Yukon Eric

For Eric of the Yukon Lumberjacks, see Scott Irwin.

Yukon Eric
Birth nameEric Holmback[1]
Born(1916-04-16)April 16, 1916[1]
Monroe, Washington, United States[1]
DiedJanuary 16, 1965(1965-01-16) (aged 48)[1]
Cartersville, Georgia, United States[2]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Yukon Eric[1]
Billed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1]
Billed weight275 lb (125 kg) – 300 lb (140 kg)[1]
Billed fromFairbanks, Alaska[1]
Trained byMan Mountain Dean[1]
DebutJanuary 22, 1942[1][3]

Eric Holmback (April 16, 1916 – January 16, 1965) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Yukon Eric.

Holmback spent the majority of his career in Southern Ontario, Canada, where he won the NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship on two occasions with Whipper Billy Watson in 1955 and 1961 and the Montreal Athletic Commission's International Heavyweight Championship. He also won the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship in 1948.

Holmback is best known for his 1952 match and subsequent feud with Killer Kowalski in which he lost his ear as a result of a botched knee drop. A rematch between the two the following year was the first televised wrestling match in Canada. Holmback continued to wrestle in Florida until he died by suicide in 1965.

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