Moondog Spike

American professional wrestler (1950 – 2013)

Moondog Spike

Birth name| William Smithson
Born| (1950-05-31)May 31, 1950
Died| March 21, 2013(2013-03-21) (aged 62)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)| Moondog Spike[1]
Dizzy Golden[1]
Inferno #1[1]
Billed height| 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)[2]
Billed weight| 345 lb (156 kg)[2]
Trained by| Tojo Yamamoto[2]
Debut| 1978[2]
Retired| 2011

William Smithson (May 31, 1950 – March 21, 2013[3]) was a professional wrestler who wrestled as Moondog Spike during the early 1990s with Moondog Spot from 1991 to 1992 and Moondog Cujo from 1992 to 1993 as part of The Moondogs.[1]

## Professional wrestling career[edit]

Trained by Tojo Yamamoto in Tennessee, Smithson made his debut in 1978 as a tag team partner of Jerry Ralph in one of the many incarnations of the "Inferno" tag teams managed by Mike Duprée.[1] During the mid-1980s, under the name Dizzy Golden, he formed a tag team with his storyline brother Mike Golden[1] in the Mid-South area winning the Texas All-Star U.S.A. Tag Team Championship twice during a feud with the "Dream Team" of King Parsons and Tiger Conway, Jr.[4] in 1986 and reigned as its last tag team champions until the title was retired in November 1986 following the federation's purchase by World Class Championship Wrestling.[4] He briefly went to Memphis after the demise of Texas All Star Wrestling as the Australian "Bluey". He was bought in by George Barnes to help feud with Bill Dundee who Barnes had turned on and said Dundee had gotten too "American". That same year he worked for All Japan Pro Wrestling. After that he went to ICW in the New England area where he wrestled there in late 1987 and 1988 as Moondog Spike.He won the Hwy Title as well as twice the Tag straps.[5][6]

In 1991, Smithson began teaming with Moondog Spot in the Memphis-based United States Wrestling Association.[7] Together they violently feuded with Jeff Jarrett and Jerry "The King" Lawler throughout the year; the feud being featured in Pro Wrestling Illustrated's "Feud of the Year" in 1992.

With Moondog Spot's retirement the following year, Lanny Keane, Jr. was brought in as Moondog Cujo to replace Moondog Spot. Smithson and Keane, Jr. would feud with The Dogcatchers and win the USWA Southern Tag Team Championships several times before Lanny Keane left to pursue a singles career as Bloody Ox Brody.[7] In 1993 he returned to Japan teaming with Moondog Splat for W*ING. Smithson disappeared soon after the split however, possibly due to health problems resulting from his weight gain. He would work occasionally in the independent circuit until his last match in 2011. He died in March 2013.[3][8]

## Championships and accomplishments[edit]

* International Championship Wrestling (New England)
* ICW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[5]
* ICW Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Moondog Spot (1) and The Dungeon Master (1)[6]
* Texas All-Star Wrestling
* Texas All-Star USA Tag Team Championship (2 times) with Mike Golden[4]
* United States Wrestling Association
* USWA World Tag Team Championship (6 times) - with Moondog Spot (3), Moondog Cujo (2) and Mike Lozansky (1)[7][9]
* Pro Wrestling Illustrated
* PWI ranked him # 150 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1992.[2]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f "Bill Smithon's profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
2. ^ a b c d e "Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500 – 1992: 150 Moondog Spike". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, United States: Sports and Entertainment publications LLC. September 24, 1992. p. 40\. October 1992.
3. ^ a b Wrestlingdata.com
4. ^ a b c "SWCW Southwest Tag Team title history". Wrestling-Titles.com.
5. ^ a b Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Boston: International Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
6. ^ a b Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Boston: International Championship Wrestling Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
7. ^ a b c Duncan, Royal; Gary Will (2006). "(Memphis, Nashville) Memphis: USWA Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 200–202. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
8. ^ "Cole & Garrett Funeral Homes and Cremation Services | Tennessee". Coleandgarrett.tributes.com. Retrieved 2013-09-30.
9. ^ "Larry Booker's profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-09-05.

## External links[edit]

* Online World of Wrestling: Bill Smithson
* Moondog Spike
* Legends: The Moondogs

* v
* t
* e

USWA World Tag Team Champions

1980s|

* Cactus Jack and Scott Braddock
* Jeff Jarrett and Matt Borne
* Mark Starr and Scott Braddock
* Robert Fuller and Brian Lee

1990s|

* 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

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