson..
- 1974: Dewey Robertson was joined by Billy “Red” Lyons, as the tag team The Crusaders (often wrestling under masks)..
- Dewey Robertson owned a gym in Burlington for a few years in the 70s and appeared on a TV commercial tearing up a phone book..
- 1979: Dewey Robertson briefly wrestled as a heel in the Mid-Atlantic area, managed by former world champion Buddy Rogers..
- ~~~During his association with Rogers, Robertson used the Nature Boy’s trademark figure-four leglock as his finisher..
The Missing Link:
- 1984: Dewey Robertson shaved most of his head, painted his face green, and became a big in the U.S. as The Missing Link..
- 1985: Dewey Robertson briefly wrestled in the WWF, and got a full-page photo layout in Sports Illustrated magazine..
The Missing Link (Drug Addition):
- Late 1980s: Dewey Robertson overcame a battle with drugs that plagued his life and career for many many years..
- 1990s: Dewey Robertson served on the board of directors of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA)..
- Dewey Robertson’s son Jason Stirling has worked on independent wrestling shows in Ontario, Canada..
- ~~~Jason briefly wrestled in the UWF and in Florida in 1987 along with brother Mark Stirling..
Retirement (Byron “Dewey” Robertson):
- May 7, 2004–World of Hurt Wrestling: The Missing Link defeated Doink the Clown..
- May 14, 2004–CIWA: Dewey Robertson vs. Quinson Valentino ended in a Double DQ..
- June 12, 2004–WWSA: The Missing Link defeated Skinhead Ivan..
- September 18, 2004–Twin Wrestling Entertainment: The Missing Link defeated Flesh Gordon..
- ~~~Later on they had a Legends Ceremony for Sweet Daddy Siki, Waldo von Erich, Missing Link & Baron Scicluna..
- January 29, 2005 – WrestleReunion: The Missing Link (Dewey Robertson) defeated George South..
- March 18, 2005–NWS: The Missing Link (at 66 years old) defeated John Cabbie..
- November 5, 2005–MWF/AWA New England: Gino Martino vs. Missing Link (66-years-old) ended in a No Contest..
- May 19, 2006–World of Hurt Wrestling: The Missing Link defeated Max Moon ….
The Death of Byron “Dewey” Robertson:
- August 11, 2007: Byron “Dewey” Robertson was gravely ill with cancer at a hospital in Hamilton, Ontario..
- August 16, 2007: Byron Robertson (age 68) passed at at 3:30 a.m. after a year-long battle with cancer..
- December 1, 2007–Stranglehold: Dewey Robertson Memorial Tournament in Hamilton at the Stranglehold Dojo..
- As most of you already know, early yesterday morning, in Hamilton, Ontario, Byron John “Dewey” Robertson lost the longest match of his life: his battle against cancer. He was 68. Under a mask as The Crusader, or wrestling as the clean cut Canadian Champ Dewey Robertson, and finally as the mysterious, ferocious Missing Link, Robertson entertained thousands. Recently, ECW Press published the candid and compelling Bang Your Head!, the biography he co-authored with Meredith Renwick. Robertson is survived by his sons Jason and Mark and their families, and companion Karen Antoniak. ECW offers them and all his friends our sincerest condolences.
- Dewey, as I knew him, was a towering man, as broad as he was tall, who always had a snappy joke and a ready wink for the women in the room. “Where were you when I was young?” he once said to me, as we sat across the table to discuss publicity for his book. Dewey’s heyday of professional wrestling had passed long before, but American fans will always remember that man with the green face, “The Missing Link”, who emerged growling from a swamp and stepped into the squared circle and the hearts of millions. When I met him last year, his cancer was in remission. Despite his chemo, Dewey still looked fighting fit. Each of his biceps was as big as a small tree trunk. Dewey had a rough life. He was a substance abuser for a long time, and chronically depressed. The pressures of being on the road lost him his family, his friends, and his home. He was generous to a fault, giving away money freely to whoever asked for it, and when he became drug-free, devoting his time to the public-speaking circuit to educate young people about the dangers of drug use. His memoir, Bang Your Head! was a result of this as well. At our publicity meeting, he told me that the only thing he wanted to get out of this was to make people aware by his own example. With his large carriage, his gentle demeanour, and his snuffly-gruffly voice, Dewey endeared himself to all of us at ECW Press. We were always happy to see him when he lumbered into the office during the book’s production, roaring at the top of his voice and frightening some of us witless. Dewey’s book launch was a very important day for him, because he achieved his goal that day, and held that book, the story of his life, in his hands. Many strangers showed up at the launch, all wrestling fans, all who remembered Dewey from their childhood days watching Maple Leaf Wrestling, where he was one of their superstars. They came up and spoke to him at his table, and he was so touched by their compliments and warm wishes, that at one point, he was misty-eyed. I don’t think he ever imagined he would see this day, this life goal accomplished, thanks to Meredith Renwick’s angelic hand.
- Dewey planned to write a second book, about the dangers of drug use, but instead, his cancer returned, and he had to fight it. On Sunday, we received notice that Dewey was back in hospital again because the cancer had returned to his lungs, liver, and kidney, and had only a week or two to live. At 3:30 am yesterday morning, he passed on.
- I hope there’s a squared circle somewhere out there, wherever you are, Dewey. Bang your head and keep on fightin’. Kulsum Merchant
Publicity and Marketing
ECW Press