 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Charles Donald Kernodle Jr. (1950-05-02)May 2, 1950 |
| Died | May 17, 2021(2021-05-17) (aged 71) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name | Don Kernodle |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1] |
| Billed weight | 290 lb (130 kg)[1] |
| Trained by | Ole Anderson Gene Anderson |
| Debut | 1973 |
| Retired | 2006 |
Charles Donald Kernodle Jr. (May 2, 1950 – May 17, 2021) was an Americanprofessional wrestler with theNational Wrestling Alliance'sJim Crockett Promotions.[2]
In college, Kernodlelettered four times in amateur wrestling.[3] He was also a two time nationalarm wrestling champion.[3] After graduating fromElon College, Kernodle started wrestling in 1973 in theNational Wrestling Alliance'sJim Crockett Promotions. He got his start by accepting a "shoot" wrestling challenge fromBob Roop. Although Roop defeated Kernodle by submission, Kernodle's skills impressedOle Anderson andGene Anderson who both offered to train Kernodle for free.[4]
At first, he (now known as Pvt. Kernodle) was part ofSgt. Slaughter's "Cobra Corps" and teamed with Slaughter andPvt. Jim Nelson.[5][6] In 1982, the team of Kernodle and Nelson won theNWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship fromPorkchop Cash andJay Youngblood.[5][6] They later lost the title to Cash andKing Parsons, from whom they also regained the title.[5][6] After Nelson was removed from the alliance, Kernodle became the tag partner of Sgt. Slaughter, with whom he held the NWA World Tag Team Championship in late 1982 and early 1983.[5] They lost the titles in a steel cage match vs.Rick Steamboat andJay Youngblood on March 12, 1983.[5][6]
While teaming with Nelson, the duo wrestled on at least three cards co-promoted by theWorld Wrestling Federation inMaple Leaf Gardens in 1982, wrestling Steamboat and Youngblood at least twice, with Kernodle defeating Youngblood for theNWA Canadian Television Championship in a solo bout on August 8, 1982.[7]
Kernodle would continue to wrestle on co-promoted cards through May 23, 1983 when he made hisMadison Square Garden debut for the WWF. Kernodle would wrestle in the WWF through November 1983, being primarily featured on television defeating the likes of Jeff Craney, Jack Carson, Bill Dixon, Steve King, and Tony Colon but falling short toTito Santana andRocky Johnson in single competition and The Invaders in tag team competition. Additionally, Kernodle was frequently used as a substitute forAfa Anoa'i in main event matches throughout 1983.[8] Kernodle's last bout in the WWF was on a co-promoted card in 1984 at Maple Leaf Gardens against Santana.[9]
Following the title loss and brief stint in the WWF, Kernodle remained avillain and formed atag team withBob Orton, Jr. and wasmanaged byGary Hart.[5] He soon turned against America and formed a tag team withIvan Koloff and won theNWA World Tag Team Title.[5] When Koloff's "nephew"Nikita Koloff arrived in late 1984, Kernodle helped to train him. Also in 1984, the Koloffs turned on Kernodle after he and Ivan lost the NWA World Tag Titles to Dusty Rhodes and Manny "The Raging Bull" Fernandez and started a feud.[5] Kernodle teamed with his brother Rocky to feud with the Koloffs and helped theRock 'n' Roll Express to win the Tag Team Title from them atStarrcade '85: The Gathering.[5]
In 1986, Kernodle left the NWA and retired from wrestling. He later became a Sergeant for Immigration Customs Enforcement for Alamance County.
He came out of retirement in 1997 working in variousindependent promotions in the Carolinas.
In 2002, Kernodle and his brother wrestled several times withCWF Mid-Atlantic near their home in Burlington, NC. He wrestled his last match in 2006.
After wrestling, he became a deputy sheriff with the Alamance County sheriff's office.
He appeared in the 1978Sylvester Stallone movieParadise Alley.[1]
Kernodle died on May 17, 2021, at the age of 71.[10] Kernodle had had several health issues prior to his death and CTE.[11][12] It was later revealed that Kernodle died after committing suicide by gunshot after visiting the doctor.[13]
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