The Missouri Mauler lived up to his name, rampaging through various territories.
Missouri Mauler Death – Heart Attack
1931-1996 (Age 65)
Who was the Missouri Mauler and what was his relationship with the Assassin, one of the greatest masked heels ever?
Larry “Rocky” Hamilton was born in St. Joseph, Missouri on March 11, 1931. He wrestled alongside his brother Joseph “Jody” Hamilton, including a match where the two main evented Madison Square Garden.
In 1996, Jody recalled how Larry got him into wrestling and their historic match in the Garden:
“Larry had been wrestling since 1950, but he actually got me started full-time in 1957 in New York,” recalled Jody Hamilton. “In 1958 he and I – as The Hamilton Brothers – drew the biggest crowd ever at the old Madison Square Garden against Argentina Rocca and Miguel Perez. We both left New York in October 1958.
The brothers pursued separate careers over the next few years with Larry heading to Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), a hotbed of tag team wrestling and Jody heading to San Francisco.
Stardom came quickly as Hamilton teamed with fellow heel the Great Bolo (aka Tom Renesto). Ironically, Larry’s brother Jody arrived in JCP, working alongside the Great Bolo as the Mighty Bolo (aka the Masked Bolos).
Larry teamed with the Bolos, feuding with “Haystacks” Calhoun and the Kentuckians (aka Grizzly Smith and Luke Brown).
The Evolution of The Missouri Mauler
Jody and Larry Hamilton would go their separate ways.. Larry’s brother would become best-known as The Assassin. The Assassin would team with Tom Renesto as The Assassins, becoming one of wrestling’s best-known masked heels.
Meanwhile, Larry Hamilton would evolve into his best-known persona. According to the book, The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels, Larry was billed as “Larry Hamilton, the Missouri Mauler” until gradually becoming “The Missouri Mauler.”
The Mauler was everything you’d expect from a wrestler with that name—a wild brawler who left the wrestling to others, instead punching, kicking, and swing a chair. The results would be box office gold.
The Mauler would join forces with Hiro Matsuda in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. The two battled tag teams including Gene Anderson and Ole Anderson, George Becker and Johnny Weaver, and George and Sandy Scott.
The Missouri Mauler would also team with Brute Bernard. The two would win The Atlantic Coast Tag Team Championship from Johnny Weaver and George Becker.
Singles championships would also come his way, whether he worked as Larry Hamilton, The Missouri Mauler, or someone else. Hamilton would hold Central States Wrestling’s version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship.
He would also hold the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship six times in Eddie Graham’s Florida territory. The Mauler would win championship gold in international programs including Australia’s World Championship Wrestling. There, The Mauler would win the NWA-Austra-Asian Tag Team Championship.
More than the Mauler
While Larry played a villain in the ring, Larry the man was much different. Jody talked about his brother to Mike Mooneyham, revealing:
“Larry was a very religious man. He was a member of the St. James Catholic Church in our hometown, and he was very dedicated. He attended Mass each Sunday and recited his rosary every night. Many people don’t know about the gentle side of Larry. All they remember is the ring image. He was the dream-come-true for every stray dog and cat in the neighborhood.”
Nonetheless, it was as the villainous Missouri Mauler that he was best-remembered. Hamilton worked around the world but was best-remembered for his campaigns in Florida, the Mid-Atlantic area, and Georgia.
The Death of The Missouri Mauler
Larry broke into bail bonding after leaving the squared circle in 1982. The retired wrestler lived with his mother and cared for her. On July 20, 1996, Larry Hamilton passed away from a heart attack at age 65.
What are your favorite memories of The Missouri Mauler? Let us know in the comments below.
Other pro wrestlers who died in 1996 include Dick Murdoch, Ray Stevens, and Sapphire.
