40 Years Ago: Wrestling II Takes Frustration Out on Fuller to Win Third Georgia Heavyweight Title

Mr. Wrestling II From John Cannon: By the early 1970s, pro wrestler Johnny Walker had already spent over fifteen years working und...

Mr. Wrestling II

From John Cannon:

By the early 1970s, pro wrestler Johnny Walker had already spent over fifteen years working under his own name and under the guise of the Grappler, feuding with the likes of Ole Anderson, Bobby Duncum, and Dick Murdoch as well as getting NWA World Heavyweight Title shots against legends Lou Thesz and Dory Funk, Jr.

Walker was wrestling in a mid-card program as the Grappler in Florida when Paul Jones' Georgia Championship Wrestling group came up with a plan during the fallout after Ray Gunkel's widow Ann took all but a few of the GCW roster to start her own promotion. They wanted a Mr. Wrestling type babyface in an effort to combat the rival All-South Wrestling Alliance, but Tim Woods (Mr. Wrestling) was also enjoying major success in Florida, so in early 1973 Walker began his now legendary journey second career as Mr. Wrestling II, winning his first of ten Georgia Heavyweight Titles a month after his transformation.

Ron Fuller

Late summer saw the arrival of Woods, wrestling sans mask, and despite the pair wrestling as a successful tag team, Wrestling II was frustrated at the lack of NWA World Heavyweight Title shots he was receiving due to what he felt were too many undeserved shots for Woods. Wrestling II’s frustration led to their first one-on-one match on January 2, 1974.

By this time Wrestling II had already won the Georgia championship twice, the first in a tournament after the title was vacated, and the second in a rematch against previous champion Bill Watts after the title was held up.

On January 11, 1974, he took his World title frustrations out on Ron Fuller in Atlanta, GA, to win the Georgia belt for a third time and barely a week later got his shot at the NWA World title when he took on Jack Brisco, losing via disqualification.

Wrestling II would continue feuding with Woods and Fuller, and in February he took Woods’ hair in a match ushering in the return of the original Mr. Wrestling and a whole new kind of feud!

Mr. Wrestling II would continue to win many coveted singles and tag titles throughout the remainder of his career, but like his namesake Mr. Wrestling, never won the coveted NWA World Heavyweight Championship.