| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Paul Frederick[2][5] (1942-06-16)June 16, 1942 Port Arthur, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | c. April 18, 2018(2018-04-18) (aged 75)[5] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Al Fredericks[1] Mr. Florida[1] Paul Jones[1] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)[1] |
| Billed weight | 230 lb (104 kg)[2] |
| Trained by | Paul Boesch[3] Morris Siegel[4] |
| Debut | 1961[1] |
| Retired | 1991[1][3] |
Paul Frederick (June 16, 1942 – c. April 18, 2018) was an Americanprofessional wrestler andprofessional wrestling manager, better known by hisring name,Paul Jones.[2][3][1][4][6] He is best known for his appearances withprofessional wrestling promotions in theSoutheastern United States, in particular withMid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling – where he had 23championship reigns and led thestablePaul Jones' Army – andChampionship Wrestling from Florida.
Frederick was born on June 16, 1942, inPort Arthur, Texas.[2][3] He attendedThomas Jefferson High School.[5][7] As a teenager, he boxed, spending seven years as aGolden Gloves boxer and winning the Texas Light Heavyweight Championship and Texas Heavyweight Championship.[4] While working in atelevision studio, he metPaul Boesch, who suggested he become a professional wrestler and offered to train him.[7]
Frederick was trained to wrestle by Paul Boesch and Morris Sigel, debuting in 1961 under the ring name "Paul Jones".[3][1][4] During his early career, he competed primarily for promotions in theSouthern United States including theTexas-based promotionBig Time Wrestling, theTennessee-based promotionNWA Mid-America andChampionship Wrestling from Florida. He was nicknamed "Young" Paul Jones by promoterPaul Boesch during his stint in Texas to distinguish him from Andrew Lutzi, a Russian-born veteran wrestler (later the promoter ofGeorgia Championship Wrestling who had used the same name.
From late-1964 to early-1965, Jones toured Australia withWorld Championship Wrestling, wrestling as "Al Fredericks". After returning to the United States, he competed for theOregon-based promotionPacific Northwest Wrestling, holding theNWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship on two occasions and theNWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship once, and in Canada forNorthwest Wrestling Promotions inBritish Columbia andAlex Turk Promotions inManitoba. He returned to the Southern United States in mid-1967.[2][8]
In 1969, Jones appeared with theCalifornia-based promotionNWA Hollywood Wrestling, briefly holding theNWA Americas Tag Team Championship withNelson Royal in 1969. In the same year, he toured Japan with theJapan Pro Wrestling Alliance, making repeat tours in 1970 and 1971. In 1973, he made a fourth tour of Japan, this time withAll Japan Pro Wrestling.[2][8]
Jones first appeared with theNorth Carolina–based promotionMid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling in 1968, forming a facetag team with veteran Nelson Royal.[8][9] In September 1970, the duo defeatedThe Minnesota Wrecking Crew to win theNWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team Championship. They lost the championship toThe Blond Bombers in December 1970.[2][8] Jones and Royal continued to team until 1972, when Jones left Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling to compete for Championship Wrestling from Florida.[8]
In 1972, Jones returned to Championship Wrestling from Florida, where he adopted a brashheel persona and the nickname "Number One" Paul Jones.[4] Jones was convinced to become a heel byJack Brisco, who wagered him a case ofCanadian Clubwhisky that he would earn more money in a year as a heel than he ever had as a face.[7][10] Jones held theNWA Florida Heavyweight Championship on four occasions, on one occasion in July 1972 throwing the championship belt off theGandy Bridge intoTampa Bay in front of thousands of spectators in a display of arrogance.[4][11] Jones also held theNWA Southern Heavyweight Championship(Florida version) once, theNWA Brass Knuckles Championship(Florida version) once, and theNWA Florida Television Championship twice – for several days in June 1972 holding the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship, NWA Florida Television Championship and NWA Brass Knuckles Championship(Florida version) simultaneously – before leaving in 1974.[8]
Jones briefly returned to the promotion once more in 1980, performing under amask as "Mr. Florida" until being unmasked byThe Super Destroyer.
Jones resumed appearing regularly with Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling in late 1973.[8] In April 1974, he andBob Bruggers defeatedThe Andersons for theNWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship, losing the championship toRic Flair andRip Hawk in July 1974. Jones won his firstNWA Mid-Atlantic Television Championship several days later, defeatingIvan Koloff in aTexas Death Match. He held the championship until October, when Koloff defeated him in a rematch. Jones held the championship on a total of five occasions over the next four years. Jones and Tiger Conway Jr. won the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship from Flair and Hawk in December 1974, losing to The Andersons in February 1975.[2][8]
Jones began feuding withJohnny Valentine, with a match between them on December 25, 1974, selling out thePark Center.[7] In March 1975, Jones defeated Valentine to win theNWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship in controversial fashion; he was stripped of the championship 10 days later.[2][8] In May 1975, Jones andWahoo McDaniel defeated The Andersons to win theNWA World Tag Team Championship(Mid-Atlantic version). The Andersons regained the championship the next month in a televised rematch known as the "Supreme Sacrifice" match, which sawOle Anderson ram his brotherGene's head into McDaniel's head with enough force to knock both men unconscious, enabling Ole Anderson to pin McDaniel.[6][8][7]
After theNWA United States Heavyweight Championship(Mid-Atlantic version) was vacated whenJohnny Valentine was injured in aplane crash, Jones competed in a one-night tournament on November 9, 1975, to crown a new champion, winning four bouts before losing toTerry Funk in the final.[4][12] Jones defeated Funk for the championship in a rematch held later that month. He went on to trade the championship withBlackjack Mulligan, holding it on a total of three occasions before his final reign ended in December 1976.[2]
In 1975, Jones began teaming withRicky Steamboat. They held theNWA World Tag Team Championship(Mid-Atlantic version) on one occasion and theNWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship on three occasions. Their alliance ended in December 1978 when Jones attacked Steamboat at the end of abattle royal,turning heel.[13][8][14]
In 1977, Jones wrestled forGeorgia Championship Wrestling for several months, feuding withDick Slater and briefly holding theNWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship. From 1979 to 1984, he appeared sporadically withMaple Leaf Wrestling in Ontario, Canada.[2][8]
After turning heel, Jones formed a new alliance withBaron von Raschke (with whom Jones had previously briefly feuded), with the duo winning the NWA World Tag Team Championship(Mid-Atlantic version) twice in 1979 and feuding with tag teams such as Flair and Mulligan andJay Youngblood and Steamboat.[15][5] The team ended when Jones turned on von Raschke.[7] Jones subsequently began teaming withThe Masked Superstar (another former foe), winning the NWA World Tag Team Championship(Mid-Atlantic version) again in 1980 and 1981.[2][8][16]
In 1982,Sir Oliver Humperdink beganmanaging Jones.[17][18] He held the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship twice more in 1982, trading the championship withJack Brisco.[19]
In 1982, Jones became amanager, forming a largestable calledPaul Jones' Army. Many of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling's topheels were members of Jones' stable at one time, among themThe Masked Superstar,Superstar Billy Graham,Ivan Koloff,Rick Rude,Manny Fernandez,Abdullah the Butcher, andThe Powers of Pain. Jones' character had a "startlingly uncomfortable presence";[20] at one point, he began wearingkhakis andjackboots and cultivated atoothbrush moustache, giving him an appearance reminiscent ofAdolf Hitler.[10] Jones' villainous behaviour led fans to mock him with chants of "weasel".[6]
By 1983, Jones had largely retired from in-ring competition due to accumulated back injuries.[5][10] That year, Jones developed a gimmick of wearingtuxedos and created an angle in which he held a contest in which a large poster of himself dressed in a white tuxedo would be awarded as a prize to the winner. This led to a memorable episode ofMid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, in which the winner of the poster was revealed to be a young, attractive woman. As she walked onto the ringside set to claim her prize, she attempted to embrace Jones with a kiss as her way of thanking him; but Jones backed away quickly and proceeded to berate her violently.Rufus R. Jones then came to the lady's rescue and was attacked by Paul. Paul then shoved the terrified young lady between himself and Rufus to block Rufus' defensive attack. This angle led to a brief feud between Paul Jones and Rufus R. Jones.
In the mid-1980s, Jones began a lengthy (and perhaps his most famous) feud withJimmy Valiant. The feud culminated in ahair versus hair match in November 1986 that was won by Valiant. Jones then began wearing a cowboy hat until his hair grew back to conceal his baldness.[6][8][21][10]
In 1988, The Powers of Pain began feuding with theRoad Warriors, with Jones claiming that The Powers of Pain were stronger than their opponents. In a memorableangle that aired onNWA World Championship Wrestling, The Powers of Pain faced The Road Warriors in a weightlifting contest with $50,000 on the line. The contest ended abruptly when Ivan Koloff blindedRoad Warrior Animal using chalk dust, enabling The Powers of Pain to beat down The Road Warriors.[22]
After the Powers of Pain left the NWA for theWorld Wrestling Federation in the summer of 1988, and with no one to manage, Jones left Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling - which had in the prior year been renamedWorld Championship Wrestling - in 1989.
Jones spent the final years of his career competing on theindependent circuit for promotions including thePennsylvania-basedTri-State Wrestling Alliance and the North Carolina–based promotionSouth Atlantic Pro Wrestling. In 1990, he briefly held the SAPW Heavyweight Championship.
Frederick retired from professional wrestling in 1991.[3] After retiring, he opened abody shop inCharlotte, North Carolina, later relocating to Georgia.[23][7]
Frederick died in the week of April 18, 2018, at his home near Atlanta.[5]
