Hawaiian wrestling legend passes away

Photo Credit: obsessedwithwrestling.com

King Curtis Iaukea, a legend in Hawaiian wrestling and a huge star in the 60s and 70s, passed away today in Honolulu. We have no other details other tha he passed away at home with his wife and two daughters.

Iaukea, a 300-pounder who was a football star at the University of California, headlined virtually everywhere in the world during his long career as a headliner, known for feuding in particular with Mark Lewin in a number of circuits and being in bloody matches.

He was a mentor to many in wrestling and was considered to be among the best interviews in the history of the business.

Iaukea, 73, had been ill for several months.

Credit: http://www.f4wonline.com/content/view/18563/

Title History:
•MWCW (Ohio/Indiana) Tag Team titles -as Chico Garcia- w/Krusher Kowalski defeating Nicoli & Boris Volkoff (Late 1967);
•NWA Florida Heavyweight title defeating Dusty Rhodes (October 12, 1975);
•NWA Florida Heavyweight title defeating Jim Garvin (April 5, 1979);
•WWWF World Tag Team titles w/Baron Scicluna defeating Karl Gotch & Rene Goulet (February 1, 1972);

Career Highlights:
In The Beginning:
•Late 1967: Chico Garcia (Curtis) & Krusher Kowalski defeated Nicoli & Boris Volkoff to win the MWCW Tag Team titles..
•Summer 1968: Chico Garcia engaged in a bloody war with The Big "O" which resulted in Garcia's departure from the area..

World Wide Wrestling Federation:
•Curtis Iaukea was teamed with Baron Scicluna to win the WWWF Tag Team titles with Lou Albano as their manager!
•February 1, 1972: King Curtis Iaukea & Baron Scicluna w/Lou Albano defeated Karl Gotch & Rene Goulet for the Tag Team titles..
•Curtis Iaukea returned a few years later with the Grand Wizard as his manager to challenge WWWF Champion Pedro Morales..

Australia:
•King Curtis Iaukea was a huge star in Australia during the early 70's..

Florida:
•October 12, 1975: King Curtis defeated Dusty Rhodes for the Florida Heavyweight title in Tampa..
•April 5, 1979: King Curtis defeated Jim Garvin to win the Florida State title in St Petersburg..

World Wrestling Federation:
•1986/87: King Curtis (as The Wizard) managed Kamala & Sika before leaving the WWF and Mr. Fuji took over his clients..

Retirement:
•1995: Curtis Iaukea was the figurehead-leader of the Dungeon of Doom in WCW as "The Wizard"..
•October 2003: Curtis Iaukea might possibly be working in Hawaii on Waikiki Beach renting out surf gear..
•2005: King Curtis made a rare public appearance in a big charity event in Honolulu for the National Alzheimers Awareness Society..


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Robert Louis Howell wrote: In 1971, King Curtis debuted in the WWWF throwing Richards out of the ring slamming him on the announcers table knocking over the monitor hitting him with a double set of folding chairs and finishing him with a thumb thrust to the throat and a flying elbow smash.,

Credit: http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/profiles/c/curtis-iaukea.php

WrestlingNewsCenter.com would like to send our condolences to the family and friends of Iaukea.