Ray Stevens

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1950-1961) Stevens began his four-decade-long career in 1950 at the age of 15, working for Al Haft. Stevens pinned Sammartino with the "Bombs Away" to win the first fall; Sammartino forced Stevens to submit to win the second fall; Stevens won the third and deciding fall via countout.

Legacy On May 20, 2006, Ray "The Crippler" Stevens was posthumously honored by being inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame at Amsterdam, New York.

Championships and accomplishments American Wrestling Alliance AWA United States Heavyweight Championship (7 times) American Wrestling Association AWA World Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Nick Bockwinkel (3) and Pat Patterson (1) Big Time Wrestling (San Francisco) NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version) (2 times) NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (5 times) - with Pat Patterson (2), Pepper Gomez (1), Peter Maivia (1), and Moondog Mayne (1) Cow Palace Battle Royal (1969, 1972, 1980) Cauliflower Alley Club Other honoree (1995) NWA Florida Television Championship (2 times) Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (1 time) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (3 times) - with Greg Valentine (1), Jimmy Snuka (1), and Ivan Koloff (1) Midwest Wrestling Association MWA American Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Don Stevens MWA Ohio Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Don Stevens (1) and Ed Francis (1) MWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time) National Wrestling Alliance NWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2013) NWA Mid-Pacific Promotions NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Hawaii version) (1 time) NWA Mid-America NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship (3 times) NWA Western States Sports NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Amarillo version) (3 times) Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2006 PWI Tag Team of the Year (1980) with Jimmy Snuka Wrestling Observer Newsletter Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)