Klondike Bill
Birth nameWilliam Soloweyko[1]
Born(1931-12-01)December 1, 1931[2]
Calgary, Alberta, Canada[2]
DiedOctober 3, 2000(2000-10-03) (aged 68)[2]
Pineville, North Carolina, United States[2]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Bill Soloweyko[1]
Klondike Bill[3]
Kodiak Bear[1]
Billed height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)[3]
Billed weight365 lb (166 kg)[3]
Billed fromKodiak Island, Alaska, United States[3]
Trained byStu Hart[3]
Retired1987[4]

William Soloweyko (December 1, 1931 – October 3, 2000), better known by his ring name Klondike Bill, was a Canadian professional wrestler. He wrestled in various National Wrestling Alliance territories throughout the 1960s and 1970s, before moving onto World Championship Wrestling.

Professional wrestling career

Soloweyko was an accomplished amateur wrestler.[1][5] After training with Stu Hart in the famous Hart Dungeon in Calgary, Alberta, he began his career wrestling as Bill "The Brute" Soloweyko. He was noted for his barrel-chested physique, beard, and bearhug finishing move.[1][6] On January 18, 1962, Bill and Whipper Billy Watson defeated Chris and John Tolos to win the NWA International Tag Team Championship, until they dropped the titles back to them in March.[7] From 1963 to 1964, as Klondike Bill, he performed for the WWWF, often defeating enhancement talent, but served on the losing end against bigger stars like WWWF Champion Bruno Sammartino, Bobo Brazil, and Ernie Ladd.[8][9]

Bill unsuccessfully challenged for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship on multiple occasions in 1966.[10] However, he enjoyed championship success in 1968, winning the NWA North American Tag Team Championship with Ron Etchison in January, the All Asia Tag Team Championship with Skull Murphy in July, and the NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship in August.[5] On March 21, 1971, he won the NWA National Television Championship from Luke Graham, holding the title until October 9, when he was defeated by Big Bad John.[11] Bill would also compete for NWA Tri-State, holding the United States Tag Team Championship with Luke Brown in early 1974.[5] He would then wrestle only sporadically after this.[1]

He was hired by Jim Crockett during the 1970s to build guard rails and rings for Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, and was also a road agent for World Championship Wrestling.[5] In addition, he worked for Crockett's minor league baseball team, the Charlotte O's, as a groundkeeper.[2][12] During the late 1990s, Bill was involved in a storyline that saw Eric Bischoff demoted as president and forced to set up a ring under Bill's supervision.[1]

He was also known for being the only person to consume two 72-ounce steaks at the Big Texan Steak Ranch in the one-hour time limit back in the 1960s.[13][12] Bill and fellow wrestler Johnny Heidemann were once kicked out of a buffet after they ate 56 pieces of chicken.[6]

Death

Soloweyko died on October 3, 2000, at the age of 68, in Pineville, North Carolina.[2] He had been suffering from a neuromuscular disorder that took away the use of his tongue and left him speechless.[6]

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Oliver, Greg (April 15, 1999). "SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Klondike Bill". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "William Soloweyko obituary". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, North Carolina. October 4, 2000. p. 25. Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. Dorling Kindersley. p. 176. ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
  4. ↑ "Wrestler Profiles: Klondike Bill". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on March 4, 2008. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Lentz III, Harris M. (2003). Biographical Dictionary of Professional Wrestling (2nd ed.). McFarland. p. 191. ISBN 9780786417544.
  6. 1 2 3 Oliver, Greg (October 3, 2000). "Klondike Bill passes away". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  7. 1 2 "International Tag Team Title (Ontario)". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Ring Results: 1963". The History of WWE. 16 January 2023. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Ring Results: 1964". The History of WWE. 16 January 2023. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  10. ↑ "NWA World Heavyweight Championship Matches: 1966". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  11. 1 2 "NWA Georgia Television Title". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  12. 1 2 Oliver, Greg (July 14, 2000). "Rallying around an ailing Klondike Bill". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Big Texan Free 72oz Steak Facts". Archived from the original on October 5, 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  14. ↑ "Hawaii Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  15. ↑ "All Asia Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  16. ↑ "NWA North American Tag Team Title (Central States)". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  17. ↑ "NWA United States Tag Team Title (Oklahoma & Louisiana & Arkansas & Mississippi)". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
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