11. Larry Cameron
Larry Cameron started his athletic career in the Canadian Football League. A stocky, powerful man, the sport suited him. But after suffering injuries, his football career ended and he turned his attention to professional wrestling, where his large build was again suited to the occupation. Training under Stu Hart alongside another former football player in Brian Pillman, he debuted for Stampede Wrestling in 1985. His no-nonsense, powerhouse style and bulging physique was popular at the time, with the likes of The Road Warriors, Nikita Koloff and Hulk Hogan all gaining great success using this style and image. His greatest achievement in Stampede was defeating Davey Boy Smith for the Stampede North American Heavyweight title in 1989, a championship he held until the company folded at the end of that year.
Cameron flitted between the AWA (which also closed its doors shortly afterwards), WCW (where he was managed by Teddy Long) and New Japan Pro Wrestling. While on an independent tour of Australia, he was spotted by Austrian wrestler and promoter Otto Wanz, who recruited “Lethal” Larry for his CWA promotion in continental Europe. Within a year, he was a champion again, winning the CWA World Tag Team Championship with his partner Mad Bull Buster, Anthony Durante, who went on to find fame in ECW as Pitbull #2.On December 13th 1993, Cameron was matched against former British Heavyweight Champion, Tony St Clair, himself a veteran of many Japanese tours, at a CWA show in Bremen, Germany. During the match, it became apparent that something was very wrong, as Cameron suffered a massive heart attack in the ring. The referee immediately stopped the match and tried to revive Cameron, but it was to no avail. He was already dead at the age of 41.
Larry also spent time in Chicago's Windy City Wresting where a lot of us in Chicago started.
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