1. Skull Murphy began his career wrestling in Canada and later worked at Jim Crockett Promotions and Georgia Championship Wrestling in the United States.
15 Facts About Skull Murphy
1. 2.
Skull Murphy attended Hamilton Central Technical School, where he met professional wrestler Chuck Molnar.
3.
Molnar convinced Murphy to become a wrestler, and Murphy began training at the Hamilton Jewish YMCA under Jimmy Simms.
4.
Author Mordecai Richler states that Skull Murphy told him that he rubbed baby oil on his bald head before matches to reduce irritation from the ring floor.
5.
Skull Murphy began competing in Welland, Ontario, as well as Larry Kasaboski's Northland Wrestling Enterprises in northeastern Ontario.
6.
Skull Murphy soon began competing for promotions on the east coast of the United States, including Jim Crockett Promotions, and was billed as living in Ireland.
7.
Skull Murphy competed in GCW for several years and won five championships in 1961, which included three reigns with the Georgia version of the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship.
8.
Skull Murphy formed a tag team with Gypsy Joe and won both the NWA International Tag Team Championship and the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship.
9.
Skull Murphy remained in Australia while Bernard returned to the United States; during this time, he had two reigns as IWA World Heavyweight Champion.
10.
Skull Murphy formed a tag team with Killer Kowalski and won the IWA World Tag Team Championship twice more, defeating Red Bastien and Mario Milano for the title both times.
11.
Bernard later came back to Australia and reunited with Skull Murphy, winning the tag team belts again.
12.
The majority of Skull Murphy's remaining career was spent in Australia.
13.
Skull Murphy held the IWA World Heavyweight Championship again after winning the belt from Tex McKenzie on November 18,1968.
14.
On March 23,1970, Skull Murphy's wife found him dead in their apartment, having overdosed on sleeping pills in an apparent suicide; he was 39 years old and survived by two children.
15.
Skull Murphy had been upset about his health, and on the day of his death, he and Bernard were set to face The Kentuckian and Mr Wrestling.