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Uncle Elmer

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Uncle Elmer
Frazier as Uncle Elmer
Birth nameStanley C. Fraizer
Born(1937-08-16)August 16, 1937[1]
Philadelphia, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedJuly 1, 1992(1992-07-01) (aged 54)
Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S.
Cause of deathKidney failure
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)A-Team #2[2]
Big Tex[1]
Congorilla[2]
Cowboy Frazier[2]
Ed Younger[2]
Farmer Boy Frazier[2]
Giant Frazier[2]
Giant Hillbilly[2]
Hillbilly Elmer[2]
Kamala II[3]
Pascagoula Plowboy[1]
Playboy Frazier[3]
Plowboy Frazier[3]
Tex Frazier[2]
The Convict[1]
The Country Plowboy[2]
The Giant Rebel[2]
Tiny Frazier[1]
Tiny the Plowboy[2]
The Lone Ranger[3]
Uncle Elmer[3]
Lieutenant Frazier[2]
Billed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)[4]
Billed weight430 lb (200 kg)[4]
Billed fromPascagoula, Mississippi[1]
Philadelphia, Mississippi
Debut1960
Retired1989

Stanley C. Fraizer (August 16, 1937 – July 1, 1992),[5] also known as Plowboy Frazier, was an American professional wrestler. He was primarily a regional gimmick wrestler, employed for his massive size and unique personality. He is best known as Uncle Elmer in the World Wrestling Federation from 1985 to 1986. He married Joyce Stazko on an episode of Saturday Night's Main Event II, which was a major media event at the time.[2]

Professional wrestling career

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Southeastern United States (1960–1985)

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At the beginning of his career, Fraizer wrestled in the Gulf Coast region of the United States, especially Alabama and Florida. He used several ring names, including the "Pascagoula Plowboy". Because he was a local wrestler, he was very popular with the fans.[6]

Fraizer was discovered by Jerry Jarrett and Jerry Lawler, who brought him to wrestle in the National Wrestling Alliance's (NWA) Mid-America region and later in the Continental Wrestling Association (CWA). He used many gimmicks in Tennessee, including Giant Rebel, the Lone Ranger, Giant Hillbilly and Tiny Fraizer.[1] Despite weighing 420 pounds, he also wrestled in a loincloth as Kamala II, a copy of Kamala, who wrestled in Tennessee with a Ugandan headhunter gimmick.[7]

Fraizer won several championships while in Tennessee. Wrestling under his own name, he won the Mid-America version of the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship in 1971.[1] Wrestling as Plowboy Frazier, he formed a tag team with Lawler and won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship in 1976.[8] He won the belts again in 1978 while teaming with Terry Sawyer.[8]

Fraizer's next title success came in Georgia Championship Wrestling. While there, he teamed with Ted DiBiase to win the NWA National Tag Team Championship from The Fabulous Freebirds.[1][9] Their title reign lasted five days, as they dropped the titles back to the Freebirds.

World Wrestling Federation (1985–1986)

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Fraizer (right) and Hillbilly Jim embracing, c. 1986

During 1985 and 1986, Fraizer wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation as Uncle Elmer.[4] He was a member of a stable named the Hillbillies, which also included Hillbilly Jim, Cousin Junior, and Cousin Luke.[2] The Hillbillies' gimmick was that of simple-minded country folk who performed square dances in the ring, with Uncle Elmer perpetually eating from an enormous bucket labeled "Uncle Elmer's Fried Pig Parts".[10][11] They feuded with several of the WWF's top wrestlers, including Roddy Piper and Bob Orton Jr.[11]

On the October 5, 1985, episode of Saturday Night's Main Event II (taped two days earlier), Fraizer was legitimately married to Joyce Stazko despite a storyline that saw Piper try to interfere. During the ceremony, wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura heckled Fraizer from his position at the announcers table; Ventura later read a poem at the reception criticizing the wedding until Hillbilly Jim attacked him, and the evening's events led to a feud between Elmer and Ventura (years later Ventura claimed in a radio interview that to further the storyline, Vince McMahon told him to "bury them" during the ceremony). Uncle Elmer competed at the Los Angeles part of WrestleMania 2 in 1986, where he lost to "Adorable" Adrian Adonis.[12] He would remain in the WWF until May 1986, leaving the company after a quick loss to King Kong Bundy at Saturday Night's Main Event VI.

Later career (1986–1989)

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Fraizer continued to wrestle in Tennessee after leaving the WWF. As Giant Hillbilly Elmer, he teamed up with Lawler again to win the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship once more on June 23, 1986.[8] Their title reign lasted less than a month, but he then regained the championship while teaming with Cousin Junior. This reign was even shorter, as they lost the title belts two days later.[8] Fraizer then wrestled for the Continental Wrestling Association (CWA), where he found success in the super heavyweight division. He won the CWA Super Heavyweight Championship on November 17, 1986 by defeating Goliath.[13] He dropped the belt to Jerry Blackwell, but was awarded the title again in 1988. He held the championship until the promotion abandoned it later that year.[13]

He wrestled his last matches in 1989 and for a period of time, had his own promotion, and was involved in training future star Hardcore Holly.

Personal life

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Fraizer was born on August 16, 1937, and lived in Pascagoula, Mississippi.[1] He was married to his wife Joyce from 1985 until his death, and she traveled with him as he wrestled.[7] To earn additional money, Frazier was known for selling replica Rolex watches and other inexpensive merchandise, and he operated a shoe store.[7] He also made an appearance as himself on an Andy Kaufman special on PBS in 1983, drinking raw eggs.[14]

Fraizer suffered from diabetes and poor health as a result of his weight.[2] These problems led to kidney failure, from which he died on July 1, 1992.[7] Fraizer was buried in Biloxi, Mississippi.[1]

Championships and accomplishments

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Wrestler Profiles: Uncle Elmer". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved February 28, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Frequently Asked Questions". PlowboyFrazier.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2009. Retrieved February 28, 2008.
  3. ^ a b c d e Cohen, Daniel; Susan Cohen (1986). Wrestling Superstars II. Pocket Books. p. 26. ISBN 0-671-63224-8.
  4. ^ a b c Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. Dorling Kindersley. p. 318. ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
  5. ^ "Stan "Uncle Elmer" Fraizer (1937-1992) - Find A..." www.findagrave.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  6. ^ Pringle III, Percy. "Memories of the Pascagoula Plowboy". PlowboyFrazier. Retrieved January 7, 2009.
  7. ^ a b c d Nielsen, Kurt (April 14, 2008). "Singing the praises of the underappreciated Stan "Uncle Elmer" Frazier". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ a b c d e f Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2006) [2000.]. "(Memphis, Nashville) Tennessee: Southern Tag Team Title [Roy Welsch & Nick Gulas, Jerry Jarrett from 1977]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Waterloo, Ontario: Archeus Communications. pp. 185–189. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  9. ^ "Title History". PlowboyFrazier. Archived from the original on October 27, 2008. Retrieved January 7, 2009.
  10. ^ Reynolds, R.D. (2003). WrestleCrap: The Very Worst of Pro Wrestling. ECW Press. p. 31. ISBN 1-55022-584-7.
  11. ^ a b Oliver, Greg. "Cousin Luke made a lasting impression". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. ^ "WrestleMania 2 Results". WWE. Retrieved January 6, 2009.
  13. ^ a b c "CWA Super Heavyweight Title". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved February 27, 2008.
  14. ^ "Soundstage: The Andy Kaufman Show". PlowboyFrazier.com. Retrieved February 28, 2008.
  15. ^ "NWA National Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on December 18, 2007. Retrieved February 28, 2008.
  16. ^ "Southern Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
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