Louisiana’s Most famous Wrestlers
After the 49th Louisiana Classic wowed the crowds at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center earlier this month, and with the annual LHSAA State Tournament coming up in Baton Rouge on 11-12. Feb, there has never been a better time to talk all things Louisiana wrestling.
This year’s Classic, held on the second weekend in January, didn’t fail to disappoint once again – and once again it was the Brother Martin team that claimed the team crown, for the eighth successive year.
Meanwhile, East Ascension’s Santos Ramos deservedly won the Outstanding Wrestler award, even if it was unexpected. He told the watching crowd: “I had no idea. I have never won here before, so I did not expect it. This is great!”
Considered the benchmark ahead of the State Tournament, both events form part of what has been dubbed Louisiana’s very own “Triple Crown” alongside the Ken Cole Invitational tournament.
All this just proves how seriously amateur wrestling is taken in the state of Louisiana – and that is matched by how seriously pro wrestling is taken, especially when it comes to watching WWE.
The pinnacle of wrestling is loved all around the world, not least in Louisiana, and the state has produced some stellar names for the brand over the years, from Ernie Ladd to Booker T and more in-between.
In fact, WWE is so popular that even betting on the best in sports entertainment can add to the enjoyment of watching the action unfold. And the best WWE predictions are available at these legal sports betting sites in Louisiana for fans to make their picks on their favorite stars.
Some bets placed on WWE matches can range from simply betting on the winner of one RAW match to backing the overall winner of a huge event like WrestleMania. There are vast amounts wagered on wrestling outcomes thanks to its worldwide popularity and household names.
As we have mentioned, some of those household names over the years have hailed from the Bayou State. Here we take a look at a selection…
BOOKER T
Hailing from Plain Dealing, but sometimes billed from both Texas and Harlem for entertainment purposes, Booker T. Huffman Jr. is the biggest wrestling name to come out of Louisiana.
Having featured in all three WCW, WWF/WWE, and TNA organizations he racked up an impressive 35 titles and is the most decorated wrestler in the history of WCW, blazing a trail for African-American wrestlers.
World champion in professional wrestling on no less than six occasions, having won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship five times and WWE’s once, Booker became only the second African-American to win a world championship.
He also claimed the 2006 King of the Ring crown and won tons of Crowns across all three organizations, as well as appearing as one half of Harlem Heat with his brother Stevie Ray and also enduring some well-publicized TV feuds with the likes of Chris Benoit and the Evolution stable of Batista and Randy Orton.
His popularity rarely waned, though, and Booker was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013 – then again as part of Harlem Heat in 2019. Officially recognised by the wrestling world as one of the greatest of his era, he was also voted WWE’s greatest World Heavyweight Champion in a viewer’s poll.
He has since gone on to found his own independent promotional group, ‘Reality of Wrestling’ and plays an active role in shaping the future of wrestling.
source: World Wrestling Entertainment
ERNIE LADD
“The Big Cat” out of Rayville made a name for himself on the football field as well as in the ring.
Considered a future star athlete whilst in high school, Ladd enjoyed both basketball and football scholarships and appeared in the AFL for the San Diego Chargers and also featured for Kansas City Chiefs.
Following a knee injury, however, Ladd shifted his focus onto pro wrestling and soon worked his way up to the big time, eventually reaching the WWF Hall of Fame in 1995. His ‘bad guy’ persona was a real hit with viewers who saw him feud with Andre the Giant, Mr Wrestling and Wahoo McDaniel amongst others.
Sadly no longer with us following his death from colon cancer in 2007, aged 68, Ladd was known for his incredible size and power in the ring and later went on to become a color commentator before becoming the first man to be inducted into both WCW and WWF Hall of Fames.
He also operated his own restaurant in New Orleans, proving he could always give something back to the state that made him.
JAZZ
Two-time WWE Women’s Champion, Carlene Denise Moore-Begnaud has made a name for herself as “Jazz” in the wrestling world both inside and out of the ring. Born and raised in New Orleans, she dropped out of college and straight into the wrestling game via the ECW brand in 1999 prior to making the switch to WWE.
It was there where she was elevated to fame with those championship belts and a long-running feud with Trish Stratus. The timing of her title defense coincided with a change in the organization’s name – meaning she famously became the last woman to hold the WWF belt and the first to hold the WWE belt due to the change in banner.
Now signed to Impact Wrestling, Jazz manages a handful of the new generation of female wrestling stars.
JON HEIDENREICH
One out of left-field, Heidenreich was actually born in Los Angeles and resided in New York but he was often billed out of New Orleans – but it remains to be seen whether the people of Louisiana would really want to lay claim to this one.
Another to move from Football to wrestling, he actually signed with the Saints under coach Rick Mora, upon leaving University of Louisiana at Monroe. However, just two weeks into the training camp and following a number of physical fights with teammates, Heidenreich was cut from the final roster.
The next natural step after a subsequent stop-start Football career would be a move to wrestling, eventually signing with the WWE brand in 2003 for a three-year stint which saw a Tag Team title win, some very strange storylines and a feud with The Undertaker. Short-lived indeed.
So there is our brief run-through of some of the most famous (or infamous in the case of our final choice) wrestling names to come out of Louisiana. Others include Alex Porteau, Ted DiBiase Jr., and Taryn Terrell. Maybe they made your list? Let us know in the comments below…
