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Bill Dundee

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Bill Dundee
Dundee in the 2018
Personal information
BornWilliam Cruickshanks
(1943-10-24)24 October 1943
Angus, Scotland
Died6 September 2026(2026-09-06) (aged 82)
Jackson, Tennessee, U.S.
Children2
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Bill Dundee[1]
William Dundee[1]
Sir William Dundee[1]
Squire William[1]
Billed height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)[1]
Billed weight214 lb (97 kg)[1]
Billed fromAustralia
Debut1962
Retired14 December 2019

William Cruickshanks (24 October 1943 – 6 September 2026), also known by his ring name Bill Dundee, was a Scottish-born Australian professional wrestler. He was the father of Jamie Dundee and the father-in-law of wrestler Bobby Eaton.[2]

Early life and professional wrestling career

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Dundee was born on 24 October 1943 in Angus, Scotland, and raised in Melbourne, Australia.[1] At 16, he joined the circus as a trapeze artist.[1] He started wrestling in Australia in 1962.

In 1974, Dundee began wrestling in the United States as "Superstar" Bill Dundee, teaming with George Barnes. He made a name for himself in the Memphis, Tennessee territory, where he regularly teamed and feuded with Jerry Lawler and Jimmy Valiant for years. Dundee and Lawler ventured to the American Wrestling Association in 1987 and captured the AWA World Tag Team Championship twice. As a singles wrestler, he held the Southern Heavyweight Championship belt several times from 1975 to 1985. Also, he had a successful team with "Nature Boy" Buddy Landel that wreaked havoc in Tennessee.

Dundee had a brief run in the National Wrestling Alliance's Jim Crockett Promotions, Central States Wrestling and Championship Wrestling from Florida in 1986, where he teamed with Jimmy Garvin and feuded with Sam Houston for the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship. He also briefly managed The Barbarian and the MOD Squad while in those territories.

In 1993, Dundee signed with World Championship Wrestling as Sir William, the manager for Lord Steven Regal, he was fired in October 1994 due to a contract dispute.

He worked as a booker for Memphis, Louisiana and Georgia. He frequently appeared on Jackson, Tennessee, talk radio station WNWS 101.5 with Dan Reeves and on a talk show on Public-access television cable TV channels in West Tennessee. He promoted indy cards across Tennessee and in Southaven, Mississippi. He hosted a podcast on Anchor named If You Don't Want the Answer, Don't Ask the Question from 2018-2019.

On 20 July 2019, Dundee, at 75 years old, defeated Tony Deppen to win the unofficial WOMBAT Television Championship for Game Changer Wrestling in Tullahoma, Tennessee. He retired from wrestling in December 2019. Dundee continued to make a handful of personal appearances throughout the years. His final one came just one day before his death, on Memphis Wrestling, during a segment taped a few weeks prior honouring his life and 60-year career.[3]

Personal life and death

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Dundee's son also became a wrestler under the name Jamie Dundee. His daughter Donna married wrestler "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton. Dundee could be seen in later years riding around Memphis in his custom-wrapped Mercury Grand Marquis.[4]

In September 2023, Dundee's son Jamie revealed that his father was suffering from late-stage dementia.[5] On 6 September 2026, Dundee died at the age of 82.[6][7] His death came after a years-long battle with dementia, and a week-long hospital stay where he was treated for double pneumonia.

Books

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  • If You Don't Want The Answer, Don't Ask The Question: Bill Dundee's Life Story

Championships and accomplishments

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1Dundee's and Lawler's reigns with the AWA World Tag Team Championship began on cards hosted by the CWA through the interpromotional relationship between the AWA and CWA that also allowed the defense of the AWA Southern Heavyweight and Southern Tag Team Championships primarily within the CWA.
2The CWA Southwestern Heavyweight Championship was promoted in both the CWA and WCWA while the promotions had a working relationship in 1989 and 1990.

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Bill Dundee profile". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on 29 November 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
  2. ↑ "An Exclusive Interview with Bobby Eaton". DDT Digest. May 1999. Archived from the original on 7 April 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2007.
  3. ↑ Memphis Wrestling (5 September 2026). Memphis Wrestling #289 - Champion vs Champion | Title vs Title, plus a Tribute to Bill Dundee!. Retrieved 6 September 2026 – via YouTube.
  4. ↑ Bill Dundee Shows his custom Car!. Retrieved 6 September 2026 – via www.youtube.com.
  5. ↑ "Jamie Dundee on Gives Sad Bill Dundee Health Update". YouTube. 7 October 2023.
  6. ↑ Carey, Ian (6 September 2026). "Memphis wrestling legend Bill Dundee dies at 82". F4W/WON. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
  7. ↑ Bill Dundee
  8. ↑ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  9. ↑ NWA Central States Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  10. ↑ "Next Official Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony". Official Memphis Wrestling. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  11. ↑ Mid-South Television Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  12. 1 2 NWA/AWA Southern Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  13. 1 2 Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2006) [2000.]. "(Memphis, Nashville) Tennessee: Southern Tag Team Title [Roy Welsch & Nick Gulas, Jerry Jarrett from 1977]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Waterloo, Ontario: Archeus Communications. pp. 185–189. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  14. ↑ "Southern Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  15. ↑ AWA World Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  16. ↑ CWA International Heavyweight Title (Memphis) history At wrestling-titles.com
  17. ↑ CWA International Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  18. 1 2 Will, Gary; Duncan, Royal (2000). "Texas: CWA Southwestern Heavyweight title [Jarrett]". Wrestling Title Histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. p. 272. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  19. 1 2 "CWA Southwestern Title". ProWrestlingHistory.com. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  20. ↑ CWA World Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  21. ↑ NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  22. ↑ NWA Mid-America Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  23. ↑ NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Title (Mid-America) history At wrestling-titles.com
  24. ↑ OVW Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  25. ↑ Hoops, Brian (17 April 2020). "Daily pro wrestling (04/17): WCW Spring Stampede 1994". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  26. ↑ Pedicino, Joe; Solie, Gordon (hosts) (27 June 1987). "Pro Wrestling This Week". Superstars of Wrestling. Atlanta, Georgia. Syndicated. WATL.
  27. ↑ NWA Southeastern Tag Team Title (Northern Division) history At wrestling-titles.com
  28. ↑ NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Title (Southeastern/Continental) history At wrestling-titles.com
  29. 1 2 USWA Southern Heavyweight/Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  30. ↑ USWA Junior Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  31. ↑ Will, Gary; Duncan, Royal (2000). "Texas: NWA Texas Heavyweight Title [Von Erich]". Wrestling Title Histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. pp. 268–269. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  32. ↑ "NWA Texas Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  33. ↑ Texas Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  34. ↑ USWA World Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
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