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Paul Perschmann (November 27, 1952 – April 28, 2009) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Playboy" Buddy Rose.

Career[]

Paul Perschmann was trained by Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson in the early 1970s. Under his own name, he made his debut on December 3, 1973 in Rice Lake, Wisconsin in a 10-minute draw with fellow camp mate Bob Remus, the future Sergeant Slaughter. He wrestled primarily for the American Wrestling Association (AWA), World Wrestling Federation (WWF), and for promoter Don Owen in Pacific Northwest Wrestling.

One of the most legendary feuds in the Pacific Northwest pitted Rose against "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. According to Piper in his autobiography, this was the feud that really made him a name in the business, and it cemented Rose's status as an icon of the region. Rose also had a long feud with "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka. His long-time tag team partner, Edward Wiskoski, stood by his side for three decades.

Wrestling for the WWF during 1982-83, he would often work 90 days in a row. When he had a rare day off, he would fly back to the West Coast and headline cards there. At the peak of his WWF run, he was main eventing at Madison Square Garden against Bob Backlund for the WWF Championship. Rose, who also had some bouts with Pedro Morales during this period, was managed by the Grand Wizard.

Rose and Doug Somers engaged in a feud with the Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) over the AWA World Tag Team Championship in 1986 and 1987. During this run, Rose was never pinned.

A consummate heel, Rose was well respected for both his great ability to work the microphone and as a ring general. Later in his career, when he gained a large amount of weight, he turned this into a comical gimmick. When the ring announcer introduced him and listed his weight at 271 pounds, Rose would angrily take the microphone away from him, and would flip the seven and one around and claim to weigh "a slim, trim, 217 pounds". This would bait the crowd into a booing frenzy. On occasion, he would also do one-handed push-ups & kip ups in the ring, and challenge other more muscular opponents to a "pose-down." Rose claims that Vince McMahon used to say, "I want everybody to work out...except for Buddy," knowing that Rose's weight was his gimmick.

Rose, wrestling as the masked Executioner, lost to Tito Santana in the opening match of the inaugural WrestleMania.

Rose had another run in the WWF from 1990 to early 1991, being used primarily as a comical enhancement talent.

In the mid-to-late 1990s, Rose hosted a call-in talk show on a Portland radio station.

His last match took place at Wrestle Reunion 2005 in Tampa, Florida. He competed in a six-man tag team bout pitting himself, Col. DeBeers (Edward Wiskoski) and Bob Orton, Jr. against Jimmy Valiant, Roddy Piper and Jimmy Snuka. This was billed as Jimmy Valiant's retirement match, but Rose (who took the biggest bump of the night) retired after this as a wrestler, and only made personal appearances. He opened a wrestling training school with Wiskoski in Portland after his retirement.

Death[]

On April 28, 2009, Rose was found dead in his home in Vancouver, Washington by his wife. The medical examiner attributed his death to natural causes. Rose, who had struggled with his weight since the late 1980s, was morbidly obese, leading to problems with blood sugar and diabetes.

In wrestling[]

Championships and accomplishments[]

National
Regional
World Wrestling Entertainment

External links[]

1991 PWI Top 500 Wrestlers
1-100
Hulk HoganLex LugerRic FlairRandy SavageStingScott SteinerRicky SteamboatSteve WilliamsArn AndersonRick SteinerUltimate WarriorJerry LawlerCurt HennigBarry WindhamRoad Warrior HawkSid JusticeTed DiBiaseRoad Warrior AnimalNikita KoloffThe Great MutaBret HartTerry FunkJake RobertsStan HansenBig BossmanRick RudeJushin LigerJeff JarrettRon SimmonsBobby EatonSteve AustinEric EmbryBig Van VaderAntonio InokiAbdullah the ButcherSgt. SlaughterShawn MichaelsLarry ZbyszkoIrwin R. SchysterKerry Von ErichRick MartelMr. SaitoEddie GilbertBrian PillmanCactus JackDavey Boy SmithDino BravoTom ZenkKonnanEarthquakeTony AnthonyTerrence TaylorGreg ValentineBob BacklundThe PatriotRichard MortonMarty JannetyBam Bam BigelowDoug FurnasMichael HayesStan LaneDan SpiveyRobert GibsonTony AtlasBill DundeeChris AdamsCol. DebeersBezerkerIceman ParsonsJim NeidhartVictor ZangievAustin IdolHerculesAl PerezWarlordDiamond StuddThe MountieKevin Von ErichRoddy PiperSamuGary YoungHacksaw DugganJeff GaylordBig Bully BusickThe BarbarianP.N. NewsManny FernandezTracey SmothersBlack BloodSmashRiki ChoshuDynamite KidJim GarvinAxis the DemolisherBeau BeverlySamoan SavageBilly Jack HaynesKen PateraBad News BrownJoel Deaton
101-200
Johnny B. BaddRobert FullerLarry CameronAngel of DeathBrad ArmstrongJimmy SnukaChris BenoitThe GrapplerNaoki SanoJerry EstradaNegro CasasEl GiganteBlake BeverlyOne Man GangPaul OrndorffAndre The GiantDick MurdochDr. Tom PrichardThe SkinnerB. Brian BlairThomas RichBuddy RobertsButch ReedDon MuracoPaul RomaRon GarvinRandy RoseBig JoshCarlos ColonBob Orton, Jr.Dustin RhodesSteve ArmstrongBrickhouse BrownTito SantanaAkira NogamiBrad RheingansDan DavisJimmy Jack FunkBilly BlackFatuScott NortonMil MascarasWendell CooleyHakuMike DavisSteve DiSalvoPat TanakaKokina MaximusDoug GilbertRicky RiceJim BrunzellKevin SullivanDerrick DukesIvan KoloffRip OliverBuzz SawyerJohnny SmithJunkyard DogJohn TatumHiroshi HaseAwesome DogScott AnthonyKatoBobby FultonDick SlaterBrian KnobbsMakhan SinghMr. HughesDan KroffatThe Honky Tonk ManShane DouglasSteve DollMasa ChonoChris WalkerYellow DogJumbo TsurutaTim HornerD.C. DrakeVic SteamboatLou PerezPaul DiamondSteve RegalThe EqualizerBuddy LandellChris ChavisDavid SammartinoMitsuharu MisawaAl MadrilJerry SagsJoe SavoldiDestructionThe SheikTommy RogersSoultakerJohnny AceTommy JammerRex KingHarley RaceRochester RoadblockBrad Anderson
201-300
Jerry MorrowBilly TravisSam HoustonTom BrandiD.J. PetersonCheetah KidOctagonRicky SantanaTerminatorSteven DaneSteve SawyerApocalypseKen WayneDoug MastersCol MustafaCharlie NorrisKing CobraLarry SharpeTodd MortonLarry OliverFirebreaker ChipSunny BeachJonnie StewartDutch MantelMiguel Perez Jr.Stevie RayBill IrwinAfaLanny PoffoTyphoonRanger RossRay OdysseyKamalaJay Strongbow Jr.Preston SteeleTyree PrideSteve SimpsonBadstreetAdrian StreetRip RogersRay StevensJacko VictoryThe JuicerRussian BruteScott PutskiVirgilTerry GarvinMr. PogoSteve ODean MalenkoDoug SomersSkip YoungLightning KidEric SbracchiaHandsome StrangerTNTTeijho KhanBarry HorowitzKoko B. WareNikolai VolkoffKen TimbsRob ZakowskiMondo KleenFire CatRip MorganToshiaki KawadaTazmaniacPez WhatleyIvan PutskiJoe MalenkoBuddy RoseJackie FultonRon HarrisLuke WilliamsGama SinghLeo BurkeT.C. CarterScott CaseyChris ChampionChick DonovanDory Funk Jr.Greg GagneMike GeorgeMike GrahamInvader IRocky JohnsonCpl. KirchnerRufus R. JonesWahoo McDanielVan HammerYoshihiro AsaiKillerEl Hijo Del SantoCrushLarry PowerMotor City MadmanBrian AdiasMark RoccoRon BassBrad Baiton
301-400
Bobby BlairBob BradleyMark MillerDragon MasterJohn RamboJohnny RichNelson RoyalGreg WojokowskiAkio SatoSoldat UstinovFabulous LanceHumongusJeff ColletteBart BattenKing KaluhaJohnny RodzDennis CondreyGary AlbrightOle AndersonDon BassMark YoungbloodJon MichaelsEqualizer ZipDavid PowerJerry GreyEqualizer ZapSikaFrank LancasterMike SharpeSteve CoxChris YoungbloodBaron Von RaschkeSteve LawlerRay CandyJ.W. StormBuck ZumhofeJoey MaggsPsychoLes ThorntonBob BrownShaun SimpsonMike SamsonFestusTiger Conway Jr.Barry OMike JacksonTugboat TaylorJason the TerribleKevin KellyMike WinnerTerry DanielsScott ArmstrongJim BacklundHurricane WalkerBlack BartTom DavisTexas RangerJimmy ValiantKiller BrooksBoris ZhukovBotswana BeastBonecrusherCuban AssasinRikki NelsonBrady BooneLarry WintersOzBull RantosAxl RottenBuddy Lee ParkerJimmy PowellRod PriceJ.T. SmithMark StarrHossRon CumberledgeSteve LombardiTony CaponeBrian DonohueTommy AngelG.Q. MadisonMadd MaxxDusty WolfeFrank MelsonRon ShawBob CookJose Luis RiveraMike CervichSabuG.I. BroMr. AtlantaJerry LynnGene LigonChris MichaelsLeatherfaceMoondog SpotCarl StyleasTony StetsonJim PowersG.Q. Stratus
401-500
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