Skull Murphy

Infobox professional wrestler name = Skull Murphy image = Skull Murphy.jpg

caption = ring_names = Skull Murphy height = weight = Ireland He attended Hamilton Central Technical School, where he met professional wrestler Chuck Molnar. Molnar convinced Murphy to become a wrestler, and Murphy began training at the Hamilton Jewish YMCA under Jimmy Simms. Author Mordecai Richler states that Murphy told him that he rubbed baby oil on his bald head before matches to reduce irritation from the ring floor.

Career

Early career (1952–1961) Murphy began competing in Welland, Ontario, as well as Larry Kasaboski's Northland Wrestling Enterprises in northeastern Ontario. He soon began competing for promotions on the east coast of the United States, including Jim Crockett Promotions, and was billed as living in Ireland. By 1959, Murphy was competing for Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW), where he feuded with Dickie Gunkel. Professional boxer Joey Maxim was the referee for one match between Murphy and Gunkel. After Gunkel won, Murphy challenged Maxim to a "wrestler vs. boxer" match the following week, which Murphy won. He competed in GCW for several years and won five championships in 1961, which included three reigns with the Georgia version of the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship.

The majority of Murphy's remaining career, however, was spent in Australia. In 1968, he had two more reigns as IWA World Tag Team Champion, pairing with Killer Karl Kox and Toru Tanaka. Early reports listed his cause of death as a heart attack.

British wrestler Peter Northey (the son of wrestler Charles "Roy Bull Davies" Northey) also adopted the "Skull Murphy" name along with a shaven-headed image. This version of Murphy won the 1984 Grand Prix belt tournament on television and later held the British Light Heavyweight Championship in 1995, and also formed the Riot Squad tag team with Fit Finlay, together winning the 1982 World of Sport Top Tag Team Tournament.

Championships and accomplishments Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Klondike Bill Championship Wrestling from Florida NWA World Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (2 times) - with Brute Bernard Georgia Championship Wrestling NWA International Tag Team Championship (Georgia version) (1 time) - with Gypsy Joe NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Georgia version) (3 times) NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Georgia version) (1 time) – with Gypsy Joe World Championship Wrestling (Australia) IWA World Heavyweight Championship (3 times) IWA World Tag Team Championship (9 times) - with Brute Bernard (5), Killer Kowalski (2), Killer Karl Kox (1), and Toru Tanaka (1) World Wide Wrestling Federation WWWF United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Brute Bernard