From the Photo Archive: One Man Gang wrestling in Duluth on Oct. 8, 1987

OneManGangFU2

This photo by Barrett Chase is from a World Wrestling Federation card at the Duluth Arena. The badass in the foreground is George Gray, wrestling that night as the One Man Gang. In the match he defeated Koko B. Ware via count-out.

The show is clearly being stolen here by the guy in the Pabst hat and the middle-finger sign in the background. And that’s what makes professional wrestling so special.

More Duluth wrestling photos can be seen in the post: “Duluth Arena Pro Wrestling Photos from the 1980s – Killer Khan and so on.”

Below is a shot of the One Man Gang as he enters the ring. Later in his career, by the way, Gray changed his gimmick and became Akeem the African Dream.

14 Comments

Danny G

about 14 years ago

For the record, I appreciate the wrestling posts. I'm not 100 percent sure, but I think I was probably at that show.

jim

about 14 years ago

That Pabst hat is probably collectible now.

Sjixxxy

about 14 years ago

As a collector of vernacular photographs, I would totally add this one to my collection if I came across it in the wild.

jeanine

about 14 years ago

Thanks for that blast from the past. Not only was I at that match with a friend from college but I'm pretty sure I drew the middle finger sign, which was wielded by my younger brother and his friends. 

There are advantages to being an art major, eh?

heysme

about 14 years ago

I don't even like wrestling but enjoy your posts!

Danny G

about 14 years ago

One thing is bugging me about the "bird" sign.  It looks like it's being held in the person's right hand.  But it is clearly a left-handed bird-flip on the drawing.  Boggles the mind.

sbuchanan

about 14 years ago

Very nice Jeanine. Good to see that your liberal arts education paid off.

Mike Simonson

about 14 years ago

I'm still stuck on the "later became Akeem the African Dream" part.

zra

about 14 years ago

The Gang was supposed to have hailed from "North Hallstead" in Chicago, when he was wrestling in the WCCW against the Von Erichs.

Danny G

about 14 years ago

The "Akeem the African Dream" storyline was certainly an odd one. It all started with One Man Gang being lured into a dark ally by his manager, Slick. This led to a voodoo ceremony transforming OMG into Akeem...complete with Traditional African garb and funky dance moves. This character lasted for years (Akeem regularily teamed with former Cobb County, Ga prison guard the Big Boss Man to form the Twin Towers). Look around YouTube a bit and you should be able to find a clip of Akeem on the Arsenio Hall Show where he declares that he is "blacker" than the host.

God, I love late-1980s and early-'90s WWF.

Paul Lundgren

about 14 years ago

Here's the clip. I didn't catch the word "blacker" in there anywhere, but Slick did say Arsenio is "not a real brother," and that Akeem is from "deepest, darkest Africa."


Ah, wrestling.

xkabukislaybaler

about 14 years ago

Saw a wrestler called 666 at the DECC, probably 1983-'85. Anyone remember that one?

Danny G

about 14 years ago

I have been a huge fan of this site for years now.  It is basically an encyclopedia of every bad angle/storyline/character in wrestling.  The proprietor also has written a few hilarious books on the subject: wrestlecrap.com

jeanine

about 14 years ago

My brother busted a gut when he saw this pic. He was 18 at the time. He and his friends got some heckling from the ring that night due to the sign.

We grew up watching wrestling on TV every Saturday afternoon.

The only thing that would make that Pabst hat better is if it were one of those crocheted jobs with the metal beer can labels circling the crown.

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I have my tickets; now I just have to work on my sign.

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