Ron Wright (wrestler)
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|
| Born |
October 26, 1938 Rogersville, Tennessee, United States |
|---|---|
| Died | April 21, 2015 (aged 76) Kingsport, Tennessee, United States |
| Spouse(s) | Teresa Wright |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) |
Ron Wright Crusher (official ring name) King of Kingsport (nickname) Number One Hillbilly (nickname) Backstreet Brawler (nickname) |
| Debut | January 21, 1956 |
| Retired | August 12, 1995 |
Ron Wright (1938–2015) was an American professional wrestler, promoter and manager. He wrestled and managed primarily for territory promotions in the Southeastern United States from the 1950s until the 1990s, particularly in the Tennessee and Kentucky areas, including for National Wrestling Alliance, Southeast Championship Wrestling, Continental Wrestling Association, Continental Championship Wrestling, Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and Smoky Mountain Wrestling.
Ron Wright started wrestling in 1956 with his real life friend and future wrestling opponent Whitey Caldwell as well as his brother Don Wright, following an amateur start at the Kingsport Boys Club. Ron Wright and Caldwell soon caught the eye of top local outlaw (though future NWA) promoter Mickey Baarnes as well as fellow outlaw Buddy Russels for whom they made their debut on the 21st January 1956. Both debuted as teenagers with a younger Ron Wright mostly working as a referee while the older Caldwell quickly made a name as a wrestler. Ron Wright gained a reputation for being a wrestling heel when in 1961 he seriously and legitimately injured Caldwell (putting him out of action for a year) who was by then a very popular wrestling babyface and tv champion.
Ron Wright was the most hated heel in his area of operation for almost 3 decades engaging in extremely physical, violent and bloody matches, mostly as part of a tag team and often with his brother Don Wright but his most well-known and frequent opponent was still Caldwell who he would try to provoke to genuine anger in order to make their bouts better. He was known not only for being a nefarious cheat and bully but also for his speaking ability, both as a wrestler and as a manager, a style based on local preachers. He did however appear as a face in a tribute match for Whitey Caldwell after his death at the hands of a drunk driver in 1973. By the end of the 1970s Ron Wright had mostly transitioned to an on-screen management role while becoming an off-screen secret owner of his local territory (the Kingsport, Bristol and Johnson City region in Tennessee, i.e. Tri-City area, part of the future Southeastern Championship Wrestling territory). He suffered a serious injury at the beginning of the 80s and disappeared from wrestling as a wrestler, manager and promoter until 1987 when he came back as a manager in Continental Championship Wrestling, then USA Championship Wrestling, and later in Smoky Mountain Wrestling.
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