5 Wrestlers who fought wild animals
Pro-wrestling has a rich and storied history. Wrestlers have been major attractions among their fan base over the course of this period, and the staged sport is still alive and well. WWE, AEW, NJPW, and several other promotions currently provide fans with their weekly dose of pro-wrestling.
The fact that it's a scripted sport makes way for several possibilities. Wrestlers engage in feuds, form friendships, turn on each other, and compete in matches on big stages with millions of fans watching the shows. Back in the 20th century, wrestlers taking on wild animals wasn't something out of the ordinary.
This particular time period is filled with examples of wrestlers having matches with wild animals such as bears, tigers, and alligators. In the following list, we will be taking a look at five wrestlers, who took on wild animals in the ring.
#5 Terrible Ted goes toe to toe with a wrestler named The Beast
Terrible Ted is possibly the most famous 'wrestler' in history, as he was a Canadian American black bear. He appeared in Stampede Wrestling and had reportedly won more than 500 matches by 1959.
In 1971, Terrible Ted made his debut in World Wide Wrestling Federation, now famously known as World Wrestling Entertainment. Ted wrestled his very first WWWF match on October 15, 1971, against wrestler Yvon Cormier, famously known as The Beast. The contest was held at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena. Around a year later, Terrible Ted competed in a Tag Team match with future WWE Hall of Famer, the late, great Rocky Johnson.
The match in question saw Johnson and Ted team up to wrestle Luke Graham and Fritz von Goering. Terrible Ted also took on female wrestlers, with his first female opponent being Tanya West.