[Ole Anderson GALLERY]
[Minnesota Wrecking Crew] [Four Horsemen]
Title History
- AWA Midwest Heavyweight title defeating Bob Orton Sr. (October 28, 1967);
- NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Geroge Becker and Johnny Weaver (March 26, 1970);
- AWA Midwest Heavyweight title defeating Tex McKenzie (November 7, 1970);
- AWA Midwest Tag Team titles w/ The Claw defeating Reggie Parks and Stan Pulaski (1971);
- AWA Midwest Tag Team titles w/ Ox Baker defeating Reggie Parks and Stan Pulaski (1971);
- NWA Florida Tag Team titles w/ Ron Garvin won a tournament (July 2, 1971);
- NWA Florida Television title defeating Jack Brisco (December 16, 1971);
- NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Art Neilson and Johnny Weaver (November 6, 1972);
- NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Art Neilson and Johnny Weaver (March 3, 1973);
- NWA (Mid Atlantic) Eastern States Heavyweight title defeating Jerry Brisco (May 9, 1973);
- NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Jerry Brisco and Thunderbolt Patterson (July 5, 1973);
- NWA Mid Atlantic Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Jay York and Brute Bernard (December 26, 1973);
- NWA Mid Atlantic Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Bob Bruggers and Johnny Weaver (March 9, 1974);
- NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Bob Armstrong and Robert Fuller (May 31, 1974);
- NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Tim Woods and Harley Race (sub for Mr. Wrestling II) (August 16, 1974);
- NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Mr. Wrestling I and II (September 20, 1974);
- NWA (Mid Atlantic) World Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson won a tournament (January 1975);
- NWA Mid Atlantic Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Tiger Conway Jr. and Paul Jones (February 20, 1975);
- NWA (Mid Atlantic) World Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Paul Jones and Wahoo McDaniel (June 11, 1975);
- NWA (Mid Atlantic) World Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Rufus R. Jones and Wahoo McDaniel (February 3, 1976);
- NWA (Mid Atlantic) World Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Dino Bravo and Mr. Wrestling (June 28, 1976);
- NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Porkchop Cash and Tom Jones (October 22, 1976);
- NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Tony Atlas and Tommy Rich (1977);
- NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Mr. Wrestling I and II (February 25, 1977);
- NWA (Mid Atlantic) World Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Greg Valentine and Ric Flair (May 8, 1977);
- NWA Macon Heavyweight title (May 24, 1977);
- NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Thunderbolt Patterson and Mr. Wrestling (June 1977);
- NWA (Mid Atlantic) World Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Mr. Wrestling II and Tony Atlas (August 1977);
- NWA (Mid Atlantic) World Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Dick Slater and Dusty Rhodes (September 30, 1977);
- NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/ Rene Goulet defeating Stan Hansen and Tommy Rich (December 13, 1977);
- NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/ Lars Anderson defeating Tony Atlas and Mr. Wrestling II (March 1978);
- NWA Georgia Television title (April 1978);
- NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/ Ivan Koloff defeating Tommy Rich and Thunderbolt Patterson (June 1978);
- NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/ Ivan Koloff defeating Tony Atlas and Thunderbolt Patterson (July 1978);
- NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/ Stan Hansen defeating Mr. Wrestling II and Tommy Rich (October 27, 1978);
- NWA Columbus Heavyweight title (December 1978);
- NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/ Ivan Koloff defeating Jack and Jerry Brisco (January 19, 1979);
- NWA Georgia Television title defeating Thunderbolt Patterson (March 2, 1979);
- NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/ Ivan Koloff defeating Wahoo McDaniel and Tommy Rich (June 8, 1979);
- NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/ Ivan Koloff defeating Stan Hansen and Tommy Rich (August 31, 1979);
- NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/ Ernie Ladd defeating Crusher Lisowski and Tommy Rich (October 5, 1979);
- NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/ Jerry Brisco Awarded (his half by Jack Brisco) (1980);
- NWA Southeastern Heavyweight title defeating Killer Karl Kox (April 13, 1980);
- NWA Georgia Tag Team titles w/ Lars Anderson defeating Alexi Smirnoff and Ivan Koloff (June 8, 1980);
- NWA (Mid Atlantic) World Tag Team titles w/ Gene Anderson defeating Masked Superstar and Paul Jones (May 1, 1981);
- NWA (Mid Atlantic) World Tag Team titles w/ Stan Hansen by winning a tournament (February 28, 1982);
- NWA (Georgia) National Tag Team titles w/ Thunderbolt Patterson defeating Bill and Scott Irwin (January 11, 1985);
- NWA (Georgia) National Tag Team titles w/ Arn Anderson defeating Thunderbolt Patterson and Manny Fernanadez (April 28, 1985);
Career Highlights
In The Beginning:
- Al Rogowski spent several years in the Army before discovering professional wrestling through the legendary Verne Gagne.
- August 18, 1967: Al Rogowski debuted in Verne Gagne’s Minnesota-based promotion under the name “Rock Rogowski”.
- September 1967: Verne Gagne sent Rock Rogowski to work for the Dusek’s Omaha promotion.
Minnesota Wrecking Crew (Original):
- Ole Anderson joined Gene Anderson and Lars Anderson to form the orginal Minnesota Wrestling Crew, (aka the Anderson Brothers).
- June 10, 1968: Lars and Gene and Ole (teaming for the first time ever) beat Paul Demarco and Amazing Zuma and Les Thatcher.
- ~~~The Anderson Brother trio were only billed as brother because of their uncanny resemblence, they were not related in real life.
Minnesota Wrecking Crew (Gene and Ole Anderson):
- April 1970: Ole and Gene Anderson captured the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles.
- 1971: Ole Anderson won the Florida Tag Team title with Ronnie Garvin.
- 1971: Ole Anderson defeated NWA World Champion Jack Brisco for the Florida TV title.
- 1973: Ole Anderson won the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title from Jerry Brisco.
- 1973: Ole and Gene Anderson recaptured the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles.
- 1973: Ole Anderson defeated James J. Dillon in the finals of a tournament for the first Mid-Atlantic TV Champion.
- May 31, 1974: Ole and Gene Anderson beat Robert Fuller and “Bullet” Bob Armstrong for the Georgia Tag Team titles.
- 1973: Ole and Gene Anderson beat Tim Woods and Harley Race to win the Georgia Tag Team titles again.
- 1975: Ole and Gene Anderson became the first NWA (Mid-Atlantic) World Tag Team champions.
- 1975: Ole Anderson was defeated by Paul Jones in the first round of a tournament for the United States Heavyweight title.
- Ole and Gene Anderson continued to bounce back and forth between Georgia and the Mid-Atlantic areas.
- December 25, 1976: Ole and Gene Anderson were defeated by Ric Flair and Greg Valentine for the titles in a steel cage match.
- 1977: Ole and Gene Anderson were suddenly “fan favorites”.
- Ole, Gene and Wahoo McDaniel feuded with Ric Flair, Greg Valentine and Blackjack Mulligan.
- Ole and Gene Anderson returned to Georgia and went on to win four more Georgia Tag Team championships.
- May, 1977: Ole and Gene Anderson got a win over Ric Flair and Greg Valentine to win their 4th World Tag Team title.
- ~~~Ric Flair and Greg Valentine eventually regained the belts.
- Gene Anderson’s health problems led to his retirement.
Ole Anderson on his own:
- Ole Anderson teamed with Jacques Goulet, Lars Anderson (ficticious “relitive”), Ernie Ladd to each win the Georgia Tag Team titles.
- Ole Anderson teamed with Ivan Koloff and they became five-time Georgia Tag Team champions between 1978-79.
- Ole Anderson travelled to the Alabama area where he had two reigns as the Southeast Heavyweight Champion.
- Ole and Lars Anderson returned to Georgia as “The Masked Avengers” to feud with the Russians, Ivan Koloff and Alexis Smirnoff.
- Ole Anderson later teamed with Dusty Rhodes to take on “The Assassins”.
- Ole Anderson and Dusty Rhodes took on The Assassins in a cage match with Gene Anderson and Ivan Koloff as special guest referees.
- ~~~Ole and Gene BOTH turned on Dusty leaving him open to a 5-1 beating inside the cage!
- May 1, 1981: Ole and Gene Anderson (out of retirement) went back to the Carolinas and won one more World Tag Team Championship.
- ~~~Gene Anderson went into permanent retirement soon after, vacating the titles.
- 1982: Ole Anderson won another World Tag Team Title with the dangerous cowboy, Stan Hansen in a tournament.
The Four Horsemen:
- 1984: Ole Anderson began teaming regularly with Thunderbolt Patterson.
- 1985: Ole Anderson and Thunderbolt Patterson started a feud with Arn Anderson in Georgia.
- Ole Anderson ended up turning on Thunderbolt and joining forces with his ‘family’, Arn Anderson.
- Ole and Arn Anderson immediately joined Ric Flair and Tully Blanchard in the first version of the famous Four Horsemen!
Retirement:
- Ole Anderson released a very well-written and entertaining (yet controversial) book entitled Inside Out, co-written by Scott Teal.
- Summer 2007: Ole Anderson was suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and it worsened with memory loss and decreased mobility.
- February 26, 2024: Ole Anderson passed away at the age of 81.