Ole Anderson

Ole Anderson
Anderson, c. 1982
Birth nameAlan Robert Rogowski
Born(1942-09-22)September 22, 1942
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedFebruary 26, 2024(2024-02-26) (aged 81)
Monroe, Georgia, U.S.
PartnerMarsha Cain[1]
Children7, including Bryant[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Al Rogowski[2]
Ole Anderson[2]
Rock Rogowski[2]
Billed height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)[2][3]
Billed weight255 lb (116 kg)[2]
Trained byDick the Bruiser[2]
Verne Gagne[2]
DebutAugust 19, 1967[2]
RetiredApril 28, 1990[2]
Military service
Allegiance United States
Service / branch United States Army
Rank Specialist

Alan Robert Rogowski (September 22, 1942 – February 26, 2024), better known by the ring name Ole Anderson (/ˈoʊlɪ/), was an American professional wrestler, booker, and promoter.

Following a stint in the U.S. Army, Rogowski made his professional wrestling debut in his native Minnesota in 1967, wrestling for the American Wrestling Association (AWA) as Al "the Rock" Rogowski or simply Rock Rogowski. The following year, he joined the Carolinas-based Jim Crockett Promotions, where he adopted the ring name Ole Anderson and began teaming with his kayfabe brother Gene Anderson as the Minnesota Wrecking Crew. Following a further stint with the AWA and appearances with Championship Wrestling from Florida, in 1972 Anderson settled into wrestling primarily for Jim Crockett Promotions and Georgia Championship Wrestling. By the mid-1980s, Anderson was a part-owner of, and the booker for, Georgia Championship Wrestling. After Georgia Championship Wrestling was acquired by Vince McMahon in 1984 in what was known as "Black Saturday", Anderson broke away to form his own promotion, Championship Wrestling from Georgia, which was itself acquired by Jim Crockett Promotions the following year. Anderson spent the rest of his career with Jim Crockett Promotions and its successor, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), forming a new iteration of the Minnesota Wrecking Crew with Arn Anderson, co-founding influential stable The Four Horsemen, twice serving as booker for WCW, and running the WCW Power Plant. He retired from the ring in 1990, and from the professional wrestling industry in 1994.

Known amongst his contemporaries for his gruff, cantankerous demeanor and toughness, Anderson is a key figure in the history of professional wrestling in Georgia and the Carolinas. He held over 40 championships over the course of his career, including eight reigns as National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World Tag Team Champion (Mid-Atlantic version). He was inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame in 1994 and the NWA Hall of Fame in 2010.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Obituary was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Cite error: The named reference Kreikenbohm was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lentz was invoked but never defined (see the help page).