NEWS CENTER ARCHIVES . . .

Posted May 28th, 2011 by 1Wrestling News Team

BREAKING NEWS! Former 80's Pro Wrestling Super Star “Austin Idol” is now the National Spokesperson for Ankle Armour.  Idol who played a major role in the 1980′s and early 1990′s was a huge box office attraction with Ted Turners’ TBS cable channel in the early days of cable TV. Then known as Georgia Championship Wrestling, Austin Idol lit up ticket sales with his famous feuds against: NWA champ Harley Race, Tommy “Wildfire” Rich, Mr. Wrestling II, Abdullah The Butcher, Maniac Mark Lewin, Michael Hayes and The Free Birds, Kevin Sullivan, and many more. Idol shocked the wrestling world when he shaved the head of Jerry “The King” Lawler in front of a sold out crowd at the Memphis Coliseum that literally caused a riot!

On Feb. 20, 1975 while returning from a wrestling event in Miami, FL, Idol along with Gary Hart, Buddy Colt, and Bobby Shane crashed in a small plane piloted by Colt in the cold-murky waters of Tampa Bay. Bobby Shane was killed while the others survived. Austin is currently working on a book aptly named, "The Austin Idol Story".

Here at Ankle Armour we are proud to have Austin Idol on board to represent our sports and exercise products such as our versatile ankle pocket strap and now our recently launched "Strength United" wristbands that promote Autism Awareness. We realize the importance of Autism and this is why we created these dynamic wristbands in hopes of bringing awareness to this critical cause. You may visit our website where you will find our wristbands and conveniently order online. In summary, we are excited to have Austin Idol on the Ankle Armour Team and look forward to many great things in the future!

Ankle Armour…. Just Wear It! WWW.ANKLE-ARMOUR.COM

Marvez: Talking with 'Universal Heartthrob' Austin Idol

     Submitted by SHNS on Thu, 05/19/2011 - 11:48
     By ALEX MARVEZ, Scripps Howard News Service

One of Austin Idol's trademark boasts was being "every lady's pet and every man's regret."

To advance that limerick one step further, pro wrestling may not have seen the last of the "Universal Heartthrob" just yet.

More than two decades since his retirement as a full-time performer, Idol is back in the spotlight as a pitchman. He is the official spokesman for Ankle Armour, a wraparound device that provides easy storage of keys, credit cards and the like for those seeking a convenient way to carry such materials during workouts.

Idol's efforts in pushing the product could very well draw the attention of wrestling promotions wanting to capitalize on his gift for gab and storied grappling history.

"I'm open to anything," the 61-year-old Austin said in a recent telephone interview. "I never rule anything out. That's the exciting thing about life. The next day could be totally different than the last."

Few know that better than Idol.

Four years after his debut, Idol was involved in a 1975 plane crash with three other grapplers aboard a small aircraft in Florida's Tampa Bay area. Bobby Shane died. Manager Gary Hart -- who helped drag Idol to safety -- and wrestler/pilot Buddy Colt survived, but, like Idol, suffered serious injuries. Colt, a headliner for regional promotions in Florida and Georgia, never wrestled again.

"We knew we were in trouble because the weather was foggy and nobody was talking," said Idol, who plans to provide even more details of the ill-fated flight in his upcoming autobiography, "The Austin Idol Story." "It was like a dream when we crashed. I remember seeing whitecaps. By the time my brain registered what happened, I thought, 'That's the water. You're dead. Bang!'

"But I was able to come out of that and rehab. The only good thing is, I learned life is really fragile. Don't be too serious or intense and don't be a long-range planner."

The crash also inspired Idol to seek a more colorful wrestling persona than working as "Iron" Mike McCord (a spinoff of his real name, Dennis McCord). After recovering, he became the bleached-blond Austin Idol with a braggadocios interview style to match his muscular physique.

"I knew Mike (McCord) was just going to be Mike," said Idol, who had already cut his teeth wrestling in the WWE lineup and in Australia. "He was never going to be a big deal. He would be OK, but wouldn't have a shot at really doing anything that would be really good. I could see the Idol on top if he could learn how to work (the character) a little bit."

Idol did just that, landing top spots with regional promotions throughout the Southeastern U.S. for a decade-long run that began in the late 1970s. One of his most memorable moments came in 1987 when Idol, Tommy "Wildfire" Rich and manager Paul E. Dangerously (real name Paul Heyman) almost caused a riot in the Mid-South Coliseum by shaving the head of Memphis, Tenn., icon Jerry "The King" Lawler.

Idol, though, was always charismatic enough to make the same fans who despised him when working as a heel embrace him after turning babyface. Several of Idol's mannerisms -- including the coining of the term "Idol-mania" and cupping his ear to illicit crowd response -- were later copied by fellow Tampa, Fla., native Terry Bollea en route to his becoming the biggest star in grappling history as Hulk Hogan.

Idol also could have become a major mainstream star had he followed Hogan to WWE in the mid-1980s or joined rival Jim Crockett Promotions. Idol, though, was content with the "great" deal given to him in Memphis.

"The money was pretty good back then, and it's all relative," said Idol, who was allowed to keep the money generated by his merchandise sales. "I could have beaten my brains out six to seven days a week (in another company) or worked three days and earned pretty good money while not having to drive myself anywhere. I knew there was big money elsewhere, but I honestly didn't care about it. It was a tradeoff for quality of life."

That same outlook also explains why Idol abruptly quit being a full-time grappler during the late 1980s while working out of Pensacola, Fla., for the Continental Wrestling Federation. Idol was about to embark upon the 250-mile drive for a show in Birmingham, Ala., when he pulled his car back in the driveway and told his wife that it was time for him to find a new profession. Idol was simply burned out.

While he did make some subsequent appearances as a wrestler and show promoter, Idol's main focus was carving a successful career in real estate. His working relationship with Ankle Armour -- which recently signed a distribution deal with Powerhouse Gyms International -- is his latest business endeavor.

"I'm pretty stoked about it," Idol said. "It's something everyone can use. And we've got other products in the pipeline."

If he can sell Ankle Armour as well as his matches, Idol is destined for success.

For more information on Idol and Ankle Armour, visit www.ankle-armour.com . . .