Rocky Iaukea

Rocky Iaukea is a retired American professional wrestler, known by his ringname Prince Iaukea, who competed in the Pacific Northwest and Southeastern United States with the National Wrestling Alliance during the 1980s, and in Japan during the early 1990s. From 1987 to 1990, he wrestled as Abbuda Dein in Pacific Northwest Wrestling winning the NWA Pacific Northwest Television Championship twice and the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship three times with Mike Miller and The Grappler. A second-generation wrestler, he is the son of Curtis Iaukea and a cousin of Maunakea Mossman.

For the Prince Iaukea who wrestled in World Championship Wrestling, see Prince Iaukea.
Rocky Iaukea
BornHawaii, United States
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Abbuda Dein
Mad Dog of Baghdad
Prince Iaukea
Rocky Iaukea
Billed weight248 lb (112 kg)
Debut1981
Retired1996

Career

The son of King Curtis Iaukea, a popular wrestler in the United States and Japan during the 1960s and 1970s, Rocky Iaukea followed in his father's footsteps and became a wrestler himself.[1] Making his debut in 1981, Iaukea spent much of his early career in New Japan Pro Wrestling[2] before coming back to the United States to wrestle for the National Wrestling Alliance in the mid-1980s. On February 14, 1986, he unsuccessfully challenged Kendall Windham for the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship at the Battle of the Belts II supercard held at the Eddie Graham Sports Arena in Orlando, Florida.[3][4][5]

Shortly afterwards, Iaukea began wrestling for Pacific Northwest Wrestling under the name Abbuda Dein. His in-ring persona was that of an Arab American "heel" similar to The Iron Sheik. Teaming with Mike Miller, they defeated Brady Boone and Coco Samoa for the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship in Madras, Oregon on June 25, then lost them to Boone and Ricky Santana in Portland four months later. He and Miller regained the titles in Longview, Washington the following month before finally losing them to Ricky Santana and Coco Samoa in Portland on January 7, 1987.[6][7][8]

At the end of the year, Iaukea won the NWA Pacific Northwest Television Championship from Art Barr in Portland on December 26, 1987.[9] His time as champion was brief, however, as the title was vacated on January 30, 1988, following a controversial match against Coco Samoa. He briefly won back the title from Top Gun on January 14, 1989, but dropped it to Carl Styles a little over two weeks later.[6][10][11]

Iaukea spent his last year in PNW feuding against Pacific Northwest Tag Team Champions The Southern Rockers (Scott Peterson and Steve Doll) with allies Matt Borne and The Grappler. He managed to win the tag team titles once more when he and The Grappler beat The Southern Rockers for the belts in Portland on October 29, 1988. After spending almost three months as champions, he and The Grappler lost the titles back to The Southern Rockers on January 7, 1989.[6][7][8] That same year, he appeared for the Bruiser Brody Memorial Show where he and The V lost a tag team match to Shinichi Nakano and Akira Taue at Tokyo's Budokan Hall on August 29, 1988.[12]

In early 1991, Iaukea joined the "Thunder Down Under" tour in New Zealand with several World Wrestling Federation wrestlers including Jim Powers, The Genius, Don Muraco, Angel of Death, Koko B. Ware, The Brooklyn Brawler, The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobs and Jerry Sags) and The Bushwhackers (Butch and Luke). Wrestling under the name Mad Dog of Baghdad, he lost to Siva Afi in Hamilton on March 31.[13][14] He also accompanied Terry Gordy, "Dr. Death" Steve Williams, Dan Kroffat, Doug Furnas, Joe Malenko, Dean Malenko and Rocky Iaukea in a tour of Japan with All Japan Pro Wrestling that same year.[15] Iaukea eventually returned to Japan full-time where he wrestled for AJPW and WAR up until his retirement in 1996. He later started a charter boat service and he is the owner and captain of a catamaran boat which tours the beaches of Waikiki. In 2006, he was interviewed by Ken Hirayama and discussed his career and retirement. He also expressed his support for Pro Wrestling Noah.[2]

Championships and accomplishments
  • Ring Around The Northwest Newsletter
    • Tag Team of the Year (1986) with Karl Steiner and Abudda Dein[16]
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References
  1. Cameron, Dave (June 2005). "NZ Wrestling & Boxing with Dave Cameron: King Curtis". New Zealand Pro Wrestling History. FightTimes.com. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  2. Hirayama, Ken (November 2006). "Visited Rocky IAUKEA". Honolulu Office Page Archive. Noah-USA.cc. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  3. "Battle of the Belts II". Championship Wrestling from Florida Battle of the Belts. ProWrestlingHistory.com. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  4. Cawthon, Graham. "JCP 1986". Jim Crockett Promotions / World Championship Wrestling Ring Results. TheHistoryofWWE.com. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  5. Championship Wrestling from Florida (Producer) (1986). CWF Battle of the Belts II (DVD). Florida: Savatage.com.
  6. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  7. Duncan, Royal and Gary Will (2009). "NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title History". Solie's Title Histories. Solie.org. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  8. "N.W.A. Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title". The Great Hisa's Puroresu Dojo. Wrestling-Titles.com. 2003. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  9. Woodward, Buck and Ryan Martinez (2009-12-26). "This Day In History: Funk Beats Sabu For The ECW Title, Starrcade Gets Moved And More". PWInsider.com. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  10. Duncan, Royal and Gary Will (2009). "NWA Pacific Northwest Television Title History". Solie's Title Histories. Solie.org. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  11. "N.W.A. Television Tag Team Title". The Great Hisa's Puroresu Dojo. Wrestling-Titles.com. 2003. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  12. "Budokan Hall 8/88". All Japan Budokan Hall Shows. ProWrestlingHistory.com. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  13. Wrestling Observer (1991-05-06). "May 6, 1991 Observer Newsletter: WWE vs. WCW building battle, WCW trading cards, SNME, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. F4Wonline.com. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  14. "Wrestling Observer", Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Campbell, CA: Wrestling Observer, May 6, 1991
  15. Horie, Masanori (1999-02-08). "The Wrestlers Formerly Known as the Black Harts". View from the Rising Sun. Rob Moore, Texas Wrestling Announcer. Archived from the original on December 1, 2001. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
  16. Rodgers, Mike (2004). "Regional Territories: PNW #16 Page #2". KayfabeMemories.com.
  17. "WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Title". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  18. "WWC World Tag Team Title". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
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