SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Fred Atkins
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Fred Atkins |
REAL NAME: Fred Atkinson
BORN: Westport, New Zealand in 1910
DIED: May 14, 1988 at age 77
Kiwi Fred Atkins had success around the world as a wrestler. He had great success in Australia, and when he moved to Toronto in the 1940s, he continued his winning ways. Atkins formed a successful tag team with Ray Eckert. He retired in the 1960s, and took up wrestling refereeing. Atkins also trained wrestlers. Besides wrestling, he may be best known as a trainer for the Buffalo Sabres, and later, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Fred Atkins Photo Gallery
Feature stories
June 15, 2011
Fred Atkins was a tough man, tougher trainer
GREG OLIVER - Producer, SLAM! Wrestling
In Crystal Beach, Ontario, along the shores of Lake Erie, Fred Atkins' finishing school nearly finished off more than a few aspiring wrestlers.
But the collection of names that went through his training routine -- Tiger Jeet Singh, Adrian Adonis, Sailor Art Thomas, Giant Baba, Professor Hito -- is a testament to the fact that only the strong survive.
Full story
September 18, 1983
Age doesn't count when you're tough!
By DAN PROUDFOOT -- Toronto Sun
CRYSTAL BEACH, Ont. -- If you were to visit this Lake Erie tourist town and
for some reason arise
before the dawn and walking along Oxford St., meet Fred Atkins on his way to
the beach, your first
impression might be the same as mine or any Toronto Maple Leafs who've made
his acquaintance in the
past week: If this guy looks this baleful when he's being pleasant, what can
he be like when he's mad?
At an age somewhere on the grey side of 70, his impact is such that one
never asks what
makes his hair so black.
Full story
Memories
While I never saw Fred wrestle, I thoroughly enjoyed watching him officiate
bouts on Ringside and Maple Leaf Wrestling. Fred was a very competent ref in
the 1970's. He always kept law and order inside the squared circle. His
biggest thrill must have been to officiate the bout which took place in
(February) 1977 between Harley Race and Terry Funk. In this bout, Fred
called for the bell at the 14 minute mark as Race won the NWA World title
over Funk with an Indian deathlock hold.
As the years went by, I thought that Fred became a little disoriented in the
ring. Well into his seventies, I can remember two classic bouts from the
early 1980's that made him look incompetent. I can remember some ham and
egger attacking Outlaw Ron Bass on a tv match and about a minute and a half
later, Fred strolls into the ring as if nothing happened. Meanwhile Bass
turns the tables on this jobber and gives him a thrashing and Fred applies
his traditional slow pin.
The second good laugh Fred gave me was when he officiated a bout between Bob
Marcus and Alex Girard. Marcus went for a pin and I think Fred must have
counted to five! Even the two wrestlers were confused as to what the count
was. I remember talking to my brother who also viewed the bout and commented
that it doesn't take a genius to apply a count of three! We certainly had a
great laugh at poor Fred's expense.
All in all, Fred did an adequate job at being a ref and he did officiate
well into the late 1980's (even in bouts for the WWF at the the ol'
Gardens). Good job, Fred!
Robert B.
