 Garea in 2007 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Anthony Gareljich (1946-09-20)20 September 1946 (age 79) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name | Tony Garea[1] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)[2] |
| Billed weight | 245 lb (111 kg)[2] |
| Billed from | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Trained by | Wild Don Scott[1] |
| Debut | 1971[1] |
| Retired | 1989 |
Anthony Gareljich (born 20 September 1946) is a New Zealand retiredprofessional wrestler, better known by hisring name,Tony Garea. He is best known for his appearances in the United States with theWorld Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Federation in the 1970s and 1980s.
The son of Croatian-born Ivan Gareljich, Anthony Gareljich was born inAuckland, New Zealand, to parents ofYugoslavian and Irish descent.[2] He was originally an accomplished sprinter and arugby league player.[1]
Garea grew up in New Zealand's largest city Auckland until he was 8. It was then that his parents bought an orchard on which they lived and worked for 6 years, before returning to the western suburbs of Auckland where Tony went to school for a further year before quitting just a month before his 15th birthday. After that he worked at various jobs including in a men's clothing store for 6 months, then he spent another 6 months delivering paint and wallpaper supplies before spending 18 months as a rope maker.[3]
It was while playing rugby league in Auckland that Garea first became interested inprofessional wrestling as a couple of his clubs team mates were professional wrestlers in New Zealand and they invited him to try his hand at it. Garea was trained by Wild Don Scott on what he says was a wooden floor with a canvas covering and the only "padding" was a layer of felt under the canvas.[1] He made his professional debut in his native New Zealand in 1971 against Don Scott for which he was paid $12. In New Zealand, wrestling was seasonal only taking part during the 3 winter months of June–August. During this time Garea was also wrestling against others who would later become stars themselves includingBob Miller andLuke Williams, better known asThe Bushwhackers.[1]
At this time however, Garea was actually more interested in playing rugby league than he was in wrestling. It was then local wrestling promoter Ernie Finch asked him to go on a 10 day tour toAustralia forAmerican promoterJim Barnett'sWorld Championship Wrestling to wrestleBulldog Bob Brown. Once the 10 days were up, Barnett asked Garea to stay on and work for him for another 2 months with Barnett offering a base pay of $250 per week, which as Garea said in ashoot interview was much better than the $45 per week day job he had at home in Auckland.
After wrestling in Australia for Barnett a 2nd time, Barnett asked Garea if he wanted to go toAmerica to further his wrestling career, which after advice from other local (Australian) wrestlers, he readily agreed to. He then travelled to North America armed only with wrestler/promoterEddie Graham's phone number. Before arriving in America, Garea had never even spoken to Graham and indeed hadn't even heard of him until he agreed to go to America. Thankfully though Graham was receptive enough to the then unknown Kiwi that he got him awork visa and Garea made his USA wrestling debut for Graham in Florida.
He worked in theNWA San Francisco territory where he andPat Patterson defeatedDon Muraco andInvader I for theNWA San Francisco Tag Team Championship in May 1976.[4] Also worked in Georgia from 1975 to 1976, Los Angeles in 1977, Japan and Australia both in 1978.
Garea left New Zealand on 16 March 1972 and went to the United States where he had a handshake agreement withVince McMahon, Sr.'sWorld Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). He made his WWWF debut at a TV taping in thePhiladelphia Arena on 20 September 1972 as ababyface, defeating Davey O'Hannon.[1] On 30 May 1973, he teamed withHaystacks Calhoun and defeatedMr. Fuji andProfessor Toru Tanaka to win his firstWWWF World Tag Team Championship.[5][6] Garea and Calhounfeuded with Fuji and Tanaka for the rest of the summer before losing the titles back to Fuji and Tanaka on 11 September.[7]
Garea continued the feud with Fuji and Tanaka with a new partner,Dean Ho. On 14 November, Garea and Ho defeated Fuji and Tanaka for Garea's second and Ho's first WWWF World Tag Team Championship.[6][8] Garea's second tag team reign was longer and better than his first reign. They held the titles for five and a half months before losing them to theValiant Brothers (Jimmy andJohnny) on 8 May 1974 episode ofAll Star Wrestling.[9] They continued teaming for a while before disbanding their tag team and working on their own. Garea, who had been successful as atag team wrestler, began a singles career.
Garea continued his singles career for three years before forming a tag team with new partnerLarry Zbyzsko in August 1977. They began teaming after entering a tag team tournament for the vacant tag titles, where they were defeated by Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka in the finals on 27 September 1977.[10] They continued to challenge for the titles before defeatingThe Yukon Lumberjacks (Eric andPierre) for Garea's third and Zbyzsko's first WWWF World Tag Team Championship on edition of 21 November 1978 ofChampionship Wrestling.[6][11] They held the titles for four months before losing them toValiant Brothers (Jerry andJohnny) on edition of 24 March 1979 ofChampionship Wrestling.[12] Later that same month,Wide was dropped from the promotion's name, renaming the promotion World Wrestling Federation. Shortly afterwards, Garea left the WWF and went to work in Japan and Mid-Atlantic for a year.
In the summer of 1980, Garea returned to the WWF and continued to wrestle in the tag team division, with another former WWF Tag Team ChampionRene Goulet. The two participated in a tag team tournament for the titles, where they were defeated byThe Wild Samoans (Afa andSika) in the finals on 27 September 1980.[13] Garea formed a tag team with new partnerRick Martel, which was Garea's most successful and most popular tag team. They defeated Wild Samoans on 8 November for Garea's fourth and Martel's first WWF Tag Team Championship.[6][14] Garea and Martel continued to feud with the former champions for the rest of the year. After Wild Samoans left WWF, the champions began feuding withThe Moondogs (King andRex). Theydropped the titles to Moondogs on edition of 17 March 1981 ofChampionship Wrestling.[15]
Martel and Garea continued to feud with Moondogs, trying to regain the titles. On 8 June, Garea beat a young rookie named Man Mountain Canyon inMadison Square Garden, who returned to WWF four years later asKing Kong Bundy.[16] On edition of 21 July ofChampionship Wrestling, Martel and Garea defeated Moondogs in a rematch to win their second WWF Tag Team Championship as a team, though, it was Garea's fifth and final individual reign.[6][17] Garea's final run as a tag team champion ended on edition of 17 October ofChampionship Wrestling after Garea and Martel were defeated byMr. Fuji andMr. Saito for the tag titles.[18] Garea and Martel continued to feud with Fuji and Saito, trying to regain the titles but failed to do so.
Martel left WWF in 1982 while Garea went on his own.[1] Garea teamed with newcomers to the WWF such asEddie Gilbert andB. Brian Blair in 1983 and 1984, but was unable to recapture the success he previously enjoyed as a tag-team champion. He moved to thejobber to the stars status, jobbing to rising newcomers before retiring full-time in 1987.[1] Garea participated in aWorld Wrestling Federation "Legends"battle royal, which was won byLou Thesz on November 16, 1987. He would occasionally wrestle until his last match on January 29, 1989, when he lost toConquistador Uno at a house show in Indianapolis, Indiana.[19]
He thereafter worked as aroad agent for the WWF until leaving the Company in 2014.[20] He appeared with former tag team partnerRick Martel atVengeance: Night of Champions in June 2007. They came to the aid of the team ofSgt. Slaughter andJimmy Snuka, who were being attacked following their losing toDeuce 'n Domino.[21]
When WWE came to New Zealand on 11 June 2008 in Auckland, Garea was a guest on the first international V.I.P Lounge along with Bushwacker Butch. The segment's host,Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) announced him as Bushwhacker Luke but then apologized. Eventually, MVP attacked Butch and Garea with the microphone. Butch and Garea recovered and fought off MVP, then celebrated with the Bushwhacker walk. On 3 March 2009 he was featured on WWE.com exclusive segmentTop-rope Theater posing as"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan. On 29 March 2010 episode ofMonday Night Raw Garea appeared as a lumberjack in theChristian vs.Ted DiBiaselumberjack match. Towards the end of the match, Garea brawled with other legends that were serving as lumberjacks.
Tony Garea & Haystacks Calhoun defeated WWWF Tag Team Champions Prof. Toru Tanaka & Mr. Fuji to win the titles
Mr. Fuji and Prof. Toru Tanaka defeated WWWF Tag Team Champions Tony Garea & Haystacks Calhoun to win the titles when the referee stopped the match, ruling Calhoun unable to continue after Tanaka threw salt into the champion's eyes and choked him with his own horseshoe
Tony Garea & Dean Ho defeated WWWF Tag Team Champions Prof. Toru Tanaka & Mr. Fuji to win the titles
Jimmy & Johnny Valiant defeated WWWF Tag Team Champions Dean Ho & Tony Garea to win the titles
WWWF Tag Team Championship Tournament Finals: Prof. Toru Tanaka & Mr. Fuji (w/Freddie Blassie) defeated Larry Zbyzsko & Tony Garea to win the titles
Tony Garea & Larry Zbyzsko defeated WWWF Tag Team Champions the Yukon Lumberjacks (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) to win the titles at 9:18 when Zbyzsko pinned Eric after the champions collided in the ring; after the match, Albano fired his team for losing the championship
Johnny & Jerry Valiant (w/ Capt. Lou Albano & Jimmy Valiant) defeated WWWF Tag Team Champions Larry Zbyzsko & Tony Garea to win the titles at 10:54 when Johnny pinned Zbyzsko after Jerry and Zbyzsko collided and Jimmy pulled Jerry to the floor, allowing Johnny to take his place in the ring
WWF Tag Team Championship Tournament Finals: The Wild Samoans (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) defeated Tony Garea & Rene Goulet at 10:08 to win the titles when Afa pinned Goulet following a double bodyslam behind the referee's back
Rick Martel & Tony Garea defeated WWF Tag Team Champions the Wild Samoans to win the titles at 14:29 when Martel scored the pin with a sunset flip as the illegal Samoan covered Garea at the same time, moments after Garea and the legal Samoan collided in the ring
The Moondogs (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Tony Garea & Rick Martel to win the titles at 6:36 when Moondog Rex pinned Garea after Moondog King hit Garea in the head with his bone as the referee was knocked down
Tony Garea defeated Man Mountain Cannon at 6:23 (King Kong Bundy)
Rick Martel & Tony Garea defeated WWF Tag Team Champions the Moondogs (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) to win the titles at 8:14 when Martel pinned Moondog Spot with a sunset flip as Spot attempted to choke Garea with his bone
Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Rick Martel & Tony Garea at 9:48 to win the titles when Saito pinned Martel after Fuji threw salt into the champion's eyes as Martel attempted a crossbody off the top, allowing Saito to roll through on the move to get the win
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