Apache Bull Ramos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Apache Bull Ramos |
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| Birth name | Manuel Ramos |
| Born | August 3, 1937 Houston, Texas, United States |
| Died | May 27, 2006 (aged 68) Houston, Texas, United States |
| Cause of death | Massive shoulder infection |
| Spouse(s) | Brenda Ramos (his death) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Apache Bull Ramos |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Billed weight | 350 lb (159 kg) |
| Trained by | Danny McShain Cyclone Anaya David Weinstein |
| Debut | 1964 |
| Retired | 1980s |
Manuel Ramos (born August 3, 1937 – died May 27, 2006) was a famous American professional wrestler. He was best known by his ring name, Apache Bull Ramos. From his start in 1956 until the 1970s, he often played the role of a "heel." In wrestling, a heel is a bad guy who fans love to boo.
He had exciting rivalries, also called "feuds," with other wrestling stars. These included Bruno Sammartino, Dutch Savage, Jimmy Snuka, Terry Funk, and Mil Máscaras. Bull Ramos also traveled around the world to wrestle. He competed in countries like Japan, Korea, and Australia.
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Professional Wrestling Career
Manuel Ramos grew up in Houston, Texas. He often went to wrestling matches with his uncle and father. In the early 1960s, his uncle suggested he try wrestling. At that time, Ramos was boxing and wasn't interested.
Later, he met Paul Boesch, who was a wrestling promoter. A promoter helps organize wrestling shows. Boesch helped Ramos get into the wrestling business in 1964. He was trained by experienced wrestlers like Danny McShain, Cyclone Anaya, and David Weinstein.
In Los Angeles, Bull Ramos had a big rivalry with Mil Mascaras. This feud ended in a special "Hair vs Mask" match. In this type of match, the loser either has their head shaved or their mask removed. Ramos lost the match, and his head was shaved.
He later wrestled for a short time in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). There, he was managed by Col. Homer O'Dell. Ramos wrestled against the champion, Bruno Sammartino. Sammartino defeated Ramos in a match in 1968. This match was part of the first show held at the "new" Madison Square Garden.
In the Pacific Northwest wrestling area, Ramos had a long rivalry with Dutch Savage. This feud lasted for about five years. He also wrestled against Ricky Hunter in the same region. Ramos became very popular as a "heel" in Oregon. This happened after he caused a serious injury to Lonnie Mayne's arm during a match. In that same area, Ramos won tag team championships with Jesse Ventura, who later became a governor.
Bull Ramos continued to wrestle until the 1980s.
Wrestling Character (Gimmick)
When Manuel Ramos first started wrestling, promoters wanted him to use an Italian character named John Albano. But Ramos didn't like that idea. When he began, Ramos weighed around 200 pounds. He gained more weight throughout his career, reaching his heaviest at 350 pounds.
Because he was over 300 pounds and good at talking, he could make fans really dislike his character. He started his career as "Bull Ramos," playing a Native American character. In the 1970s, Wrestling World magazine wrote about his character. They said he was born in an "adobe hut on the San Carlo, New Mexico, Indian reservation." They described him as "redskinned dynamite," wearing an Indian vest and headband. The magazine even said he invented the "Texas Bullrope Match." In this match, wrestlers are tied together with a rope and must drag each other to all four corners of the ring.
Personal Life
Besides English, Manuel Ramos could also speak Spanish very well.
After he stopped wrestling, Ramos started a towing service in Houston. He learned about this business from another wrestler, Nick Kozak. Before marrying his wife, Brenda Jean Long, he already had a daughter named Julia and sons named Manuel Jr. and John. He took Brenda with him on his first wrestling tour of Australia. However, she returned to the United States to give birth to their first child, Angelina. Later, they had another daughter, Amanda.
Ramos faced several health challenges. He suffered from diabetes, which affected his eyesight. He also had an infection in his foot that required surgery. Additionally, he needed regular medical treatments for his kidneys three times a week. Due to his health issues, he lost over 100 pounds. On May 27, 2006, Manuel Ramos passed away at the age of 68. His death was caused by a serious shoulder infection.
In Popular Culture
Bull Ramos is the subject of a song by the band The Mountain Goats. The song is called "The Ballad of Bull Ramos." It is on their 2015 album Beat the Champ, which is an album all about professional wrestling.
Championships and Accomplishments
- Mid-South Wrestling
- Mid-South Mississippi Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship (Tri-State version) (1 time)
- NWA Big Time Wrestling
- NWA Texas Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Tiger Conway, Jr. (1) and Big John Studd (1)
- NWA Hollywood Wrestling
- NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Americas Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ray Gordon and Mike Riker
- NWA Americas Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Black Gordman
- NWA Rocky Mountain
- NWA Rocky Mountain Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- NWA Western States Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with The Beast
- Pacific Northwest Wrestling
- NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
- NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Clay Spencer (1), Ripper Collins (1), and The Iron Sheik (1)
- Ring Around The Northwest Newsletter
- Wrestler of the Year (1972–1973)
- Western States Sports
- NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Amarillo version) (1 time)
- Texas All-Pro Wrestling
- TAP Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- World Championship Wrestling (Australia)
- World Brass Knuckles Championship
