[SLAM! Article by Greg Oliver ]
Title History
- NWA (Vancouver) Canadian Tag Team titles w/Dutch Savage defeating John Tolos & Tony Borne (July 11, 1966);
- NWA (Vancouver) World Tag Team titles w/Dutch Savage defeating John Tolos & Tony Borne (October 3, 1966);
- NWA (Vancouver) World Tag Team titles w/Dutch Savage defeating John Tolos & Chris Tolos (February 6, 1967);
- NWA (Texas) American Tag Team titles w/Gary Hart defeating Brute Bernard & Mike Paidousis (October 23, 1967);
- NWA (Taxas) American Tag Team titles w/Spoiler #2 [Sloan] beating Fritz von Erich & Billy Red Lyons (April 22, 1968);
- NWA (Texas) American Tag Team titles w/Smasher Sloan [Smasher Sloan was unmasked and went by his name] (1968);
- NWA (Texas) American Tag Team titles w/Gary Hart [Gary Hart replaces Sloan when he leaves Texas] (1968);
- NWA (Texas) American Tag Team titles w/Gary Hart defeating Fritz Von Erich & Grizzly Smith (July 19, 1968);
- NWA (Tennessee & Alabama) Mid-America World Tag Team titles w/Spoiler #2 [???] (September 1969);
- NWA (Texas) American Heavyweight title defeating Fritz Von Erich (April 5, 1968);
- NWA (Texas) American Heavyweight title defeating Fritz Von Erich (December 11, 1971);
- NWA Texas Heavyweight title defeating Billy Red Lyons (March 29, 1968);
- NWA Texas Heavyweight title defeating Grizzly Jake Smith (August 20, 1968);
- NWA Texas Brass Knuckles title defeating ????? (1968);
- IWA (Australia) World Tag Team titles w/Mario Milano (March 7, 1969);
- IWA (Australia) World Heavyweight title defeating Spiros Arion (April 4, 1969);
- IWA (Australia) World Tag Team titles w/Waldo Von Erich [Spoiler replaces Mario Milano] (April 1969);
- IWA (Australia) World Tag Team titles w/Waldo Von Erich defeating Billy White Wolf & Tex McKenzie (May 24, 1969);
- Mid-South North American Heavyweight title (1969);
- Mid-South United States Tag Team titles w/????? (1971);
- NWA (Texas) American Tag Team titles w/Mark Lewin defeating ???? & ???? (1973);
- WWC North American Heavyweight title defeating Carlos Colon (August 25, 1975);
- NWA Georgia Heavyweight title defeating Mr. Wrestling II (November 27, 1975);
- WWC North American Tag Team titles [??? & ???] defeating Carlos Colon & Bob Ellis (January 10, 1976);
- NWA Georgia Heavyweight title defeated Bob Armstrong for the vacant title (January 1976);
- NWA Georgia Heavyweight title defeated Dusty Rhodes (February 6, 1976);
- NWA Florida Tag Team titles w/Spoiler #2 [Bobby Duncum] defeating The Brisco Brothers (June 27, 1978);
- NWA Florida Heavyweight title defeating Jack Brisco (May 23, 1978);
- NWA Florida Heavyweight title defeating Dusty Rhodes (September 23, 1978);
- NWA (Florida) Southern Heavyweight title defeating Jerry Brisco (1978);
- NWA (Texas) American Tag Team titles w/Mark Lewin defeating Kevin & David Von Erich (February 19, 1979);
- NWA (Texas) American Heavyweight title defeating Kevin Von Erich (April 1, 1979);
- NWA (Texas) American Heavyweight title won from Wahoo McDaniel by forfiet (June 2, 1979);
- NWA (Texas) American Heavyweight title defeating El Halcon (October 2, 1979);
- (World Class) Television title by winning a Battle Royal [First Ever] (1979);
- NWA Florida Heavyweight title defeating Charlie Cook (November 3, 1981);
- (World Class) Television title by winning a Battle Royal (May 17, 1982);
- (World Class) Television title defeating Frank Dusek (June 12, 1982);
- NWA (Georgia) National Heavyweight title defeating Brad Armstrong (April 12, 1984);
- NWA (Georgia) National Heavyweight title defeating Brad Armstrong (July 1, 1984);
Career Highlights
In The Beginning – Canada:
- 1955: Don Jardine began his wrestling career in the Toronto area working for Whipper Billy Watson..
- Don Jardine used the “Butcher” moniker when he was briefly teamed with both Mad Dog Vachon and Dutch Savage..
- Don Jardine decided to become a “masked wrestler” because he wanted to create a mystery aura around himself..
- 1964: Lou Thesz defeated Don Jardine on TV to retain the NWA World Heavyweight title in St. Louis, Missouri..
- 1966: Gene Kiniski defeated Don Jardine to retain the NWA World Heavyweight title in British Columbia..The Spoiler:
- 1967: The Spoiler gimmick was born, as Don Jardine began wrestling under a mask..
- ~~~Jardine credits Dallas promoter Fritz von Erich and Jay Strongbow for the idea..
- 1960s & 70s: The Spoiler wrestled for both All Japan Pro (Baba) & New Japan Pro (Inoki)..
- The Spoiler also worked for Vince McMahon Sr.’s World Wide Wrestling Federation ..
- The Spoiler headlined against WWWF Champion Pedro Morales in Madison Square Garden..
- ~~~The Spoiler wrestled without his mask because MSG had a rule banning masked wrestlers..
- ~~~A few months later, the rule was abolished in favour of the Lucha Libre legend Mil Mascaras..
- 1973: Don Jardine briefly wrestled as “The Super Destroyer” in the Carolinas and also in Verne Gagne’s AWA..
- 1979: Harley Race defeated The Spoiler to retain the NWA World Heavyweight title in Houston, Texas..
- Don Jardine (as The Spoiler #1) formed “The Spoilers” tag team with several different partners in different areas..
- ~~~Spoiler #2 played by Bobby Duncum (Florida), Buddy Wolff (Oklahoma), Smasher Sloan (Texas), Butcher Vachon (??)Retirement:
- Don Jardine has retired from wresting and lived with his wife in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada..
- Don Jardine is known for being the man who trained The Undertaker – although that claim is disputed..
- December 16, 2006: Don Jardine passed away from complications of a heart attack and leukemia at the age of 66..
Dave Meltzer (via WrestlingObserver.com) wrote: Don Jardine, whose style played a hand in the moves of of The Undertaker, was noted for his tremendous balance, as a 6-4, 275 pound man walked the ropes. Undertaker’s “old school” spot he does in most major matches is a take-off of that. Undertaker was originally billed when wrestling in Texas as the protege of Jardine, although he was more told by those in Texas when he started to emulate Jardine because of how well respected Jardine was as a tall agile heel.
Jardine was best known in Texas, where he was a long-time top heel for several different runs. He held the National heavyweight championship for Georgia Championship Wrestling when the promotion was purchased in 1984 by Vince McMahon, who bought it primarily for access to TBS. He went to WWF, but quit the business shortly afterwards.