Interview with the Original Mr. Perfect: Jerry Stubbs
By Sir Lawrence Alegdrop

Jerry Stubbs has led a long and interesting career in professional wrestling. Often used as a mid-carder by promoters, he was a solid worker who rarely failed to entertain fans with good matches. As a heel, he used the moniker “Mr. Perfect” several years before Curt Henning used that nickname in the World Wrestling Federation. He was also often seen under a maskwrestling as Mr. Olympia.

Stubbs’ mainly wrestled insouthern promotions, such as Georgia, Mid-Atlantic,Mid-South, and Southeastern/Continental.Starting in the spring of 1976, Stubbs wrestled several matches for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Paul Jones (who also wrestled during that time). One interesting result shows him putting over Bob Backlund in the opening match on April 2 of that year at the Atlanta City Auditorium, according to goergiawrestlinghistory.com. This would also be a year before Backlund defeated Superstar Graham for the World Title. Stubbs actually subbed for Dino Bravo in that match, which was the card opener. Stubbs also wrestled such notables as Ricky Steamboat, Dean Ho,and Rick Martel that year in Georgia.

In 1977 and 1978 Jerry Stubbs began moving up thecard. Some common opponents in Georgia during that time were Stan “The Lariat” Hansen, “Dirty” Dick Slater, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, and even “The Madman from the Sudan” Abdullah the Butcher. In 1978 Stubbs began taking more matches in the Mid-Atlantic territory run by the Crockett family. Although Stubbs often won his matches for Mid-Atlantic, they were usually against lower card wrestlers, such as Bill White, Bob Marcus, and Frank Monte.

Then on Christmas night 1978 in New Orleans, JerryStubbs defeated Assassin #1 for the Louisiana Title for Bill Watts’ Mid-South promotion. He held the title until April 21, 1979 when he lost to Mike George also in New Orleans, but it established him as a force in the territory. Stubbs would return to Mid-South in 1982 under the hood as Mr. Olympia and would becomethe regular tag team partner of the Junkyard Dog. Olympia & JYD won the area’s tag team titles over The Wild Samoans, Afa & Sika, on May 5, 1982 in Jackson,MS. The tandem would eventually lose the titles to a team known as The Rat Pack, which consisted of Ted DiBiase & Matt Borne on October 27. Ironically, Olympia & DiBiase would eventually win the Mid-South tag team titles over Mr. Wrestling II & Tiger Conway,Jr. on April 13, 1983 in Shreveport, La. The team was then managed by Skandor Akbar. On July 24, 1983 they finally lost the tag titles to Magnum T.A. & Hacksaw Jim Duggan.

If not for his run as Mr. Olympia in Mid-South, Stubbs is perhaps best remembered as “Mr. Perfect” Jerry Stubbs in Southeastern / Continental promotions, run by Ron Fuller. In 1984 he teamed regularly with another solid mid-card worker named Arn Anderson. Together they won the area’s tag team titles in a tournament on January 15, 1984. They were managed by Sonny King at the time. But Arn Anderson & Jerry Stubbs would have a falling out, and in fact Anderson was responsible for Stubbs’ other nickname in Alabama: “Chrome Dome,” which fans often chanted to get his goat.

In 1986, Stubbs won the area’s most prestigious title, the Continental Title. He traded the title back and forth with Brad Armstrong throughout much of the year in towns like Mobile, and Birmingham, Ala. In fact, Stubbs had a hot feud with all of the Armstrong brothers during this time. He also teamed regularly with Tony Anthony (later the Dirty White Boy). Together they defeated The Nightmares, Danny Davis(not the WWF referee) and Ken Wayne on Feb. 23, 1987. They lost and regained the straps with Robert Fuller & Jimmy Golden, the company’s hottest tandem in 1987.

Also in the 1986 and 1987 timeframe, Stubbs spent some time overseas wrestling for All Japan. There he again donned the mask as Mr. Olympia, since masked wrestlers receive a lot of respect in the Orient. He teamed often with the famed mat technician Brad Rheingans and they actually won a decent number of matches together. Another regular partner was Paul Diamond, also of AWA fame. Strangely, Stubbs also wrestled occasionally under the moniker A Sheik during that time (not to be confused with The Sheik).

Currently, Jerry Stubbs still wrestles on occasion and appears at autograph signings. Recently, Stubbs wrestled Johnny Rich at a reunion show in Dothan, a former regular Gulf Coast Wrestling hot spot,according to 1wrestlinglegends.com. Although the match did not last long due to an apparent injury from Rich, Stubbs was said to be hysterical on the mic, saying things like the ring wasn’t as soft as it used to be. Which goes back to something his former tag team partner, Arn Anderson, used to say, “If you can work the stick, you will never die in this business.”(Special thanks the helpful posters at the new Kayfabe Memories message board [http://superstarbillygraham.net/forum/index.php?a=cat&]for some of the information in this biography).


WORMWOOD CHRONICLES - When and where did you get first big break in the business, i.e. your first big push? What was that like?

JERRY STUBBS - My first break was with the Fullers. I became the U S Champion and worked with Dicky Steinborne. That was in the 80's and from there I started getting noticed. I worked in one of the best places in the world. (Pensacola Fl.) In the gym in the morning, at the beach by noon, and to the shows at night.

WC - In Continental you were known as "Mr. Perfect" long before Curt Henning used that name in the WWF.Were you the first to use that nickname and how did you come to have it?

JS - Being Mr. Perfect was one of my Heel moments and I could brag about how great I was. That sure generated a lot of heat for me as a Heel. Myself and Curt Henning toured Japan together and one night over some Jack Daniels I told Curt he could use the Mr. Perfect in New York. He said he would and if he made money he would send me a bottle of Jack D. Well Curt stood good on his promise, I got my Jack D.

WC - Which character did you prefer, the heel "Mr. Perfect" or Mr. Olympia in promotions like Mid-South,and why?

JS - Mr. Olympia in Mid-south as a babyface was one of my number one times. I got to tag with Junkyard Dog and work with some of the top stars around that traveled trough Mid-South. As a Heel just being Jerry Stubbs got a lot of heat.

WC - There are lots of stories about Mid-South promoter Bill Watts. Since you worked for him, what is your opinion of him and Mid-South wrestling?

JS - When I worked for Bill Watts in the middle 80's I was treated well. We all were making money and things were hot. The territory was on fire. Bill Watts swore at everybody but he paid well.

WC - Who was your favorite promoter to work for and why?

JS - Bob (the bullet) Armstrong he was the best one to work for. He let you figure out a lot of what your matches and angles.

WC - Do you still have any involvement in the wrestling business and if so what? (trainer, working indies, reunions, etc.?)

JS - On occasions I work for Bob A. in Dothan and Linda Marx in Birmingham. (Reunions) and still take a few bumps here and there.

WC - Is there anything else you’d like to add?

JS - I owe a lot to Rocky Johnson for helping me get into the Wrestling Business, and Ole Anderson in helping me in Atlanta.

WC - Thanks again for your time.

JS - Thanks a lot signed - Mr. Olympia, Mr. Perfect and Jerry Stubbs.