Title History
- Australian Heavyweight title defeating Pat Meehan [Tournament] (October 10, 1942);
- Australian Heavyweight title (1944);
- Australian Heavyweight title (1947);
- NWA (Toronto) British Empire/Commonwealth Heavyweight title defeating Billy Watson (March 3, 1949);
- NWA (San Francisco) Pacific Coast Tag Team titles w/ Ray Eckert defeating Dennis Clary and Rikidozan (1952);
- NWA (San Francisco) World Tag Team titles w/ Ray Eckert defeating Mike and Ben Sharpe (December 16, 1952);
- NWA (San Francisco) Pacific Coast Tag Team titles w/ Ray Eckert defeating James Blears and Anthol Layton (March 1953);
- NWA (San Francisco) Pacific Coast Tag Team titles w/ Ray Eckert defeating Leo Nomellini and Enrique Torres (June 2, 1953);
- NWA (Georgia) International Tag Team titles w/ Ike Eakins Billed as champs (October 1956);
- NWA (Toronto) International Tag Team titles w/ Professor Hiro defeating John Paul Henning and Art Thomas (October 1962);
- NWA (Toronto) International Tag Team titles w/ Professor Hiro defeating Jim Hady and Johnny Valentine (July 1964);
- NWA (Toronto) International Tag Team titles w/ Professor Hiro defeating Johnny Valentine and Billy Watson (September 17, 1964);
- NWA (Toronto) International Tag Team titles w/ Tiger Jeet Singh defeating Bulldog Brower and Billy Watson (July 31, 1966);
Career History
- Fred Atkins won the Australian Heavyweight Championship on three separate occasions.
- 1947: Fred Atkins came to North America where he competed for Joe Malcewicz’s San Francisco promotion.
- 1948: Fred Atkins moved to Ontario to work for Frank Tunney’s Toronto promotion.
- 1949: Fred Atkins moved to Toronto, where he defeated Whipper Billy Watson for the British Empire/Commonwealth title.
- 1949: Fred Atkins defeats Gene Kiniski for the British Empire/Commonwealth Title ten years after winning the title.
- 1953: Fred Atkins and Lord Athel Layton win the Canadian Tag Team titles.
- 1953: Fred Atkins and Ray Eckert capture the NWA World Tag Team titles.
- Fred Atkins and Ray Eckert continue their partnership to win the NWA Pacific Coast Tag titles.
- Fred Atkins became the #1 Contender for the NWA World Heavyweight title, which was held at the time by Pat O’Conner.
- Fred Atkins came close to winning the title, when his match with Pat O’Conner went to a draw!
- 1971: Fred Atkins wrestled into his early 60s and had his last match.
- 1970s: Fred Atkins was a trainer for the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.
- Fred Atkins became a referee for the WWWF.
- 1979-81: Fred Atkins worked for the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs organisations.
- Fred Atkins also trained Giant Baba and Tiger Jeet Singh.
- May 14, 1988: Fred Atkins passed away at the age of 77.
From the WAWLI Papers about Fred Atkins: From Australia, where he was a champion wrestler. Was brought to the attention of San Francisco promoter Joe Malcewicz by former world champion Ed “Strangler” Lewis. Moved to Ontario in 1948 and worked for Frank Tunney as a wrestler and referee for decades. Atkins trained several wrestlers, most notably Tiger Jeet Singh and Giant Baba. Was also a trainer for the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres for a while in the 1970s.
Atkins and Ray Eckert traded the NWA world tag team title with the Canadian team of Mike and Ben Sharpe in 1952. He continued to wrestle in Toronto until he was 60 years old. His final match was in the summer of 1971. Atkins worked as a referee for years after that. He died in 1988 at age 76.
“Fred Atkins is a great ringman and combines a sound, experienced wrestling knowledge with a solid, hardy physique. He has a perfect build for a wrestler, standing 6’1″ tall and weighing 250. He now makes his home in Crystal Beach, Ontario and is becoming a Canadian citizen.” (From WRESTLING AS YOU LIKE IT, Feb. 7, 1953)
“Fred Atkins, the “strong-man” from Sydney, Australia, is one of the real veterans of the mat sport. Here is a grappler in his middle 40s who can count his losses on his fingers and he is one of the strongest competitors in the business. Last September in Toledo he wrestled champion Pat O’Connor to a draw but almost stripped O’Connor of his title.” (From THE RING, April 1960)