| Baron von Raschke | |
|---|---|
 Raschke, circa 1985 | |
| Birth name | James Donald Raschke[1] |
| Born | (1940-07-30)July 30, 1940 (age 84)[1] Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Nebraska–Lincoln |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | The Baron[1] Baron von Raschke[1] The Clawmaster[1] Fritz von Raschke Jim Raschke[1] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)[2] |
| Billed weight | 281 lb (127 kg)[2] |
| Billed from | Republic of Germany[1][2] |
| Trained by | Verne Gagne[1] Mad Dog Vachon[1] |
| Debut | 1966[1] |
| Retired | 1996 |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men'sGreco-Roman wrestling | ||
Representingthe United States | ||
| World Championships | ||
 | 1963 Helsingborg | +97 kg |
| Collegiate Wrestling | ||
| RepresentingtheNebraska Cornhuskers | ||
| Big Eight Championships | ||
 | 1962 Ames | Heavyweight |
James Donald Raschke (born July 30, 1940) is an American retiredprofessional wrestler, better known by hisring name,Baron von Raschke.
Raschke was a three-yearletterman with theUniversity of Nebraska–Lincoln Cornhuskers wrestling team in 1960, 1961 and 1962. He is listed in the university's wrestling media guide as Jim Raschke.[3] He also playedfootball for the Cornhuskers as aleft tackle in 1959 and 1960.[4] After a successful amateur wrestling career and a stint in theUnited States Army, Raschke pursued a career in professional wrestling.
Raschke started in professional wrestling in 1966 in theAmerican Wrestling Association as a referee. He was soon wrestling under his real name, playing off of his amateur wrestling notoriety in the area.[1] He eventually changed his ring name to Baron von Raschke and claimed to be from Germany. He would do agoose-step and then put his finisher known as the "brainclaw", on his opponent.[1] Earlier in his career, the Von Raschke had a finishing maneuver known as the "Prussian sleeper", a rather complex variation of a traditional sleeper hold. His mantra at the time was "I amordered to win! Imust win! And Iwill win!"
Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s he held numerous singles and tag team titles throughout several NWA and AWA territories, as well as wrestling for the WWWF, where his claw hold was "censored" by a huge redX on WWWF television because it was considered such a violent act.[1] Managed byFred Blassie, Von Raschke's highest-profile match of his 1970s WWWF run came in March 1977, where he wrestled WWWF World Heavyweight ChampionBruno Sammartino for the title at Madison Square Garden in New York. Von Raschke lost the match by disqualification when, after Sammartino became tied up in the ropes, he shoved the referee away as he had his clawhold applied to Sammartino's head. Sammartino defeated Von Raschke in a rematch a month later at Madison Square Garden, marking Sammartino's last successful title defense before losing the belt toSuperstar Billy Graham.
In 1978, Von Raschke was recognized as the first NWA Television champion (the Mid Atlantic Television title had been renamed).[5]In May 1984, Raschke andThe Crusher defeatedJerry Blackwell andKen Patera for theAWA World Tag Team Championship.[6] They would lose the belts in August of that same year toThe Road Warriors.[6]
In 1986, he wrestled for theNWA'sJim Crockett Promotions where he reunited with former tag partnerPaul Jones (who was now a manager) as part ofPaul Jones' Army.[7] He also filled in for the injuredKrusher Khruschev, defending theNWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship withIvan andNikita Koloff.[7] Toward the end of his run there he turned "face" against Jones and teamed withHector Guerrero defeating the Barbarian andPez Whatley atStarrcade (1986).[8] After teaming withWahoo McDaniel at the 1987Crockett Cup he left theNational Wrestling Alliance.[7]
He had a brief stint in theWorld Wrestling Federation in 1988 as the manager forThe Barbarian andThe Warlord (ThePowers of Pain) under the name of the "Baron",[2][9] but was released shortly after his arrival.[9]
Raschke resurfaced in the AWA, returning to the ring to feud withSoldat Ustinov andTeijho Khan in late 1988. He then went on to captain "Baron's Blitzers" during the Team Challenge Series. When the AWA folded, Raschke continued to wrestle for independent promotions, primarily in the Minnesota area, retiring in 1995.
Raschke also took part in one of the legends matches at WCW's inauguralSlamboree: A Legend's Reunion in 1993. He teamed withIvan Koloff, losing toThunderbolt Patterson andBrad Armstrong.[10]
His last match was a victory over David Lynch at Superstars of Wrestling in Princeton, West Virginia on February 10, 1996.
In November 2021, Raschke appeared withAll Elite Wrestling at itsFull Gear pay-per-view. He was in the crowd for the 10-man street fight betweenThe Inner Circle andAmerican Top Team and put the Iron Claw onEthan Page.
When not wrestling, Raschke worked as a substitute teacher. Upon retirement, Raschke purchased and managed abric-a-brac shop called "The Wigwam" inLake George, Minnesota. He sold it in 2000.
In April 2007, Raschke starred in a stage play,The Baron, based around his life, persona, and times in the AWA.The Baron, co-written by Cory McLeod and Raschke's son Karl, ran for several months at the Minnesota History Theatre. It detailed how a very mild-mannered and polite man created an in-ring gimmick that drew so much heat that he and his frequent tag-team wrestling partner (and real-life friend)Mad Dog Vachon often had to fight their way out of the ring.[11][12]
The stage play was later used as the starting point for a film version of Raschke's life and career,The Claw. The film, again written by Karl Raschke, was directed byPhil Harder, a noted director of dozens of music videos, who had first met Raschke when he hired the wrestler to star in a video by Duluth indie-rock bandLow. The film was shot in Minneapolis, with locations including the nightclubFirst Avenue (where the wrestling re-enactments were filmed), Mancini's restaurant, and theWalker Art Center. Begun in 2010,The Claw took nearly 10 years to complete and made its debut as part of theMinneapolis–Saint Paul International Film Festival in 2021. It was hailed as "wildly entertaining" bySt. Paul Pioneer Press critic Ross Raihala.[12]
,Wrestlingdata.com,Internet Wrestling Database