Don Eagle

Carl Donald Bell (August 25, 1925 – March 17, 1966), also known by his ring name Chief Don Eagle, was a Canadian Mohawk boxer and professional wrestler during the 1950s and 1960s. Originally from Kahnawake, Quebec, he became Boston's AWA World Heavyweight Champion in 1950.

Professional wrestling career Eagle began a professional wrestling career in 1945, after a brief time working in the steel and construction industry. He was trained by his father, Chief Joseph War Eagle. In his first year, Eagle competed in 22 matches and won 17. He defeated the established Red Dawson with a frog splash in just under 16 minutes. During the peak of his career in the early 1950s, Eagle became the first person to throw Primo Carnera off his feet in a wrestling match. He wrestled Antonino Rocca to a 60-minute draw on May 19, 1951, at Chicago Stadium.

Controversy over AWA World Title (Boston) On May 23, 1950, Eagle defeated Frank Sexton in a best-of-three falls. Sexton was just over a year into a near-four-year reign of the Boston version of the AWA World Heavyweight Championship.

Three days later, Eagle appeared on television without the championship belt to face Gorgeous George in another best-of-three falls match in the Chicago area. Eagle won the first fall by submission, but referee Earl Mullihan counted him out in the second. In the deciding fall, George caught Eagle in a backyard entry cradle. Although Mullihan could clearly see that one of Eagle's shoulders was off the mat, he administered a rapid three-count and awarded the match to George.

The controversial finish enraged the crowd, who began rioting by throwing dangerous objects into the ring. Eagle responded by striking Mullihan with a powerful punch as the referee hurried out of the ring and toward the exit. As Mullihan ran up the aisle, Eagle hit him again between the shoulder blades. The Illinois State Athletic Commission subsequently suspended Eagle for assaulting a referee.

Despite the suspension, Eagle regained the championship on August 31, 1950. However, the title was declared vacant in November due to his inactivity following an injury and was subsequently replaced by the AWA Eastern Heavyweight Championship.

Later career During a 1953 match with the faux-Nazi Hans Schmidt, Eagle was thrown over the top rope and into the ringside chairs, damaging several spinal discs and breaking two ribs. Eagle took a year off to recover from his injuries, during which time he began training a teenage Billy Two Rivers. Eagle gave Two Rivers a further year's training after he himself had returned to wrestling, occasionally tagging with the young wrestler. He would wrestle for American Wrestling Association (Minnesota) in 1960 when the promotion first started. Due to continuing back problems, Eagle became semi-retired and wrestled infrequently in various regions over the next three years. Eagle decided to retire permanently in 1965 at the age of 39.

Death The Xenia Daily Gazette reported that Eagle was found dead at his home near Montreal on March 17, 1966, with a .32 caliber revolver found near his body. Contemporaneous newspaper reports indicated he had been despondent over some construction project setbacks: namely, a Logan County (Ohio) Indian village, an expansion program in the Zane Shawnee Caverns, and a $12 million Indian Center near Montreal. Those close to Eagle, including Billy Two Rivers, do not believe his death was a suicide. Skeptics noted it could have been a murder, connected to the death of his wife, Jean Eagle.

Championships and accomplishments

Boxing Cleveland Golden Gloves Heavyweight Championship (1945)

Professional wrestling American Wrestling Association (Boston) AWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times) Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2016 Fred Kohler Enterprises World Heavyweight Championship (Illinois version) Midwest Wrestling Association (Ohio) MWA World Heavyweight Championship (Ohio version) (1 time)

Professional boxing record