Apache Bull Ramos
Encyclopedia
Manuel Ramos better known as Apache Bull Ramos, was an American
professional wrestler from his debut in 1956 until the 1970s who primarily worked as a heel
. He had notable feuds with Bruno Sammartino
, Dutch Savage
, Jimmy Snuka
, Terry Funk
and Mil Máscaras
. He traveled to Japan, Korea, and Australia to wrestle.
, a wrestling promoter, who helped him get into wrestling. He entered the professional wrestling business in 1964 and was trained by Danny McShain
, Cyclone Anaya, and David Weinstein
.
In Los Angeles, he feuded
with Mil Mascaras
. It culminated in a Hair vs Mask match
, which Ramos lost, causing him to have his head shaved. He later had a short run in the World Wide Wrestling Federation
as an opponent to the champion Bruno Sammartino
.
In the Pacific Northwest, Ramos feuded with Dutch Savage
, a feud that lasted approximately five years. He also feuded with Ricky Hunter
in the Pacific Northwest. Ramos became a popular heel in Oregon after breaking Lonnie Mayne
's arm, causing the bone to stick out of the skin. In the same territory, Ramos won tag team gold with future governor Jesse Ventura
.
He wrestled until the 1980s.
Ramos weighed over 300 pounds and was strong on promos. As a result, he was able to draw massive heat during his matches. He began his career wrestling as Bull Ramos, a Native American
character. In the 1970s, Wrestling World magazine, wrote about Ramos in kayfabe
. They wrote that Ramos' was born in "an adobe hut on the San Carlo, New Mexico, Indian reservation" and was a "redskinned dynamite, dressed in an Indian vest and wearing an Indian headhand. He even invented a match that today is known as the Texas Bullrope Match, where one is tied to his opponent using rope and must drag him to all 4 corners of the ring.
After he quit wrestling, Ramos ran a wrecking service in Houston. He learned about the business from a fellow wrestler named Nick Kozak.
Ramos' wife was named Brenda. He took his wife with him on his first tour of Australia, but she returned to the United States after becoming pregnant. He adopted his grandson Jonathan Ramos, who enlisted in the Air Force in the Summer of 2010
Ramos suffered from diabetes, which caused him to go blind. He had a big toe amputated due to an infection cause by a piece of glass. In addition, he was on kidney
dialysis
three times a week. He lost over 100 pounds because of his various illnesses. On May 27, 2006, Ramos died at the age of 68 due to a massive shoulder infection
. Apache Bull Ramos was born Robert Rice.
Every year since his death, on his birthday and other major celebrations, his family and friends of his family gather around the pond on his wife's land and release red and black balloons in memory of him.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestler from his debut in 1956 until the 1970s who primarily worked as a heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
. He had notable feuds with Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino is an Italian-American former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation , holding the title across two reigns for over 11 years in total, as well as the longest single WWE Championship reign...
, Dutch Savage
Dutch Savage
Frank Stewart is a former professional wrestler and wrestling promoter, best known for his time spent competing in Pacific Northwest Wrestling under the ring name Dutch Savage.-Career:...
, Jimmy Snuka
Jimmy Snuka
James William "Jimmy" Reiher is a semi-retired Fijian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Originally from the Fiji Islands, Snuka wrestled for several promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. Snuka is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having been a...
, Terry Funk
Terry Funk
Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
and Mil Máscaras
Mil Máscaras
Aaron Rodríguez , best known as Mil Máscaras , is a semi-retired Mexican professional wrestler and actor, who has starred in several films with fellow luchadores...
. He traveled to Japan, Korea, and Australia to wrestle.
Professional wrestling career
Ramos grew up in Houston and attended wrestling matches with his uncle and father. In the early 1960s, his uncle suggested that Ramos enter the profession. He, however, was boxing at the time and turned down the idea. He later met Paul BoeschPaul Boesch
Paul Max Boesch was a professional wrestling promoter most famous for his work as an announcer and promoter for Houston Wrestling. He also spent several stints working with the Universal Wrestling Federation, World Class Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation.-Biography:Paul...
, a wrestling promoter, who helped him get into wrestling. He entered the professional wrestling business in 1964 and was trained by Danny McShain
Danny McShain
Danny McShain was an American professional wrestler who competed in the Southern United States from the 1930s to the 1960s.-Early life:...
, Cyclone Anaya, and David Weinstein
David Weinstein
David Weinstein may refer to:*David E. Weinstein, Carl S. Shoup Professor of Japanese Economy at Columbia University*David F. Weinstein, United States politician*David Weinstein , American musician and composer...
.
In Los Angeles, he feuded
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with Mil Mascaras
Mil Máscaras
Aaron Rodríguez , best known as Mil Máscaras , is a semi-retired Mexican professional wrestler and actor, who has starred in several films with fellow luchadores...
. It culminated in a Hair vs Mask match
Professional wrestling match types
Many types of matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, can be found in the form of performing art that is professional wrestling....
, which Ramos lost, causing him to have his head shaved. He later had a short run in the World Wide Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
as an opponent to the champion Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino is an Italian-American former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation , holding the title across two reigns for over 11 years in total, as well as the longest single WWE Championship reign...
.
In the Pacific Northwest, Ramos feuded with Dutch Savage
Dutch Savage
Frank Stewart is a former professional wrestler and wrestling promoter, best known for his time spent competing in Pacific Northwest Wrestling under the ring name Dutch Savage.-Career:...
, a feud that lasted approximately five years. He also feuded with Ricky Hunter
Ricky Hunter
Charles B. Sprott is a Canadian former professional wrestler, better known by his ring names Ricky Hunter and the masked wrestler The Gladiator...
in the Pacific Northwest. Ramos became a popular heel in Oregon after breaking Lonnie Mayne
Lonnie Mayne
Ronald Doyle "Lonnie" Mayne was an American professional wrestler in the 1960s and 1970s who frequently went by the name Moondog Mayne. Mayne wrestled in various NWA territories as well as the WWWF...
's arm, causing the bone to stick out of the skin. In the same territory, Ramos won tag team gold with future governor Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
.
He wrestled until the 1980s.
Gimmick
When he first began wrestling, promoters wanted him to wrestle as an Italian named John Albano, but Ramos rejected the idea. When he first began wrestling, Ramos only weighed 200 lbs. He continued to gain weight throughout his career, weighing 350 pounds at his heaviest.Ramos weighed over 300 pounds and was strong on promos. As a result, he was able to draw massive heat during his matches. He began his career wrestling as Bull Ramos, a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
character. In the 1970s, Wrestling World magazine, wrote about Ramos in kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
. They wrote that Ramos' was born in "an adobe hut on the San Carlo, New Mexico, Indian reservation" and was a "redskinned dynamite, dressed in an Indian vest and wearing an Indian headhand. He even invented a match that today is known as the Texas Bullrope Match, where one is tied to his opponent using rope and must drag him to all 4 corners of the ring.
Personal life
In addition to English, he was fluent in Spanish.After he quit wrestling, Ramos ran a wrecking service in Houston. He learned about the business from a fellow wrestler named Nick Kozak.
Ramos' wife was named Brenda. He took his wife with him on his first tour of Australia, but she returned to the United States after becoming pregnant. He adopted his grandson Jonathan Ramos, who enlisted in the Air Force in the Summer of 2010
Ramos suffered from diabetes, which caused him to go blind. He had a big toe amputated due to an infection cause by a piece of glass. In addition, he was on kidney
Kidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
dialysis
Dialysis
In medicine, dialysis is a process for removing waste and excess water from the blood, and is primarily used to provide an artificial replacement for lost kidney function in people with renal failure...
three times a week. He lost over 100 pounds because of his various illnesses. On May 27, 2006, Ramos died at the age of 68 due to a massive shoulder infection
Infection
An infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
. Apache Bull Ramos was born Robert Rice.
Every year since his death, on his birthday and other major celebrations, his family and friends of his family gather around the pond on his wife's land and release red and black balloons in memory of him.
Championships and accomplishments
- Mid-South Wrestling
- Mid-South Mississippi Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship (Tri-State version)Mid-South North American ChampionshipThe Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship was the major singles title in the Mid-South Wrestling Association from 1979 until the promotion became the Universal Wrestling Federation in 1986. The title was retired then in favor of the UWF Heavyweight Championship...
(1 time)
- NWA Big Time WrestlingWorld Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
- NWA Texas Tag Team ChampionshipWCWA Texas Tag Team ChampionshipThe WCWA Texas Tag Team Championship was the secondary tag team championship in World Class Championship Wrestling, originally known as the NWA Texas Tag-Team title until 1981 where they were abandoned. The titles were brought back in 1987 as the WCWA Texas Tag-Team titles but once the WCWA joined...
(2 times) - with Tiger Conway, Jr. (1) and Big John StuddBig John StuddJohn William Minton was an American professional wrestler and actor who was born and raised in Butler, Pennsylvania, better known by his ring name, Big John Studd.-Career:...
(1)
- NWA Hollywood WrestlingNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA Americas Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Americas Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship was the top singles championship in the National Wrestling Alliance's Los Angeles territory, known officially as NWA Hollywood Wrestling, from 1968 until the promotion closed in 1982. The title was first established in 1967 as a secondary championship in...
(1 time) - NWA Americas Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ray GordonRay HrstichDick Hrstich was a New Zealand professional wrestler, known by his ring names Ray Hrstich and Ray Gordon, who competed throughout his native country and in Canada and the United States during the late 1950s and 60s. He was among the first New Zealanders to travel to the U.S...
and Mike Riker - NWA Americas Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Americas Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Americas Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the National Wrestling Alliance's NWA Hollywood Wrestling based out of Los Angeles, California....
(2 times) - with Black Gordman
- NWA Southwest SportsNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Amarillo version)NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Amarillo version)The Amarillo version of the NWA Brass Knuckles Championship was a secondary championship that was defended in Dory Funk, Sr.'s NWA Western States Sports promotion based in Amarillo, Texas. Originally created in August 1964, the title was used briefly before being abandoned. It was reactivated three...
(1 time) - NWA Western States Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Western States Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling title in the National Wrestling Alliance's Amarillo, Texas territory, NWA Western States Sports....
(2 times) - NWA Western States Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Western States Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Western States Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling title in the National Wrestling Alliance's Amarillo, Texas territory, NWA Western States Sports....
(1 time) - with The Beast
- Pacific Northwest WrestlingPacific Northwest WrestlingPacific Northwest Wrestling is the common name used to refer to several different professional wrestling companies, both past and present, based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The first such company was founded by Herb Owen in 1925...
- NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance and defended in its member promotion Pacific Northwest Wrestling, which promoted shows in the U.S...
(4 times) - NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance and defended in its member promotion Pacific Northwest Wrestling, which promoted shows in the U.S...
(3 times) - with Clay Spencer (1), Ripper Collins (1), and Iron Sheik (1)
- Texas All-Pro Wrestling
- TAP Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Other titles
- Rocky Mountain Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Further reading
External links
- Profile at Online World of Wrestling