Pepper Martin

Early life Martin was born in Hamilton, Ontario. In 1944, when he was seven years old, "his parents went out for a night of dinner and dancing at the local Moose Hall. The festivities took place in a second-floor room that became a death trap when an arsonist set fire to the only stairwell. His father wrapped his mother in drapes to protect her and was opening a window that provided access to a nearby tree when the panicked crowd rushed at him and accidentally pushed him out the window and into the tree. The next day, his father sent him and older sister Eileen to an aunt's farm for a week. On the car ride back, he unceremoniously presented them with an article rehashing the gruesome details of that night and conveying the news of their mother's death."

At 16, Martin lied about his age and joined the Navy. "I was a big kid for my age ... [then] they found out how old I really was and kicked me out". He had been dating his future wife already and they were married July 21, 1956, when Martin was 19 years old. The union produced two daughters.

He took a job at Westinghouse in Hamilton, and a chance to play with the Hamilton Tigers football club came up. Needing to get in better shape, and rehab his knee, a friend directed Martin to a gym run by Al Spittles. The gym happened to be where local wrestlers trained and Pepper soon fell in with them, learning the sport.

Professional wrestling career Martin debuted in 1957. In his first match, he teamed with Bolus against Johnny Evans (later Reggie Love) and Bull Johnson (father of "Bullwhip" Danny Johnson). Martin would live out of Windsor as he traveled the Detroit territory. He would leave for the Tennessee area and quickly return to Detroit, before going to work for Jim Barnett's Indianapolis territory, which had just opened in 1959. Even though he was still a preliminary wrestler, Pepper began making real money at this point, sometimes over $1,000 a night in the big arenas.

The play The Time of Your Life was revived on March 17, 1972, at the Huntington Hartford Theater in Los Angeles with Martin, Henry Fonda, Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Thompson, Gloria Grahame, Lewis J. Stadlen, Strother Martin, Richard X. Slattery and Jane Alexander among the cast with Edwin Sherin directing.

Championships and accomplishments NWA Hollywood Wrestling NWA Beat The Champ Television Championship (2 times) NWA Pacific Coast Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time) Pacific Northwest Wrestling NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship (5 times) NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (7 times)

Filmography Year Title Role Notes1968 Angels from Hell Dennis If He Hollers, Let Him Go! Prison Guard I Dream of Jeannie Killer Culligan Episode: The Strongest Man in the World Bonanza Hawkface Episode: Yonder Man The Wrecking Crew Frankie 1970 The Animals Jamie 1971 Mission: Impossible Batesly Episode: The Tram1973 Walking Tall Zolan Dicks Cahill U.S. Marshal Hard Case1974 The Longest Yard Shop Steward Gone with the West Mimmo's Men1975 Murph the Surf Sgt. Terwilliger Murder on Flight 502 Bomb Man TV Movie 1976-1979 The Rockford Files Various Roles Appeared in 7 episodes 1976 Starsky and Hutch Oxey 2 episodes1978 The Incredible Hulk Coach Haggerty Episode: Killer Instinct Hawaii Five-O Jim Nelson 1980 Superman II Rocky 1981 Scream Bob 1983 Quincy, M.E. Ed Rayano Episode: Suffer the Little Children 1982 CHiPs Gus Episode: Speedway Fever 1984 T.J. Hooker Big GuyEpisode: Night Vigil1986 Bad Guys Ringside Commentator Ghost Fever Sheriff Clay 1987 Return to Horror High Chief Deyner 1988 Evil Altar Collector 1989 Mutant on the Bounty Captain Llyodes 1990 They Came from Outer Space George Episode: Mr. Geek