Larry Cameron

For the resident cat at 10 Downing Street, see Larry (cat).

Larry Cameron (November 4, 1952 – December 13, 1993) was an American professional football player and wrestler.

Larry Cameron

Personal information
Born	(1952-11-04)November 4, 1952[1] Natchez, Mississippi, US[1]
Died	December 13, 1993(1993-12-13) (aged 41)[1] Bremen, Germany[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Larry Cameron Lethal Larry Butcher
Billed height	1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)[1]
Billed weight	118 kg (260 lb)[1]
Billed from	Harlem, New York Chicago, Illinois Minneapolis, Minnesota
Trained by	Eddie Sharkey[1] Stu Hart[1] Mr. Hito
Debut	1985[1]

Football career

Larry Cameron

Profile
Position	Linebacker
Personal information
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
College	Alcorn State
NFL draft	1974: 12 / Pick 301st round
Career history
1975	BC Lions
1975–1977	Ottawa Rough Riders
Awards and highlights
Grey Cup champion (1976) CFL All-Star (1975) 2× CFL East All-Star (1975, 1976) Jackie Parker Trophy (1975)

Larry Cameron was born and raised in Natchez, Mississippi. He played football in high school and then in college at Alcorn A&M for the Alcorn A&M Braves. A linebacker, he was chosen #301 in the 1974 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos. After being cut by the Broncos, he played with the BC Lions and Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League. In 1975 and 1976 he was an all-star and won the Grey Cup with Ottawa. His football career would be cut short due to injuries.^[1]

Wrestling career

After leaving football, Cameron developed an interest in bodybuilding and became Mr. Minnesota and Northern States Bodybuilding champion. After meeting Eddie Sharkey he briefly appeared for Verne Gagne and the American Wrestling Association. Later he trained with Stu Hart in Calgary alongside Brian Pillman.^[1] Cameron made his Stampede Wrestling debut in 1985 billed as "Lethal" Larry Cameron, a strongman with a bad attitude. He won his first championship in September 1987, when he won Pro Wrestling America's Heavyweight Championship, defeating Ricky Rice.^[2]

In 1988, he worked a few shows for the National Wrestling Alliance and the American Wrestling Association. In April 1989, he defeated Davey Boy Smith to win the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship.^[1] He returned to the AWA in 1990, after Stampede shut down the year prior. He also wrestled for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. In 1990 he also worked for World Championship Wrestling where he was managed by Teddy Long and tag-teamed with Butch Reed in a feud with Ric Flair and Arn Anderson.^[1][2]

After a tryout with the World Wrestling Federation, he toured Austria where he met Otto Wanz. Wanz hired Cameron to appear in his promotion, Catch Wrestling Association, in September 1991. He won the CWA World Tag Team Championship with his partner Mad Bull Buster in July 1992. The two held the titles for 53 weeks before losing them to Dave Taylor and Mile Zrno. In April 1993, he wrestled one show in the United States for an NWA territory in Minnesota. That October, he and Mad Bull Buster regained the CWA Tag Team titles.^[1][2]

Death

On December 13, 1993, during a match with Tony St. Clair in Bremen, Germany, Cameron suffered a heart attack and died, aged 41 years.^[2]

Championships and accomplishments

• Catch Wrestling Association
  • CWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) with Mad Bull Buster^[1][2]
• International Wrestling Association
  • IWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[3]
• Pro Wrestling America
  • PWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[2]
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #103 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 1991^[4]
  • PWI ranked him #327 of the Top 500 Singles Wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003^[5]
• Stampede Wrestling
  • Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[1][2]
  • Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 1995)^[6]

See also

• List of premature professional wrestling deaths
• List of gridiron football players who became professional wrestlers