15 Facts About Ray Gunkel

Raymond Fred Gunkel was an American amateur and professional wrestler and promoter in the state of Georgia.

Ray Gunkel died of heart trauma after a match in Savannah, Georgia, in which he defeated Ox Baker.

Ray Gunkel was born on February 16,1924, in Chicago, Illinois.

Ray Gunkel attended Kelvyn Park High School before attending Purdue University.

Ray Gunkel competed on the university's wrestling and football teams.

Ray Gunkel won the Amateur Athletic Union national championship in both 1947 and 1948.

Ray Gunkel originally wanted to become a teacher, but he entered professional wrestling immediately after leaving university.

Ray Gunkel made his debut in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1948.

Ray Gunkel then moved to Texas, where he competed for throughout the early 1950s.

Ray Gunkel was successful as a tag team wrestler, as he won the NWA Texas Tag Team Championship seven times with six different partners.

Ray Gunkel moved to Georgia, where he competed for the remainder of his career and won two dozen championships.

Ray Gunkel won the match, but he died later that day of heart problems.

An autopsy showed that Ray Gunkel suffered from undiagnosed arteriosclerosis, but that his death was a result of heart trauma.

Ray Gunkel was buried in Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

Ann Ray Gunkel formed the All-South Wrestling Alliance, which operated until November 1974, when she was forced to sell the company because of declining business.