Don Kernodle is a semi-retired American professional wrestler.
Career
Don Kernodle started wrestling in 1973 in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions after an amateur wrestling career. In 1982, he was part of Sgt. Slaughter's "Cobra Corps" heel stable and he often teamed with Slaughter and Pvt. Jim Nelson.
After Slaughter left for the WWF in 1983, Kernodle formed a tag team with Bob Orton, Jr. and was managed by Gary Hart. He soon turned against America and formed a tag team with Ivan Koloff and won the NWA World Tag Team Titles. When Ivan's "nephew" Nikita Koloff arrived in late 1984, Kernodle helped to train him. In early 1985, the Koloffs turned on Don and started a long and violent feud, turning Kernodle face.
Kernodle teamed with his brother Rocky to feud with the Koloffs and helped the The Rock 'n' Roll Express to win the NWA World Tag Team title from them at Starrcade '85.
In 1986, Kernodle left the NWA and wrestled in the independents in the Carolinas. He is now a prison guard and still wrestles occasionally in the Carolina Wrestling Federation with his brother Rocky.
He appeared in the 1978 Sylvester Stallone movie Paradise Alley.
Profile
- Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
- Weight: 290 lb (132 kg)
- Birthday: May 2, 1950
- Hometown: Burlington, North Carolina
- Trainer: Ole and Gene Anderson
- Managers: Gary Hart, Oliver Humperdink
Championships and accomplishments
- NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship (3 time) - with Pvt. Jim Nelson (2) and Ivan Koloff (1)
- NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ivan & Nikita Koloff
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (3 time) - with Sgt. Slaughter (1), Bob Orton, Jr. (1), and Ivan Koloff (1)
- NWA Canadian Television Championship (1 time)
- PWI ranked him # 463 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
- PWI ranked # 29 of the best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Sgt. Slaughter.
Trivia
- Don Kernodle (and his brother Rocky) won the $10,000 grand prize on an early 1990s episode of ABC's America's Funniest Home Videos (their video was of them getting their Miniature Pinscher to growl and snarl). They qualified for the $100,000 competition but did not win.
