Buddy Rose: Map

Categories: 1952 births > 2009 deaths > American professional wrestlers > Disease-related deaths in Washington (U.S. state)

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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

Perschmann was trained by Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson in the early 1970s. He was billed as Buddy Rose and made his debut against Bob Remus in 1973. He wrestled primarily for the AWA, 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.

When in the WWF during 1982-83, he would often work 90 days in a row. When he had a 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 World Heavyweight title. Rose, who also had some bouts with Pedro Morales during this period, was managed by the Grand Wizard.

Rose and Doug Somers engaged in an feud with the Midnight Rockers over the AWA Tag Team Titles 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 (usually over 300 pounds), Rose would take the microphone away from him and correct him, claiming 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, wrestling as the masked Executioner, lost to Tito Santana in the opening match of the inaugural WrestleMania.

He worked as a jobber for the WWF as recently in 1990 and 1991, in squash matches such as against the Rockers on Prime Time Wrestling. His last appearance for the WWF was in June 1992.

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 (Ed 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.

At the time of his death he was working on his autobiography, with his author and longtime friend Matthew Farmer.

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 known to have problems with blood sugar and diabetes.