Wrestlers have faced tigers and alligators in the ring
#4 American wrestler Tuffy Truesdale wrestles an alligator
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Pro-wrestler Tuffy Truesdale vs Rodney
Pro-wrestler Tuffy Truesdale claimed to be the final Middleweight Wrestling Champion of the United States of America, and also the first person to dare to wrestle alligators in order to earn a living. This article from February 23, 1970, goes into detail on the popular wrestler's battles with alligators, as well as other wild animals.
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Tuffy wrestled an alligator named Rodney on various occasions, with many of his outings being advertised in news outlets at the time. Here's what Tuffy had to say about his wrestling experience with Rodney:
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"The one thing going for you is gators are all the same. They got no personality. The only gator I ever had was any different was Rodney. He was a crazy gator. He had eyes that popped out of his head, and he was durable. During the time I had Rodney I must have gone through 50 backup gators. They won't eat; they don't care. But Rodney was mean. He would stalk me sometimes. It was great. If alligators was teachable you would teach them that. In Milwaukee, Rodney caught my head underwater and that was 40 stitches. And I still got these two stiff fingers from another bite he gives me," said Tuffy.
Alligators are one of the most dangerous carnivores on the planet, and the mere idea of having to wrestle one is enough to send shivers down one's spine. For Tuffy though, it was a gig that helped him earn a living for years on end.
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About the author
Abhilash Mendhe
Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.
Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.
He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.
Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.
When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.