A. C. Golden
A. C. Golden | |
---|---|
Birth name | Mark Kevin Frear |
Born | (1970-02-01)February 1, 1970[1] Salisbury, Maryland, United States |
Died | May 11, 2014(2014-05-11) (aged 44) Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | A. C. Golden Golden Phoenix Homeboy Mark Frear |
Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
Billed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
Debut | c. 1988 |
Retired | c. 1998 |
Mark Kevin Frear (February 1, 1970 - May 11, 2014)[2][3][4][5] was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name A. C. Golden, who competed in Mid-Atlantic and Southern independent promotions during the late 1980s and 1990s. He was a longtime mainstay of the United States Wrestling Association in Memphis, Tennessee, where he and New Jack won the USWA Tag Team Championship in 1993, as well as in the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation where he was a top contender for the MEWF Heavyweight Championship up until his retirement in 1998. He also made occasional appearances in the World Wrestling Federation early in his career.
Professional wrestling career
Mark Frear made his professional debut around 1988 and spent the first year of his career wrestling in the Mid-Atlantic and Southern independent circuit as The Golden Phoenix. One of his first major opponents during his rookie year was against Dirty Dennis Allen whom he faced in Woodbury, New Jersey, for WWA Wrestling. That same year, he appeared as a preliminary wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation. In his first WWF match, he teamed with George Skaaland, son of the legendary Arnold Skaaland, against The Powers of Pain (The Warlord & The Barbarian) at the Civic Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, on August 29, 1989. The match was later aired on WWF Wrestling Challenge. A day later on WWF Superstars, Frear was pinned by Akeem at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine, after a big splash. At the end of the match, Frear was handcuffed to the ring ropes by Akeem's tag team partner Big Boss Man and beaten with his nightstick.[6] A year later, he and Joe Sturnam lost to Rhythm & Blues (The Honky Tonk Man & Greg Valentine) in Syracuse, New York, on April 3, 1990.[7]
By 1991, Frear was back on the indy circuit and found success in several promotions, most notably, Gordon Scozzari's American Wrestling Federation, the Wrestling Independent Network[8] and the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation.[9] On July 11, 1992, he entered a championship tournament in Pasadena, Maryland, for the vacant MEWF Heavyweight Championship and lost to Max Thrasher in the finals.[10][11] Later that year, he wrestled "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert in a special "challenge match" at an MEWF show in Hampstead, Maryland, on November 21, 1992. The event was to raise money for the North Carroll High School, the show taking place in the school's gymnasium, with the proceeds going to purchase computer software for its business department.[12]
In early 1993, Frear began wrestling for the United States Wrestling Association in Memphis, Tennessee. Under the name Homeboy, he and New Jack began teaming together and quickly became contenders to the USWA Tag Team Championship. On June 21, 1993, they defeated The Southern Rockers (Rex King & Steve Doll) for the belts at the Mid-South Coliseum in front of 2,000 fans.[13] They continued feuding with The Southern Rockers and defeated them in a rematch the following week.[14] On July 5, he and New Jack lost to King and Doll in separate singles matches, and lost the tag team titles to C.W. Bergstrom & Melvin Penrod later that night.[15]
After this, he returned to the MEWF where he spent the last years of his career. In one of his last matches, he lost to Glenn Osbourne in the finals of a championship tournament for the MEWF Heavyweight Championship in Baltimore on February 1, 1998.[10][11]
Championships and accomplishments
- National Championship Wrestling
- NCW United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[10]
- World Wrestling Association (New Jersey)
- WWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- United States Wrestling Association
- USWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with New Jack[10][16][17]
- Universal Independent Wrestling
- UIW Tag Team Championship (1 time, first)[10]
- Wrestling Independent Network
- WIN Heavyweight Championship (1 time, first)[10]
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him # 390 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 1992[9]
References
- ^ "Mark Kevin Frear, 1970 - 2014, Obituary". Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ Archer, Jeff. Theater in a Squared Circle: The Mystique of Professional Wrestling. Lafayette, Colorado: White-Boucke Publishing, 1998. (pg. 418) ISBN 1-888580-06-2
- ^ "Solie's Real Names List". Solie's Vintage Wrestling. Solie.org. 2000. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ^ Capp, Fritz. "Wrestling Real Name List". Pro Wrestling's Between The Sheets. PWBTS.com. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ^ Solomon, Aaron. "OO Reference Desk: Real Names List". OO Reference Desk. OOWrestling.com. Archived from the original on 2010-04-27. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ^ Cawthon, Graham. "1989". WWF Prime Time Wrestling (1985-93). TheHistoryofWWE.com. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ^ Nevada, Vance; Jim Zordani; Mark Eastridge; Gount Grog; Becky Taylor; Robert Van Kavelaar; Ron Witmer (2008-04-27). "Greg Valentine". SLAM! Wrestling Wrestlers Results Archive. SLAM! Sports. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Male Wrestlers". The GrandSlam Wrestleclopedia. Cheetara.nl. Archived from the original on February 9, 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ^ a b Simpson, Greg. "Mindbender's Wrestling Greats: "G"". Mindbenders Wrestling Greats. Mindbenders.ca. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ^ a b c d e f Royal Duncan; Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ a b Westcott, Brian; Eric Roelfsema (2004). "MEWF Heavyweight Title History". Solie's Title Histories.
- ^ "Pro wrestling card benefits N. Carroll". The Baltimore Sun. 1992-11-20. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ^ "June 21, 1993 in Memphis, TN". Mid-South Coliseum 1993 (Jarrett). ProWrestlingHistory.com. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ^ "June 28, 1993 in Memphis, TN". Mid-South Coliseum 1993 (Jarrett). ProWrestlingHistory.com. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ^ "July 5, 1993 in Memphis, TN". Mid-South Coliseum 1993 (Jarrett). ProWrestlingHistory.com. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ^ Puroresu Dojo (2003). "U.S.W.A. Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ^ Duncan, Royal; Gary Will (1998). "USWA Tag Team Title History". Solie's Title Histories. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
External links
- A. C. Golden's profile at Cagematch.net, Wrestlingdata.com, Internet Wrestling Database
- v
- t
- e
- Cactus Jack and Scott Braddock
- Jeff Jarrett and Matt Borne
- Mark Starr and Scott Braddock
- Robert Fuller and Brian Lee
- The Southern Rockers (Rex King and Steve Doll)
- The Uptown Posse (Brickhouse Brown and Sweet Daddy Falcone)
- The Dirty White Boys (Tony Anthony and Tom Burton)
- Rex King and Joey Maggs
- Don Harris and Brian Lee
- Jeff Jarrett and Jeff Gaylord
- Tony Anthony and Doug Gilbert
- Jeff Jarrett and Cody Michaels
- The Fabulous Ones (Stan Lane and Steve Keirn)
- Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Lawler
- The Texas Hangmen (Killer and Psycho)
- Jeff Jarrett and Robert Fuller
- The Texas Outlaws (Bonecrusher and Crowbar)
- Doug Masters and Bart Sawyer
- Mike Mitchell and Robert Fuller
- The Moondogs (Moondog Spot and Moondog Spike)
- The Moondogs (Moondog Spot and Moondog Cujo)
- The Bruise Brothers (Don and Ron)
- The Moondogs (Moondog Spot and Moondog Splat
- Brian Christopher and Big Black Dog
- Brian Christopher and Scotty Flamingo
- New Jack and Homeboy)
- C. W. Bergstrom and Melvin Penrod, Jr.
- The Moondogs (Moondog Cujo and Moondog Spike)
- The Dog Catchers (Dog Catcher #1 and Dog Catcher #2)
- Mike Anthony and Moondog Spike
- Jeff Jarrett and Brian Christopher
- Koko B. Ware and Rex Hargrove
- PG-13 (J. C. Ice and Wolfie D)
- Mike Anthony and Jeff Gaylord
- The War Machines
- Far 2 Wild (Todd Morton and Chris Michaels)
- The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton)
- The Moondogs (Moondog Spot and Moondog Rex)
- Brian Christopher and Eddie Gilbert
- The Eliminators (Kronus and Saturn)
- Dante and The Great Mephisto
- The Phantoms (Tragedy and Sorrow)
- Beauty and the Beast Don Harris and Jim Harris)
- Tommy Rich and Doug Gilbert
- Brickhouse Brown and The Gambler
- The Heavenly Bodies (Jimmy Del Ray and Tom Prichard)
- Tracy Smothers and Jesse James Armstrong
- Bill Dundee and Jerry Lawler
- Flex Kavana and Bart Sawyer
- Brickhouse Brown and Reggie B. Fine
- The Moondogs (Moondog Spot and Moondog Rover)
- Bill Dundee and J. C. Ice
- Brian Christopher and Wolfie D
- Flash Flanagan and Steven Dunn
- Flash Flanagan and Billy Travis
- The Truth Commission (Recon and Kurrgan)
- The Shooting Stars (Troy Haste and Jerry Faith
- Paul Diamond and Steven Dunn
- Flash Flanagan and Nick Dinsmore