66 Facts About Ole Anderson

Alan Robert Rogowski, better known by the ring name Ole Anderson, was an American professional wrestler, booker, and promoter.

Ole Anderson spent the rest of his career with Jim Crockett Promotions and its successor, World Championship Wrestling, forming a new iteration of the Minnesota Wrecking Crew with Arn Ole Anderson, co-founding influential stable The Four Horsemen, twice serving as booker for WCW, and running the WCW Power Plant.

Ole Anderson retired from the ring in 1990, and from the professional wrestling industry in 1994.

Ole Anderson held over 40 championships over the course of his career, including eight reigns as National Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Champion.

Ole Anderson was inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame in 1994 and the NWA Hall of Fame in 2010.

Ole Anderson attended Alexander Ramsey High School in nearby Roseville, Minnesota.

Ole Anderson spent his adolescence in St Paul, Minnesota, where he worked at his father's bar.

Ole Anderson debuted with the AWA on August 19,1967, defeating Jose Quintero in a bout in the Minneapolis Auditorium.

Ole Anderson wrestled as "Al 'the Rock' Rogowski" or simply "Rock Rogowski".

Ole Anderson went on a short unbeaten streak which ended the following month when he and Mighty Igor Vodik unsuccessfully challenged Harley Race and Larry Hennig for the AWA World Tag Team Championship.

In mid-1968, Ole Anderson began wrestling for the Carolinas-based Jim Crockett Promotions.

In January 1970, Ole Anderson wrestled a handful of matches in Japan with the Japan Wrestling Association as part of its "New Year Champion Series", including losing to Antonio Inoki in Himeji.

In November 1970, Ole Anderson returned to the American Wrestling Association, readopting his "Rock Rogowski" ring name.

Also in November 1970, Ole Anderson challenged his trainer Verne Gagne for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, wrestling him to a double countout.

In early-1971, Ole Anderson held the AWA Midwest Tag Team Championship on two occasions, once with The Claw and once with Ox Baker.

Ole Anderson left the AWA once more in mid-1971 to join Championship Wrestling from Florida.

In July 1971, Ole Anderson began wrestling for the Florida-based Championship Wrestling from Florida promotion.

In December 1971, Ole Anderson defeated Jack Brisco to win the NWA Florida Television Championship.

Ole Anderson's reign ended one week later when he lost to Bob Roop.

Ole Anderson wrestled regularly for Championship Wrestling from Florida until spring 1972, when he left to return to Jim Crockett Promotions.

Ole Anderson returned to Jim Crockett Promotions in February 1972, resuming teaming with Gene Ole Anderson as the Minnesota Wrecking Crew.

In May 1973, Ole Anderson won the NWA Eastern Heavyweight Championship from Jerry Brisco.

Ole Anderson lost the title back to Brisco in July 1973.

In May 1974, Ole Anderson began wrestling regularly for Georgia Championship Wrestling.

From 1974 to 1985, Ole Anderson wrestled primarily for Jim Crockett Promotions and Georgia Championship Wrestling.

In May 1976, Ole Anderson was attacked by a knife-wielding audience member in Greenville, South Carolina.

In 1976, Ole Anderson was appointed as booker of Georgia Championship Wrestling by majority owner Jim Barnett, replacing Harley Race.

Ole Anderson later left JCP to book and wrestle for GCW full-time.

In May 1977, Ole Anderson defeated Mr Wrestling II in Macon, Georgia to win the Macon Heavyweight Championship.

That same month, Ole Anderson defeated Goulet in the finals of a tournament in Atlanta, Georgia to win the NWA Georgia Television Championship; he lost the title to Thunderbolt Patterson in May 1978.

In mid-1978, Ole Anderson formed a tag team with Ivan Koloff.

In October 1978, Ole Anderson teamed with Stan Hansen to win the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship for an eleventh time; Ole Anderson and Hanson were stripped of the titles the following month after being disqualified too many times.

In November 1978, Ole Anderson defeated Mr Wrestling in Columbus, Georgia to win the Columbus Heavyweight Championship.

Ole Anderson was stripped of the title the following month after a match against Bob Armstrong.

In early 1979, Ole Anderson won the NWA Georgia Television Championship from Thunderbolt Patterson; he held the title until April 1979, when he lost to Bob Armstrong.

In October 1979, Ole Anderson teamed with Ernie Ladd to defeat Crusher Lisowski and Tommy Rich for the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship.

In July 1980, Ole Anderson was involved in one of Georgia Championship Wrestling's more infamous angles.

In June 1983, Ole Anderson began feuding with Paul Ellering and the Road Warriors.

In 1984, Ole Anderson feuded with his future tag team partner Arn Ole Anderson.

Ole Anderson wrestled his final match with Georgia Championship Wrestling in July 1984, teaming with Ronnie Garvin to defeat the Road Warriors in the Macon Coliseum.

Ole Anderson joined forces with long-time NWA-sanctioned promoters Fred Ward and Ralph Freed to start a new company called Championship Wrestling from Georgia.

Championship Wrestling from Georgia promoted its first event in August 1984 and its final event in April 1985, when Ole Anderson sold it to Jim Crockett Jr.

Ole Anderson went on to feud with Roop, facing him in a series of street fights, cage matches, and taped fist matches.

Ole Anderson began teaming with Arn Anderson, as a new iteration of the Minnesota Wrecking Crew.

Ole Anderson took part in a tournament for the NWA United National Championship, defeating Killer Khan, losing to Genichiro Tenryu, and wrestling Ashura Hara to a draw; the tournament was ultimately won by Tenryu.

In February 1987, Anderson left the Four Horsemen after punching Tully Blanchard when he referred to Ole's son Bryant as a "snot nosed kid".

Ole Anderson subsequently began feuding with the remaining Four Horsemen, facing Blanchard, Arn Anderson, and Dillon in a series of matches.

Ole Anderson returned to the ring in January 1988, forming a tag team with Lex Luger, who had left the Four Horsemen the month prior.

The tag team disbanded in March 1988 when Ole Anderson returned to retirement.

Ole Anderson came out of retirement once more in November 1989, reforming the Minnesota Wrecking Crew with Arn Ole Anderson, who had returned to Jim Crockett Promotions after a stint in the World Wrestling Federation.

In March-April 1990, Ole Anderson briefly managed two masked wrestlers dubbed the Minnesota Wrecking Crew II.

Ole Anderson wrestled the final match of his career on April 28,1990, teaming with Arn Ole Anderson in a loss to Rick Steiner and Road Warrior Animal.

Ole Anderson subsequently retired again to manage the Four Horsemen.

In spring 1990, Ole Anderson began heading the booking committee for WCW, replacing Ric Flair.

Ole Anderson's tenure saw some of the more outlandish creative ideas tried by WCW.

Ole Anderson was dismissed as booker at the end of 1990.

When Ric Flair returned to WCW that spring, Ole Anderson questioned what value he had after having lost a loser leaves town match to Mr Perfect on national television in the World Wrestling Federation, which Flair took as a personal attack, leading to him ending their friendship.

Ole Anderson did not reappear following Slamboree and the stable proceeded as a trio.

In early 1994, Eric Bischoff was promoted to replace Bob Dhue; after a series of creative disagreements, Bischoff reassigned Ole Anderson to be head trainer of the WCW Power Plant training school.

Ole Anderson was fired from WCW by Bischoff in September 1994 after meeting Smoky Mountain Wrestling promoter and booker Jim Cornette - who was on bad terms with Bischoff - in the parking lot of the Power Plant to cut promos for his son Bryant's upcoming debut in SMW.

Robbie V left WCW in May 1993 shortly after Ole Anderson replaced Bill Watts as booker, feeling he was "lost in the shuffle".

Ole Anderson was characterized by some co-workers as a bully.

Ole Anderson criticized former partner and friend Ric Flair for wrestling formulaic matches.

Ole Anderson criticized, or had disputes with, many other wrestling personalities including Randy Savage, Ernie Ladd, Thunderbolt Patterson, Lex Luger, Eric Bischoff, Tully Blanchard, and Roddy Piper.

Ole Anderson was known for his "hard-nosed style and gruff demeanor".

Ole Anderson generally wrestled in red trunks, sometimes adorned with yellow stars.