Rocky Iaukea
Encyclopedia
Rocky Iaukea is a retired American
professional wrestler, known by his ringname Prince Iaukea, who competed in the Pacific Northwest
and Southeastern United States
with the National Wrestling Alliance
during the 1980s, and in Japan
during the early 1990s. From 1987 to 1990, he wrestled as Abbuda Dein in Pacific Northwest Wrestling
winning the NWA Pacific Northwest Television Championship
twice and the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship
three times with Mike Miller
and The Grappler
. A second-generation wrestler, he is the son of Curtis Iaukea
and a cousin of Maunakea Mossman.
, a popular wrestler in the United States and Japan during the 1960s and 70s, Rocky Iaukea followed in his father's footsteps and became a wrestler himself. Making his debut in 1981, Iaukea spent much of his early career in New Japan Pro Wrestling
before coming back to the United States to wrestle for the National Wrestling Alliance
in the mid-1980s. On February 14, 1986, he unsuccessfully challenged Kendall Windham
for the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship
at the Battle of the Belts II supercard held at the Eddie Graham Sports Arena in Orlando, Florida
.
Shortly afterwards, Iaukea began wrestling for Pacific Northwest Wrestling
under the name Abbuda Dein. His in-ring persona was that of a Arab American
"heel"
similar to The Iron Sheik. Teaming with Mike Miller
, they defeated Brady Boone & Coco Samoa for the NWA Pacific Northwest Television Championship
in Madras, Oregon
on June 25, then lost them to Boone and Ricky Santana
in Portland
four months later. He and Miller regained the titles in Longview, Washington
the following month before finally losing them to Ricky Santana and Coco Samoa in Portland on January 7, 1987.
At the end of the year, Iaukea won the NWA Pacific Northwest Television Championship
from Art Barr
in Portland on December 26, 1987. His time as champion was brief, however, as the title was vacated on January 30, 1988, following a controversial match against Coco Samoa. He briefly won back the title from Top Gun
on January 14, 1989, but dropped it to Carl Styles a little over two weeks later.
Iaukea spent his last year in PNW feuding against Pacific Northwest Tag Team Champions The Southern Rockers (Scott Peterson and Steve Doll
) with allies Matt Borne and The Grappler
. He managed to win the tag team titles once more when he and The Grappler beat The Southern Rockers for the belts in Portland on October 29, 1988. After spending almost three months as champions, he and The Grappler lost the titles back to The Southern Rockers on January 7, 1989. That same year, he appeared for the Bruiser Brody Memorial Show
where he and The V lost a tag team match to Shinichi Nakano & Akira Taue
at Tokyo's Budokan Hall on August 29, 1988.
In early 1991, Iaukea joined the "Thunder Down Under" tour in New Zealand
with several World Wrestling Federation wrestlers including Jim Powers
, The Genius
, Don Muraco
, Angel of Death
, Koko B. Ware, The Brooklyn Brawler, The Nasty Boys
(Knobs & Sags
) and The Bushwhackers
(Butch & Luke). Wrestling under the name Mad Dog of Baghdad, he lost to Siva Afi in Hamilton
on March 31. He also accompanied Terry Gordy
, Steve Williams, Dan Kroffat
, Doug Furnas
, Joe Malenko
, Dean Malenko
and Rocky Iaukea in a tour of Japan with All Japan Pro Wrestling
that same year. Iaukea eventually returned to Japan full-time where he wrestled for AJPW and WAR
up until his retirement in 1996. He later started a charter boat service and he is the owner and captain of a catamaran boat
which tours the beaches of Waikiki
. In 2006, he was interviewed by Ken Hirayama and discussed his career and retirement. He also expressed his support for Pro Wrestling Noah
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestler, known by his ringname Prince Iaukea, who competed in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
and Southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
with the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The 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...
during the 1980s, and in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
during the early 1990s. From 1987 to 1990, he wrestled as Abbuda Dein in Pacific Northwest Wrestling
Pacific Northwest Wrestling
Pacific 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...
winning the NWA Pacific Northwest Television Championship
NWA Pacific Northwest Television Championship
The NWA Pacific Northwest Television Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance and defended in its member promotion Pacific Northwest Wrestling. It served as PNW's second-tier title, lasting from 1987 through 1990.-Title history:...
twice and the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship
NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship
The 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...
three times with Mike Miller
Mike Miller (wrestler)
James Michael Millman better known as "Mean" Mike Miller is a professional wrestler, who had great success in Pacific Northwest Wrestling. Mean Mike was brought in to professional wrestling by Herb Welch...
and The Grappler
Len Denton
Len Denton is a semi-retired professional wrestler, best known by his ring name The Grappler.While wrestling as The Grappler in Pacific Northwest Wrestling , his gimmick was a loaded boot, and later a loaded mask, which he had started wearing earlier in his career after losing a hair match and...
. A second-generation wrestler, he is the son of Curtis Iaukea
King Curtis Iaukea
Curtis Piehau Iaukea, III was a professional wrestler better known as King Curtis Iaukea. Iaukea won championships in several of the major regional US promotions, both as a single and in various tag team combinations, during the 1960s. He then competed in the World Wrestling Federation where he...
and a cousin of Maunakea Mossman.
Career
The son of King Curtis IaukeaKing Curtis Iaukea
Curtis Piehau Iaukea, III was a professional wrestler better known as King Curtis Iaukea. Iaukea won championships in several of the major regional US promotions, both as a single and in various tag team combinations, during the 1960s. He then competed in the World Wrestling Federation where he...
, a popular wrestler in the United States and Japan during the 1960s and 70s, Rocky Iaukea followed in his father's footsteps and became a wrestler himself. Making his debut in 1981, Iaukea spent much of his early career in New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
before coming back to the United States to wrestle for the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The 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...
in the mid-1980s. On February 14, 1986, he unsuccessfully challenged Kendall Windham
Kendall Windham
Kendall Windham is a former professional wrestler. He is the son of Blackjack Mulligan and the brother of Barry Windham.-Florida Championship Wrestling:...
for the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship
NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship was a major title in Championship Wrestling from Florida, USA and is now the major title in NWA Florida. It started in 1937 and was abandoned in 1949. It was picked back up in 1966 by CWF and lasted until 1987 when the company was purchased by Jim Crockett...
at the Battle of the Belts II supercard held at the Eddie Graham Sports Arena in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
.
Shortly afterwards, Iaukea began wrestling for Pacific Northwest Wrestling
Pacific Northwest Wrestling
Pacific 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...
under the name Abbuda Dein. His in-ring persona was that of a Arab American
Arab American
An Arab American is a United States citizen or resident of Arab ethnic, cultural and linguistic heritage or identity, who identifies themselves as Arab. Arab Americans trace ancestry to any of the various waves of immigrants of the countries comprising the Arab World...
"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...
similar to The Iron Sheik. Teaming with Mike Miller
Mike Miller (wrestler)
James Michael Millman better known as "Mean" Mike Miller is a professional wrestler, who had great success in Pacific Northwest Wrestling. Mean Mike was brought in to professional wrestling by Herb Welch...
, they defeated Brady Boone & Coco Samoa for the NWA Pacific Northwest Television Championship
NWA Pacific Northwest Television Championship
The NWA Pacific Northwest Television Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance and defended in its member promotion Pacific Northwest Wrestling. It served as PNW's second-tier title, lasting from 1987 through 1990.-Title history:...
in Madras, Oregon
Madras, Oregon
Madras is a city in Jefferson County, Oregon, United States. Originally called The Basin after the circular valley the city is located in, it is unclear as to whether Madras was named in 1903 for the cotton fabric called "Madras" that originated in the Madras area in India, or from the city of...
on June 25, then lost them to Boone and Ricky Santana
Aldo Ortiz
Aldo Ortiz , better known as Ricky Santana, is a professional wrestler who has worked for World Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Federation, World Wrestling Council and the National Wrestling Alliance.-Professional wrestling career:...
in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
four months later. He and Miller regained the titles in Longview, Washington
Longview, Washington
Longview is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is the principal city of the "Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area", which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. Longview's population was 36,648 at the time of the 2010 census and is the largest city in Cowlitz County...
the following month before finally losing them to Ricky Santana and Coco Samoa in Portland on January 7, 1987.
At the end of the year, Iaukea won the NWA Pacific Northwest Television Championship
NWA Pacific Northwest Television Championship
The NWA Pacific Northwest Television Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance and defended in its member promotion Pacific Northwest Wrestling. It served as PNW's second-tier title, lasting from 1987 through 1990.-Title history:...
from Art Barr
Art Barr
Arthur Leon "Art" Barr was an American professional wrestler. While he wrestled briefly for World Championship Wrestling, he found his greatest success in Mexico's Asistencia Asesoría y Administración promotion....
in Portland on December 26, 1987. His time as champion was brief, however, as the title was vacated on January 30, 1988, following a controversial match against Coco Samoa. He briefly won back the title from Top Gun
David Sierra
Fidel Sierra David Cannell is a professional wrestler, better known as David Sierra, who is best known as a longtime veteran of the Puerto Rico-based World Wrestling Council as well as for his appearances in World Championship Wrestling and Pacific Northwest Wrestling during the 1980s and 90s...
on January 14, 1989, but dropped it to Carl Styles a little over two weeks later.
Iaukea spent his last year in PNW feuding against Pacific Northwest Tag Team Champions The Southern Rockers (Scott Peterson and Steve Doll
Steve Doll
Steve Doll was an American professional wrestler, best known for his tenure in the World Wrestling Federation as Steven Dunn in the tag team Well Dunn.-Professional wrestling career:...
) with allies Matt Borne and The Grappler
Len Denton
Len Denton is a semi-retired professional wrestler, best known by his ring name The Grappler.While wrestling as The Grappler in Pacific Northwest Wrestling , his gimmick was a loaded boot, and later a loaded mask, which he had started wearing earlier in his career after losing a hair match and...
. He managed to win the tag team titles once more when he and The Grappler beat The Southern Rockers for the belts in Portland on October 29, 1988. After spending almost three months as champions, he and The Grappler lost the titles back to The Southern Rockers on January 7, 1989. That same year, he appeared for the Bruiser Brody Memorial Show
Bruiser Brody Memorial Show
The Bruiser Brody Memorial Show was a professional wrestling supercard held by Giant Baba and All Japan Pro Wrestling as a tribute to wrestler Bruiser Brody at Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan on August 29, 1988...
where he and The V lost a tag team match to Shinichi Nakano & Akira Taue
Akira Taue
is a Japanese professional wrestler, and the current President of Pro Wrestling Noah. He is also a former AJPW Triple Crown champion, a former GHC Heavyweight Champion and has had 14 5 Star Matches as awarded by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter....
at Tokyo's Budokan Hall on August 29, 1988.
In early 1991, Iaukea joined the "Thunder Down Under" tour in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
with several World Wrestling Federation wrestlers including Jim Powers
Jim Powers
James Manley , better known by his ring name Jim Powers is a retired American professional wrestler. He most notably wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation in the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s...
, The Genius
Lanny Poffo
Lanny Mark Poffo , better known by his ring name "Leaping" Lanny is an American professional wrestler. Poffo was born in Calgary, Canada, to Angelo Poffo, an Italian American Catholic, and Judy, a Jewish American. He is also the brother of wrestling legend "Macho Man" Randy Savage...
, Don Muraco
Don Muraco
Donald Muraco , better known by his ring name "The Rock" Don Muraco, is a retired American professional wrestler...
, Angel of Death
David Sheldon
Later in 1980's Russian assassin #1 was portrayed by Joe Piermatteo, another masked wrestler out of Johnny Rodz StableDavid Sheldon was a professional wrestler, known by his ring name the Angel of Death, who wrestled in North American regional promotions during the 1980s and early 1990s including...
, Koko B. Ware, The Brooklyn Brawler, The Nasty Boys
The Nasty Boys
The Nasty Boys are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags, active from the mid to late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. Their gimmick was that of anti-social punks who specialized in hardcore wrestling and brawling...
(Knobs & Sags
Jerry Sags
Jerome Saganovich is an American professional wrestler best known as Jerry Sags. He is one half of the tag team The Nasty Boys along with Brian Knobbs.-Career:...
) and The Bushwhackers
The Bushwhackers
The Bushwhackers were a professional wrestling tag team that also competed as The Sheepherders during their long career. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation and Jim Crockett Promotions as well as a nearly 40 year run on the independent wrestling circuit...
(Butch & Luke). Wrestling under the name Mad Dog of Baghdad, he lost to Siva Afi in Hamilton
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
on March 31. He also accompanied Terry Gordy
Terry Gordy
Terry Ray 'Bam Bam' Gordy, Sr. was a professional wrestler who was best known in North America for being a member of the Fabulous Freebirds.-Career:...
, Steve Williams, Dan Kroffat
Dan Kroffat
Dan Kroffat is a professional wrestler who was active as a wrestler and booker in the National Wrestling Alliance and Stampede Wrestling in the 1960s and 1970sWhile acting as a booker in Stampede Wrestling, Kroffat invented the ladder match....
, Doug Furnas
Doug Furnas
Doug Furnas is a former American professional wrestler and powerlifter. Furnas briefly worked for World Championship Wrestling in the early 1990s...
, Joe Malenko
Joe Malenko
Joe Simon is an American former professional wrestler best known under the ring name Joe Malenko. Malenko was born into a wrestling family, and his father Boris Malenko was a prominent wrestling figure in his own right. Dean Malenko is his brother.-Japan:Malenko is most known for his stints...
, Dean Malenko
Dean Malenko
Dean Simon is a retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Dean Malenko. He is currently signed to WWE working as a road agent. He is best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling , New Japan Pro Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling...
and Rocky Iaukea in a tour of Japan with All Japan Pro Wrestling
All Japan Pro Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...
that same year. Iaukea eventually returned to Japan full-time where he wrestled for AJPW and WAR
WAR (wrestling promotion)
Wrestle and Romance, and later Wrestle Association R, was a professional wrestling promotion founded and run by Genichiro Tenryu as the successor to Super World of Sports, and which lasted from 1992 to 2000. The promotion had very few regular contracted workers, instead most of the workers were...
up until his retirement in 1996. He later started a charter boat service and he is the owner and captain of a catamaran boat
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
which tours the beaches of Waikiki
Waikiki
Waikiki is a neighborhood of Honolulu, in the City and County of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oahu, in Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is the shoreline fronting Waikīkī....
. In 2006, he was interviewed by Ken Hirayama and discussed his career and retirement. He also expressed his support for Pro Wrestling Noah
Pro Wrestling Noah
is a major Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling ace Mitsuharu Misawa. NOAH is broadcast weekly in Japan...
.
Championships and accomplishments
- 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 Television ChampionshipNWA Pacific Northwest Television ChampionshipThe NWA Pacific Northwest Television Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance and defended in its member promotion Pacific Northwest Wrestling. It served as PNW's second-tier title, lasting from 1987 through 1990.-Title history:...
(2 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 Mike MillerMike Miller (wrestler)James Michael Millman better known as "Mean" Mike Miller is a professional wrestler, who had great success in Pacific Northwest Wrestling. Mean Mike was brought in to professional wrestling by Herb Welch...
and The GrapplerLen DentonLen Denton is a semi-retired professional wrestler, best known by his ring name The Grappler.While wrestling as The Grappler in Pacific Northwest Wrestling , his gimmick was a loaded boot, and later a loaded mask, which he had started wearing earlier in his career after losing a hair match and...
External links
- Abbuda Dein at ObsessedWithWrestling.com
- Abbuda Dein at GenickBruch.com
- Abbuda Dein at Cagematch.net
- Rocky Iaukea at ProFightDB.com