| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Gary Sabaugh (1957-10-24)October 24, 1957 (age 68)[1] North Carolina, U.S. |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | The Italian Stallion Gary Sabaugh |
| Billed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Billed weight | 265 lb (120 kg) |
| Debut | 1984 |
| Retired | 1997 |
Gary Sabaugh (born October 24, 1957) is an American formerprofessional wrestler, better known by hisring name,The Italian Stallion, who has competed in North American independent promotions throughout the 1980s and 1990s including stints in both theWorld Wrestling Federation and theNational Wrestling Alliance, specificallyJim Crockett Promotions andWorld Championship Wrestling.
He is also the co-owner of the Charlotte-based Professional Wrestling Federation and its wrestling school with longtime rivalGeorge South.[2] Among the wrestlers he and South have trained over the years includeHenry Godwin,Ron Killings[3] and theHardy Boyz.[4][5] He was instrumental in bringing the latter to the WWF in 1994.[6]
Gary Sabaugh, also known as the pro wrestler The Italian Stallion, has had many television appearances in the NWA, WCW, WWF,Georgia Championship Wrestling with WTBS, Florida Championship Wrestling, andNew Japan Pro Wrestling. In addition to a 23-year-career in professional wrestling, Sabaugh was also a sitcom actor and stunt man.
Teaming withBuzz Sawyer and"Pistol" Pez Whatley againstBob Roop and NWA National Tag Team ChampionsOle andArn Anderson on May 11,[7] he would face a number of veteran wrestlers throughout 1985 including Terry Flynn,[8]Black Bart,[9] and appeared at the firstStarcade '85 losing toThunderfoot#1 on November 28. Two days later, he also teamed withRocky King againstThe Midnight Express on November 30, 1985.
Teaming withKoko B. Ware during the first annualJim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tournament in April 1986, they were defeated in the opening round byBuzz Sawyer andRick Steiner.
The following year, he andRicky Lee Jones lost toRonnie &Jimmy Garvin in the opening rounds of the second annualJim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tournament on April 11, 1987.[10]
In his third appearance at theJim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tournament, he andKendall Windham would defeat Green Machine and Terminator by forfeit on before losing toArn Anderson &Tully Blanchard in the quarterfinals in April 1988.[11]
Sabaugh continued working forWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW), which was Jim Crockett Promotions renamed after the latter's sale toTed Turner in November 1988. Sabaugh would wrestle members ofThe Varsity Club facingMike Rotunda in late 1988 and team with"Dr. Death" Steve Williams andNikita Koloff in a 6-man tag team match against Rotunda,Rick Steiner andAl Perez on September 25 before losing to Steve Williams atClash of the Champions IV on December 7, 1988.[12][13]
During that year, he was the wrestling advisor for the short-lived sitcomLearning the Ropes and, along with"Dr. Death" Steve Williams, was a stunt double for theLyle Alzado's characterThe Masked Maniac.
He would team withBrett Sawyer andThe Nasty Boys in an 8-man tag team match againstJohnny Ace,The Terminator andSouthern Force on March 11, 1989.
Appearing less often during the early 1990s, making an appearance onWCW Power Hour teamed withReno Riggins againstThe Fabulous Freebirds on January 19, he was absent from WCW television for much of 1991.[14] Sabough went on working for other companies.
His WCW appearances increased in 1992, and included a bout for theWorld Tag Team Championship on September 15 inMacon, Georgia, teaming with Ricky Nelson in a losing effort againstSteve Williams andTerry Gordy. Sabaugh wrestled one match as a heel managed byPaul E. Dangerously known asThe Masked Intruder losing toErik Watts. He would contest the following year for theTelevision Championship, losing to"Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff on April 3, 1993, and twice more for Tag Team Championship, partnering with Chris Sullivan on April 6 and Rex Cooper on April 27, losing both times toThe Hollywood Blonds. Sabaugh's last appearance for WCW would be with George South in a tag team match againstKent &Keith Cole at a house show at theBrushfork Armory inBluefield, West Virginia on August 20, 1993.[15]
He returned to WCW for two TV taping in July 1995.
Sabaugh would also wrestle for a time in theWorld Wrestling Federation during the mid-1990s. Though he would never get higher than lower mid-card status, he did help a very youngMatt &Jeff Hardy break into the WWF asjobbers. Though the Hardys would make $150 per appearance as jobbers, Sabaugh would charge them $100 per appearance.[16] According to Matt Hardy in the 2008 DVDTwist of Fate: The Matt & Jeff Hardy Story, Sabaugh ended up leaving the Hardys stranded inCharlotte, North Carolina where the three were supposed to meet before traveling to a show inMacon, Georgia. In the process, Sabaugh left the Hardys to fend for themselves, but still wanted to collect the $100 per appearance fee from the boys. Matt later toldBruce Prichard about what happened, and the WWF would contact the Hardys directly thereafter for jobbing before the two would eventually sign with WWF full-time in 1998. Sabaugh was released afterwards partially due to the incident.
Sabaugh and wrestlerGeorge South founded the Professional Wrestling Federation in 1990. Originally based inCharlotte, North Carolina, the Promotion ran shows in the old Crockett territories in North and South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia until its closure in 1999. Sabaugh and South would continue their decade-long feud while in PWF, which involved female wrestlersMad Maxine and her motherMama Maxine for a time, trading the PWF heavyweight title several times and at one point forming a tag team with South, winning the tag team titles before they began fighting each other again.[17][18]
Sabaugh's last match would be a successful defense of the PWF Heavyweight against George South on March 29, 1997 at The Armory inGreer, South Carolina.[19]
,Internet Wrestling Database