Charlie Norris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Charlie Norris |
|
|---|---|
| Birth name | Charles Norris |
| Born | October 21, 1963 Red Lake, Minnesota, United States |
| Died | February 6, 2023 (aged 59) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Charlie Norris |
| Billed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Billed weight | 285 lb (129 kg; 20.4 st) |
| Billed from | Red Lake Indian Reservation |
| Trained by | Eddie Sharkey |
| Debut | December 3, 1988 |
| Retired | 2006 |
Charles Norris (born October 21, 1963 – died February 6, 2023) was an American professional wrestler. He was known for his time in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1993. Most of his career was spent in Pro Wrestling America (PWA) in Minnesota. There, he won the Heavyweight Championship five times. He also won the Tag Team Championship twice.
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Early Life and Beginnings
Charles Norris was born on October 21, 1963. His hometown was Red Lake, Minnesota. This community is part of the Red Lake Indian Reservation. He finished high school at Red Lake Senior High School in 1984.
In 1988, Norris started training to become a professional wrestler. His trainer was Eddie Sharkey. On December 3, 1988, he had his first wrestling match.
Wrestling Career Highlights
Rising in Pro Wrestling America (1989–1993)
Charlie Norris joined Pro Wrestling America (PWA), a wrestling company owned by his trainer. He quickly became a top wrestler there. On October 4, 1989, he won his first championship. He defeated Ricky Rice to become the PWA Heavyweight Champion. He held this title for eight months.
He lost the title to Ricky Rice on May 14, 1990. But Norris won the title again on February 7, 1991, from Terminator Riggs. He lost it back to Riggs just four days later. This was his shortest time as champion.
On May 11, 1991, Norris won his third Heavyweight Championship. He beat The Golden Idol for the title. He lost it to Teijo Khan on October 14. But he won it back from Khan on December 22. This was his fourth time as champion.
Norris won the Heavyweight Championship for a record fifth time on April 26, 1992. He held this title for six months. He lost it to The Hater on October 20, 1992. This was his last time as the PWA Heavyweight Champion. He left PWA in early 1993.
Joining World Championship Wrestling (1993)
In April 1993, Charlie Norris wrestled at an event called NWA Grandslam. He teamed with Masa Saito and won their match. Soon after, he signed with World Championship Wrestling (WCW). This was a much bigger wrestling company.
Norris made his first TV appearance in WCW on August 21, 1993. He was a "fan favorite," meaning the crowd cheered for him. He won his first match against Fury. He then started a storyline with Maxx Payne. Norris defeated Payne in a special match on September 11.
He won many matches early in his WCW career. This helped him become more popular. He made his first appearance on a major event called Fall Brawl. There, he defeated Big Sky.
At Halloween Havoc, another big event, Norris teamed up with The Shockmaster and Ice Train. They won their match against Harlem Heat and The Equalizer.
Norris's winning streak ended when he lost to Steve Austin on November 14. His last match in WCW was on January 29, 1994. He tried to win the World Television Championship but lost.
Returning to PWA and Later Years (1994–2006)
After leaving WCW, Charlie Norris went back to PWA. He started wrestling in tag teams. On August 15, 1994, he won his first Tag Team Championship. He teamed with Sam Houston. They lost the title the next year.
In 1996, Norris formed a new tag team called "Thunderblood" with Derrick Dukes. They won the Tag Team Championship for a second time. This team was the last to hold the title before it was stopped later that year.
Norris continued to wrestle for smaller wrestling companies until 2006.
Life After Wrestling
After he stopped wrestling in 2006, Charlie Norris lived on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. He worked as a personal trainer at a local gym.
Charlie Norris passed away on February 6, 2023, at the age of 59.
Wrestling Achievements
Charlie Norris achieved several titles and honors during his wrestling career:
- Northern Premier Wrestling
- NPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling America
- PWA Heavyweight Championship (5 times)
- PWA Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Sam Houston (1) and Derrek Dukes (1)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- In 1993, Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine ranked him #90 among the top 500 single wrestlers.
- Wrestle America 2000
- WA2K Tag Team Championship (1 time)
