Ron Bass (wrestler)

Ron Bass
Birth name Ronald Heard
Born (1948-12-21) December 21, 1948
Harrisburg, Arkansas
Residence Tampa, Florida
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Ron Bass
Billed height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)[1]
Billed weight 289 lb (131 kg)[1]
Billed from Pampa, Texas
Debut 1975
Retired 1991[1]

Ronald "Ron" Heard (born December 21, 1948) is a former American professional wrestler, best known under the name Ron Bass. His gimmick was a Texan cowboy who entered World Wrestling Federation (WWF) rings to the sound of a bullwhip.[2]

Professional wrestling career

National Wrestling Alliance (1975–1987)

Herd started wrestling as Ron Bass in 1975. Throughout the 1970s, he performed primarily in National Wrestling Alliance territories. He was known as "Cowboy" Ron Bass, Sam Oliver Bass, and "Outlaw" Ron Bass, depending on which territory he was working at the time.

In the early 1980s, he wrestled in Florida Championship Wrestling and Jim Crockett Promotions, frequently teaming with Black Bart as The Long Riders in both promotions. He also teamed and feuded with Barry Windham in Florida. Bass' feud with Barry Windham (over a saddle given to Bass by Dusty Rhodes) led to Windham losing a "loser-leaves-town" match to Bass and coming back to wrestle as the masked "Dirty Yellow Dog."

World Wrestling Federation (1987–1989)

In 1987, Bass (using the "Outlaw" name) went to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), where he voiced challenges to the likes of WWF champion Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake. It appeared that a feud was in the works for Bass against Blackjack Mulligan who had just returned to WWF but the plug was pulled on the feud once Mulligan got angry with the WWF office and left to go back to the Florida wrestling promotion. At that point Bass quickly settled into a role in the midcard position, wrestling against Hillbilly Jim, Lanny Poffo and Sam Houston on many house show events. Later on he was part of the five-man team captained by The Honky Tonk Man at the inaugural Survivor Series pay-per-view on Thanksgiving Day 1987 (he was eliminated by Beefcake). He also participated in the very first Royal Rumble and the 20-man battle royal at WrestleMania IV. He was eliminated at the latter event by the Junkyard Dog; a feud between the two began in the months after WrestleMania after Bass choked and dragged the Dog with his bullwhip, "Miss Betsy," in a sneak attack on Wrestling Challenge. Bass was one of the rare heels during this time to not have a manager.

At the 1988 King of the Ring tournament, Bass qualified for the final after beating a young Shawn Michaels but was paid by Ted DiBiase to fake an injury.[3] Bass began his most notable WWF feud with Beefcake in August 1988, gouging Beefcake's head open with his spurs ("Bret" and "Bart") on an episode of Superstars of Wrestling; the attack caused Beefcake to miss his scheduled Intercontinental championship match against the Honky Tonk Man at the first SummerSlam event on August 29.[4] Bass and Honky co-captained a five-man contingent against a team captained by Beefcake and the Ultimate Warrior at the second Survivor Series in November. Bass and teammate Greg Valentine were eliminated by Warrior in succession in the final minute of the match.[5] On the January 7, 1989 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, Bass lost to Beefcake via sleeperhold in a hair vs. hair match.[2][6] He competed in the 1989 Royal Rumble (sans hair), Bass' feud with Beefcake was scrapped, and he was used mainly as a preliminary wrestler and left the WWF shortly thereafter, and wrestled in the independents before retiring in 1991.

Retirement

He eventually retired due to the injuries sustained over his career.[2] He returned to Tampa, Florida, where he golfed, became religious, and earned his bachelor's degree from Arkansas State University.[2] Subsequently, he worked in sales in Florida's construction market.[2] He also became a successful Amway salesman in the Tampa area.

In 2005, Bass made an appearance at WrestleReunion on January 29 and teamed with Larry Zbyszko to defeat Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda.[7]

He has one son.[2]

In 2007, WWE released the "Outlaw" Ron Bass action figure as part of its classics collection.

In July 2016, Heard was named part of a class action lawsuit filed against WWE which alleged that wrestlers incurred traumatic brain injuries during their tenure and that the company concealed the risks of injury. The suit is litigated by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who has been involved in a number of other lawsuits against WWE.[8]

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

  • PWI ranked him # 294 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.[35]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. Dorling Kindersley. p. 229. ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Brett Hoffman (January 29, 2007). "Catching up with The Outlaw". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  3. ↑ Ted DiBiase: The Million Dollar Man, p.162, Ted DiBiase with Tom Caiazzo, Pocket Books, New York, NY, 2008, ISBN 978-1-4165-5890-3
  4. ↑ "World Wrestling Entertainment Substitutions". Softwolves. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  5. ↑ "Survivor Series 1988". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  6. ↑ "Saturday Night's Main Event #19". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  7. ↑ "WrestleReunion Wrestling Card: January 29, 2005". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  8. ↑ "WWE sued in wrestler class action lawsuit featuring Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka, Paul 'Mr Wonderful' Orndorff". FoxSports.com. Fox Entertainment Group (21st Century Fox). July 18, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  9. ↑ "NWA International Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  10. ↑ "NWA World Tag Team Title (Central States)". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
  11. ↑ "NWA Bahamas Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  12. ↑ "NWA Global Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
  13. ↑ "Florida Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  14. ↑ "NWA Southern Heavyweight Title (Florida)". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
  15. ↑ "NWA United States Tag Team Title (Florida)". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
  16. ↑ "NWA National Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  17. ↑ "NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
  18. ↑ "Gulf Coast Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  19. ↑ "NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  20. ↑ "NWA Southeastern Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  21. ↑ "NWA Tennessee Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  22. ↑ "Bass Knuckles Title (Mid-Atlantic)". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
  23. ↑ "NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
  24. ↑ "NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
  25. ↑ "NWA Television Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
  26. ↑ "NWA Americas Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  27. ↑ "NWA/AWA Southern Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  28. ↑ "NWA (Mid-America)/AWA Southern Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  29. ↑ "NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  30. ↑ Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2000). "Tennessee: U.S. Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 194. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  31. ↑ "NWA United States Tag Team Title (Mid-America)". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  32. ↑ "NWA Arkansas Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  33. ↑ "NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  34. ↑ "NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
  35. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years". Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
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