WRESTLER PROFILES

[Ray Stevens Gallery] [Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame]	Wrestler: "Crippler" Ray Stevens Real Name: Carl Raymond Stevens Birthday: September 5, 1935 Hometown: Born in Point Pleasant, West Virginia Raised in Columbus, Ohio Billed from San Francisco, California Marital Status: Married to Theresa Theis Height & Weight: 6' 2" - 250 lbs Trained by: Theresa Theis Debut: Early 1950s Previous Names: Ray Shire Ray "Blond Bomber" Stevens Ray "The Crippler" Stevens Finishing Move: The Bombs Away (NWA) The Piledriver (AWA/WWF) Favorite Moves: The Atomic Drop Notable Feuds: Mike Paidousis Lou Plummer Pedro Morales Pepper Gomez Chris Taylor Big Bill Miller Dory Funk Jr. Pepper Gomez The Crusher Kinji Shibuya Ole Anderson Jimmy Snuka
(Maryland) American Tag Team titles w/Don Stevens defeating Donn & Mark Lewin (March 13, 1956); MWA Ohio Tag Team titles w/Don Stevens defeating Bobo Brazil & Frankie Talaber (May 2, 1956); MWA (Ohio) World Junior Heavyweight title defeating Joe Scarpello (June 14, 1956); NWA Florida Televison title defeating Harry Smith (November 21, 1956); MWA Ohio Tag Team titles w/Ed Francis defeating Leon Graham & Frankie Talaber (August 30, 1957); NWA (Tennessee) Southern Junior Heavyweight title defeating Tor Yamata (November 11, 1957); NWA (Tennessee) Southern Junior Heavyweight title defeating ?????? (June ??, 1958); NWA (Tennessee) Southern Junior Heavyweight title defeating Corsica Jean (October ??, 1958); AWA (Indiana) World Tag Team titles w/Roy Shires defeating Dick Afflis & Gene Kiniski (April 9, 1960); AWA (San Francisco) United States Heavyweight title defeating Bobo Brazil (November ??, 1960); AWA (San Francisco) United States Heavyweight title defeating Bob Ellis (May ??, 1961); AWA (Indiana) World Tag Team titles w/Art Neilson defeating Red & Lou Bastien (May 12, 1961); AWA (San Francisco) United States Heavyweight title defeating Pepper Gomez (Febuary 23, 1963); AWA (San Francisco) United States Heavyweight title defeating Wilbur Snyder (June 29, 1964); AWA (San Francisco) United States Heavyweight title defeating Dominic DeNucci (Febuary 29, 1964); AWA (San Francisco) World Tag Team titles w/Dan Manoukian defeating Jose Lothario & Pepper Gomez (November ??, 1964); IWA (Australia) World Heavyweight title defeating Dominic DeNucci (January ??, 1965); AWA (San Francisco) World Tag Team titles w/Pat Patterson defeating Billy Red Lyons & The Destroyer (April 17, 1965); IWA (Australia) World Tag Team titles w/Art Nelson defeating George & Sandy Scott (November 19, 1966); IWA (Australia) World Heavyweight title defeating Sprios Arion (December 2, 1966); AWA (San Francisco) World Tag Team titles w/Pat Patterson defeating Mongolian Stomper & Cyclone Negro (January 21, 1967); AWA (San Francisco) United States Heavyweight title defeating Bill Watts (March 11, 1967); NWA (Hawaii) United States Heavyweight title defeating Jim Hady (May 15, 1968); AWA (San Francisco) United States Heavyweight title defeating Curtis Iaukea (September 14, 1968); NWA (San Francisco) United States Heavyweight title defeating Cutis Iaukea (June 7, 1969); NWA (San Francisco) World Tag Team titles w/Pepper Gomez defeating Masa Saito & Kinji Shibuya (October ??, 1969); NWA (San Francisco) United States Heavyweight title defeating Pat Patterson (July 11, 1970); AWA World Tag Team titles w/Nick Bockwinkel defeating Crusher Lisowski & Red Bastien (January 20, 1972); NWA Florida Tag Team titles w/Nick Bockwinkel defeating Tim Woods & Hiro Matsuda (July 20, 1972); AWA World Tag Team titles w/Nick Bockwinkel defeating Billy Robinson & Vern Gagne (January 6, 1973); AWA World Tag Team titles w/Nick Bockwinkel defeating Billy Robinson & Crusher Lisowski (October 24, 1974); NWA (Amarillo) Brass Knuckles title defeating ????? (July ??, 1975); NWA (Amarillo) Brass Knuckles title defeating Johnny Starr (July 31, 1975); NWA (San Francisco) World Tag Team titles w/Moondog Mayne defeating Kurt & Karl Von Steiger (November 12, 1977); AWA World Tag Team titles w/Pat Patterson Awarded (September 23, 1978); NWA Florida Tag Team titles w/Mike Graham defeating Mr. Sakurada & Mr. Hito (October 9, 1979); NWA Mid Atlantic Heavyweight title defeating Jim Brunzell (November 25, 1979); NWA (Mid Atlantic) World Tag Team titles w/Greg Valentine defeating Jay Youngblood & Ricky Steamboat (March 29, 1980): NWA (Mid Atlantic) World Tag Team titles w/Jimmy Snuka defeating Jay Youngblood & Ricky Steamboat (June 22, 1980); PWI (Pro Wrestling Illustrated) Magazine Tag Team of the Year w/Jimmy Snuka (1980); NWA (Mid Atlantic) World Tag Team titles w/Ivan Koloff defeating Masked Superstar & Paul Jones (Febuary 22, 1981); NWA Florida Televison title defeating Eric Embry (January 16, 1982);
In The Beginning: Ray Stevens formed a tag team with Don Fargo, and they were known as Ray & Don Stevens.. Late 50s: Ray Stevens formed a team with Roy Shire, and they were known as Ray & Roy Shire in the Indianapolis promotion.. Ray Stevens later formed a long-time partnership with Pat Patterson in California, before moving to the AWA together.. Roy Shire's San Francisco Territory: April 4, 1967: Pepper Gomez & Pedro Morales defeated Pat Patterson & Ray Stevens to win the World Tag Team titles.. American Wrestling Association: Ray Stevens joined Bobby Heenan's The Heenan Family and formed a tag team with Nick Bockwinkel.. Sept 1, 1972--Soldiers Field: Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens beat Billy Robinson & Wilbur Snyder to retain the AWA Tag titles.. Sept 7, 1974--Comiskey Park: The Crusher & Larry Hennig & Ivan Putski b Nick Bockwinkel & Billy Graham & Ray Stevens.. American Wrestling Association: Ray Stevens' finisher (the Bombs Away) was barred after he came off the top rope and broke the leg of Doctor X (Dick Beyer).. ~~~This incident, a TV Angle/Storyline, also earned Ray Stevens his "Crippler" moniker.. June 6, 1979: Verne Gagne & Mad Dog Vachon defeated Pat Patterson & Ray Stevens for the AWA Tag Team titles.. World Wrestling Federation: July 16, 1978 - Toronto: Verne Gagne & Jim Brunzell defeated Pat Patterson & Ray Stevens to retain AWA Tag Team titles.. November 19, 1978 - Toronto: Bob Backlund & Dino Bravo defeated Ray Stevens & Pat Patterson by DQ.. November 18, 1979 - Toronto: Ray Stevens defeated Ronnie Sexton.. December 9, 1979 - Toronto: Ric Flair defeated Ray Stevens.. December 30, 1979 - Toronto: Jimmy Snuka & Ray Stevens defeated Dewey Robertson & Ric Flair.. January 13, 1980 - Toronto: Dewey Robertson & Ric Flair defeated Jimmy Snuka & Ray Stevens.. November 6, 1982 - Allentown: Ray Stevens defeated Curt Hennig.. American Wrestling Association: September 28, 1985 - AWA SuperClash: Greg Gagne/Scott Hall/Curt Hennig beat Ray Stevens/Nick Bockwinkel/Larry Zbysko.. May 2, 1987 - AWA SuperClash II: Ray Stevens & Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty b Buddy Wolfe & Doug Sommers & Kevin Kelly.. April 16, 1988 - AWA Rage in a Cage II: Soldat Ustinov & Teijo Khan b Ray Stevens & Baron Von Raschke.. May 3, 1996: Ray Stevens passed away after suffering a heart attack at his home in Fremont, California.. Retirement: 1991: Ray Stevens worked in the office of the Global Wrestling Federation promotion.. May 3, 1996: Ray "The Crippler" Stevens passes away of a Heart Attack at the age of 60..