Pezavan Whatley
Acting
Biography
Pezavan Whatley was a professional wrestler in the 1980s up until the mid-1990s. Whatley played football and wrestled for Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga, Tennessee and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC). He was UTC's first African-American wrestler. Whatley was also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Whatley started wrestling in 1973 after a brief career as a power lifter. He wrestled with The Sheik's 'Big Time Wrestling', after which he wrestled primarily in Alabama and Tennessee before going to Florida Championship Wrestling in 1984. He won the Southern Title twice while there. He was one-third of the "Convertible Blondes" with Rip Rogers and Gary Royal in the Angelo Poffo-promoted ICW, even though he didn't dye his hair blonde. One of Whatley's best-known moments in ICW was the "Mop Head" angle where Whatley had to wear a mop wig after losing a match to Ron Garvin. The match stipulation also required him to keep wearing it until he won another match. This led to not only a lengthy feud with Garvin but also to a long losing streak for Whatley. Most of Whatley's losses were by disqualification due to outside interference when Garvin would attack Whatley's opponent. The angle lasted for several months until Whatley finally won a match. He went to the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions in 1985 and often teamed with "The Boogie-Woogie Man" Jimmy Valiant against members of Paul Jones' Army. In 1986, after Valiant called Whatley "the best black athlete in professional wrestling", Whatley turned on Valiant and cut some of Valiant's hair, thinking Valiant's comment was racist. Whatley then became a "Heel", joined Jones' Army and renamed himself "Shaska Whatley". He frequently teamed with The Barbarian and Baron von Raschke in their war against Valiant, and would frequently spit on his opponents during matches. He eventually lost a hair vs. hair match to Valiant and was shaved bald. In 1986, during a short stint when Dusty Rhodes was NWA Champion, Whatley appeared to freelance during a TV interview and made the announcers visibly uncomfortable when he said that he wanted to become the first black NWA World Heavyweight Champion. In late 1987, Whatley had left Jones and started teaming with Tiger Conway Jr. as "The Jive Tones". They did not have much success, and Whatley left for Florida in 1988. He was part of Kevin Sullivan's goon squad in Florida and departed for Alabama shortly after his arrival. In Alabama's Southeast Championship Wrestling, Whatley became "Willie B. Hert" and was one of the top faces for the company. In the early 1990s Pez Whatley had a short stint in Japan's UWFi. He also worked for the World Wrestling Federation as an enhancement talent on their weekly television programs from January 1990 until April 1991, putting over many of the WWF's top stars. He also picked up a few victories on house shows, most notably over Paul Diamond and The Genius. Whatley then made sporadic appearances in World Championship Wrestling throughout the 90's as an enhancement talent as well as appearances at the 1995 and 1996 World War 3 Battle Royale events until his in-ring retirement in 1998, becoming a backstage worker for WCW and an assistant trainer at the WCW Power Plant.
Known For
The biggest WWE Superstars of the late 1980s and early '90s settle their differences in the ring on "Wrestling Challenge"; featuring exciting matches and memorable interviews, this weekly television series captures an important era of WWE history.
WWF Wrestling Challenge
Mid-South Wrestling was one of the most successful wrestling territories in the 1981s; featuring future WWE Hall of Famers.
Mid-South Wrestling
Showcasing incredible in-ring action and unforgettable interviews, this weekly television series features a who's who of WWE Hall of Famers.
NWA World Championship Wrestling
Relive the glory days of the National Wrestling Alliance through Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling's weekly television show.
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Ric Flair puts the World Heavyweight Championship on the line against Ricky Morton in a Steel Cage Match as the Bash rolls into Charlotte.
NWA The Great American Bash '86 Tour: Charlotte
WCW Arena Shows takes you into the heart of classic professional wrestling, featuring intense matches, fierce rivalries, and unforgettable moments that defined a golden era of the sport.
WCW Arena Shows
A future opportunity at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship is on the line in a 60-Man Three Ring Battle Royal. The Outsiders defend the WCW Tag Team Championship against The Faces of Fear and The Nasty Boys. Plus, The Giant faces Jeff Jarrett, Dean Malenko battles Psychosis, and much more.
WCW World War 3 1996
The second Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament was held over two nights, April 10 and 11, 1987. The tournament included 24 tag teams.
The Second Annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament
Sixty men fill three rings for one gigantic Battle Royal for the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Participants include Lex Luger, Diamond Dallas Page, "Macho Man" Randy Savage and many more. Plus, Sting battles Ric Flair and much more action.
WCW World War 3 1995
The National Wrestling Alliance invades the 'Big Apple' with an all-star card featuring a main event of Ricky Steamboat coming out of retirement for one last shot at the NWA World's Heavyweight Championship, held by old rival "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair!
NWA Night of Champions
Only one team will survive the "Night of the Skywalkers" as The Road Warriors and Midnight Express clash high atop a 25 foot scaffold! Ric Flair defends the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against The Russian Nightmare Nikita Koloff. The Rock 'n' Roll Express defend the NWA Tag Team Championship against Ole & Arn Anderson in a Steel Cage Match.
NWA Starrcade 1986
One of the first and coolest, factions in Sports Entertainment was The Four Horsemen. This stable was a powerful group that ran roughshod over WCW and lasted for the better part of a decade with its various members, including 16-time World Champion "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair (the constant among the Four Horsemen) as well as other members: Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Barry Windham, Sting, Lex Luger, Brian Pillman, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, and more.
Ric Flair & The Four Horsemen
The third and final Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament was held over two nights, April 22 and 23, 1988. Scheduled to feature 24 teams, the tournament included a few changes to the original lineup.
The Third Annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament
The first Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament was held on April 19, 1986. The tournament featured 24 tag teams.
The First Annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament
GCW December 4, 1983 from The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia
GCW at The Omni (December '83)
Within the grizzly confines of a completely enclosed steel cage, and Paul Ellering hanging above the ring, the blood feud between "Mad Dog" Buzz Sawyer and "Wildfire" Tommy Rich comes to an end. and if Rich can manage to win, then Ole Anderson gets "Precious" Paul to himself for 5 minutes inside the cage!
NWA The Last Battle of Atlanta
The World Wrestling Council presents its annual anniversary celebration with WWW Aniversario '88!
WWC Aniversario '88: A Hot Night in Bayamón
The Summer heats up as the Superstars of WWE hit the ring for some rope-meltingly hot action in the lead up to WWE SummerSlam '90!