American professional wrestler
Thomas Erwin Zenk
(November 30, 1958 ? December 9, 2017) was an American
professional wrestler
and
bodybuilder
. He was best known for his appearances with the
World Wrestling Federation
from 1986 to 1987,
American Wrestling Association
(AWA) 1988 to 1989 and with
World Championship Wrestling
from 1989 to 1994, as well for his tours of Japan with
All Japan Pro Wrestling
.
[1]
[6]
Early life
[
edit
]
Zenk was born in
Golden Valley, Minnesota
.
[2]
He attended Robbinsdale High School in
Robbinsdale, Minnesota
. His 1976 graduating class included fellow future professional wrestlers
Brady Boone
,
Barry Darsow
,
Curt Hennig
,
Nikita Koloff
, and
Rick Rude
.
[7]
[9]
[10]
[11]
He attended the
University of Minnesota
, where he majored in speech communications.
[2]
[5]
Bodybuilding career
[
edit
]
Zenk competed as a bodybuilder. In October 1980, he competed in the "Mr. North Country" competition, placing third. In July 1981, he participated in the "Mr. Minnesota" competition, winning championships in the overall, heavyweight, and "most muscular" divisions.
[7]
Professional wrestling career
[
edit
]
Early career (1984?1986)
[
edit
]
Zenk was introduced to professional wrestling by
Road Warrior Animal
, who he met at a bodybuilding contest.
[7]
He was trained to wrestle by
Brad Rheingans
and
Eddie Sharkey
.
[5]
He debuted in early 1984 with
Mid-South Wrestling
in
Louisiana
. In mid-1984, Zenk joined the
Minneapolis, Minnesota
-based
American Wrestling Association
, where he performed as an undercard wrestler until September 1985.
[8]
He was named
Rookie of the Year
for 1984 by the
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
, tying with
Jushin Liger
.
[12]
In October 1985, Zenk joined the
Portland, Oregon
-based
Pacific Northwest Wrestling
promotion, where he received a
push
.
[8]
[12]
In December 1985, he and Scott Doring won the
NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship
. They lost the Championship to
Bobby Jaggers
and
Rip Oliver
the following month.
[13]
In the same month, Zenk defeated Jaggers for the
NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship
. He held the Championship until March 1986, when Jaggers regained it.
[14]
Between May 1985 and October 1986, Zenk also wrestled intermittently with the
Montreal
-based
Lutte Internationale
promotion in Canada, where he won the
Canadian International Tag Team Championship
with
Dan Kroffat
.
[8]
[15]
World Wrestling Federation (1986?1987)
[
edit
]
In October 1986, Zenk and Martel were signed by the
World Wrestling Federation
.
[16]
[17]
[18]
They
teamed
together as The
Can-Am Connection
. In the opening bout of
WrestleMania III
on March 29, 1987, The Can-Am Connection defeated
Don Muraco
and
Bob Orton, Jr.
[19]
The Can-Am Connection were planned to become the WWF's top
face
tag team and to win the
WWF World Tag Team Championship
, but in mid-1987 Zenk resigned from the WWF due to a pay dispute.
[12]
All Japan Pro Wrestling (1986?1989)
[
edit
]
In November and December 1986, Zenk and
Rick Martel
toured Japan with
All Japan Pro Wrestling
, competing in the annual
Real World Tag League
.
[8]
He and Martel received the World's Strongest Tag Determination League Fighting Spirit Award.
[20]
Between 1987 and 1989, Zenk made multiple tours of Japan with
All Japan Pro Wrestling
(AJPW).
American Wrestling Association (1988, 1989)
[
edit
]
Zenk returned to the American Wrestling Association to wrestle a handful of matches in early 1988. He returned again one year later. On May 1, 1988, Zenk took part in the "Battle of Breakfast Cereal", a show recorded for the
breakfast cereal
manufacturer
Kellogg's
for a sales conference in which Kelloggs-themed characters faced characters themed after
General Mills
, Kellogg's' main competitor. In the main event, Zenk and
Greg Gagne
(wrestling as "The Sales And Marketing Team") defeated
Pat Tanaka
and
Paul Diamond
(wrestling as "The Mills Brothers").
[21]
Zenk left the AWA once more later that month.
[8]
This era of The AWA (1985 to 1990) was seen for many years onward, appearing on The
ESPN
Network Television, as afternoon time-slot re-runs.
On February 7, 1989, Zenk competed in a 20-man
battle royal
for the vacant
AWA World Heavyweight Championship
in which he was the last man eliminated by the winner,
Larry Zbyszko
.
[22]
He challenged Zbyszko in several return matches before moving to WCW.
World Championship Wrestling (1989?1994)
[
edit
]
While touring with All Japan Pro Wrestling in 1989, Zenk was signed to a two year contract with
World Championship Wrestling
by president
Jim Herd
.
[7]
He debuted at Fall Brawl '89 in September 1989 under the
ring name
"The Z-Man", defeating
The Cuban Assassin
.
[2]
In 1990, Zenk formed a tag team with
Brian Pillman
. In February 1990, they won the vacant
NWA United States Tag Team Championship
, defeating
The Fabulous Freebirds
in the finals of a tournament. They went on to feud with
The Midnight Express
, who won the Championship from them in May 1990.
[23]
[24]
During this time, Zenk tore a muscle while weightlifting and took several months off to recover. He appeared more slender upon returning. Z-Man then feuded with
Arn Anderson
over the
World Television Championship
, eventually winning the title. When the promotion changed its name to World Championship Wrestling in 1991, Z-Man officially became the final NWA World Television Champion and the first WCW World Television Champion. He re-lost the title to Anderson on January 7, 1991. Later that year, Z-Man,
Dustin Rhodes
and
Big Josh
feuded with
The York Foundation
and The Fabulous Freebirds over the
World Six-Man Tag Team Championship
. Z-Man, Rhodes and Josh won the title from the Freebirds in August, and lost it to The York Foundation in October.
At
Halloween Havoc 1991
, Zenk lost to the debuting
WCW Phantom
(Who was revealed after the match to be "Ravishing" Rick Rude).
[25]
In October 1992 he also worked for
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
while under contract with WCW teaming with
Jim Neidhart
.
In 1993, Zenk teamed with
Ricky Steamboat
as "Dos Hombres" subbing for
Shane Douglas
, but was announced as Douglas.
[26]
All Japan Pro Wrestling (1994)
[
edit
]
After Zenk's release from WCW in May 1994, he participated in
All Japan Pro Wrestling
's (AJPW) Summer Action tour that July, and their Giant Series tour in September.
Late career (1994?1996)
[
edit
]
After WCW and All Japan, Zenk worked in his home state Minnesota where he worked in the independent circuit. In August 1996, Zenk joined the
American Wrestling Federation
(AWF), where he ultimately finished his career a few months later, in October.
Death
[
edit
]
Zenk died in
Robbinsdale, Minnesota
, on December 9, 2017, at the age of 59, from
atherosclerosis
and
cardiomegaly
.
[3]
[4]
He was interred at St. Nicholas Cemetery in
Carver, Minnesota
.
Championships and accomplishments
[
edit
]
- ^
The title's name was changed to the WCW World Television Championship due to WCW withdrawing from the NWA after Zenk won it, technically making him the last World Television Champion under the NWA banner and the first under the WCW banner.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
John Grasso (2014).
Historical Dictionary of Wrestling
.
Scarecrow Press
. p. 370.
ISBN
978-0-8108-7926-3
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
Kris Pope (October 4, 1989).
"Z-Man Settles in with NWA"
.
Twin Cities Wrestling Update
. Retrieved
July 8,
2019
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Obituary for Thomas Erwin Zenk"
.
Star Tribune
. January 7, 2018
. Retrieved
July 8,
2019
.
- ^
a
b
Larry Csonka (February 23, 2018).
"Tom Zenk's Cause of Death Revealed"
.
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Tim Hornbaker (2017).
Legends of Pro Wrestling: 150 Years of Headlocks, Body Slams, and Piledrivers
.
Sports Publishing
. p. 1105.
ISBN
978-1-61321-875-4
.
- ^
a
b
Dave Meltzer
(1986).
The Wrestling Observer's Who's who in Pro Wrestling
.
Wrestling Observer
. p. 136.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
Kari Williams.
"Tom Zenk, of Can-Am Connection, dies at 59"
.
Canoe.com
.
Postmedia Network
. Archived from
the original
on December 22, 2017.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Philip Kreikenbohm.
"Tom Zenk - Career"
.
Cagematch.net
. Retrieved
July 8,
2019
.
- ^
Scott Keith (2008).
Dungeon of Death: Chris Benoit and the Hart Family Curse
.
Kensington Books
. p. 165.
ISBN
978-0-8065-3562-3
.
- ^
Steven Johnson; Greg Oliver (2010).
The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels
.
ECW Press
. p. 207.
ISBN
978-1-55490-284-2
.
- ^
Dave Meltzer
;
Bret Hart
(2004).
Tributes II: Remembering More of the World's Greatest Professional Wrestlers
.
Sports Publishing
. p. 52.
ISBN
978-1-58261-817-3
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Dave Meltzer
(December 17, 2017).
"Tom Zenk passes away at 59 years old"
.
F4WOnline.com
. Retrieved
July 8,
2019
.
- ^
a
b
Royal Duncan; Gary Will (2006). "(Oregon & Washington) Portland: NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title".
Wrestling Title Histories
. Archeus Communications. pp. 315?317.
ISBN
0-9698161-5-4
.
- ^
a
b
Royal Duncan; Gary Will (2006). "(Oregon & Washington) Portland: NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title".
Wrestling Title Histories
. Archeus Communications. pp. 317?320.
ISBN
0-9698161-5-4
.
- ^
a
b
"International Wrestling International Tag Team Title [Quebec]"
. Wrestling-Titles.com
. Retrieved
June 20,
2015
.
- ^
Dave Meltzer
(July 2003).
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
.
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
.
- ^
Steven Johnson; Greg Oliver; Mike Mooneyham (2013).
The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: Heroes and Icons
.
ECW Press
. p. 634.
ISBN
978-1-77090-269-5
.
- ^
Pat Laprade; Bertrand Hebert (2013).
Mad Dogs, Midgets and Screw Jobs: The Untold Story of How Montreal Shaped the World of Wrestling
.
ECW Press
. p. 1992.
ISBN
978-1-77090-296-1
.
- ^
Brian Shields (2010).
Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s
.
Simon & Schuster
. p. 89.
ISBN
978-1-4516-0467-2
.
- ^
a
b
"Real Word Tag League 1986"
.
PuroLove.com
. Retrieved
July 8,
2019
.
- ^
Art O'Donnell (March 15, 2019).
"Induction: Battle of the Breakfast Cereal - a total® debacle"
.
WrestleCrap
. Retrieved
July 10,
2019
.
- ^
Gary Will; Royal Duncan (1994). "United States: 19th century & widely defended titles - NWA, WWF, AWA, IWA, ECW: AWA World Heavyweight Title".
Wrestling Title Histories
(3 ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 23.
ISBN
0-9698161-1-1
.
- ^
a
b
Scott Keith (1 November 2008).
Dungeon of Death:: Chris Benoit and the Hart Family Curse
.
Kensington Books
. p. 71.
ISBN
978-0-8065-3562-3
.
- ^
Scott E. Williams (2006).
Hardcore History: The Extremely Unauthorized Story of ECW
.
Sports Publishing
. p. 85.
ISBN
978-1-59670-021-5
.
- ^
R. D. Reynolds
; Bryan Alvarez (1 October 2014).
The Death of WCW: 10th Anniversary Edition of the Bestselling Classic - Revised and Expanded
.
ECW Press
. p. 48.
ISBN
978-1-77090-642-6
.
- ^
Harris M. Lentz III (2015).
Biographical Dictionary of Professional Wrestling, 2d ed
.
McFarland & Company
. p. 331.
ISBN
978-1-4766-0505-0
.
- ^
Gary Will; Royal Duncan (1994). "United States: 19th century & widely defended titles - NWA, WWF, AWA, IWA, ECW: NWA Television Title".
Wrestling Title Histories
(3 ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 23.
ISBN
0-9698161-1-1
.
- ^
Gary Will; Royal Duncan (1994). "United States: 19th century & widely defended titles - NWA, WWF, AWA, IWA, ECW: NWA United States Tag Team Title".
Wrestling Title Histories
(3 ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 23.
ISBN
0-9698161-1-1
.
- ^
Gary Will; Royal Duncan (1994). "United States: 19th century & widely defended titles - NWA, WWF, AWA, IWA, ECW: WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Title".
Wrestling Title Histories
(3 ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 23.
ISBN
0-9698161-1-1
.
External links
[
edit
]
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JCP
(1986?1988)
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WCW
(1988?1992)
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