Roger Kirby

At the start of his career, Roger Kirby came through the Dallas Territory in 1966. Kirby imitated Buddy Rogers using the same style and mannerisms. He was one of the better mid-card heels at that time using the backbreaker over the knee as a finisher.

Kirby feuded with Bull and Fred Curry, Zuma, Dory Dixon, Ox Baker, and Billy Red Lyons. He teamed with Louie Tillet and Blackjack Daniels to take on several combinations of babyfaces.

I saw Kirby wrestle in person on 5-30-66 in Fort Worth. He and the Mummy took on Dory Dixon and Bull Curry. Dixon pinned the Mummy for the first fall and Kirby pinned Dixon after a backbreaker to win the second fall. In the third fall, Dixon was attempting a cover on Kirby. The Mummy ran in to make the save but kicked Roger instead after Dixon moved. After the same thing happened again, Mummy ran back to the ring apron. By this time, Roger was pretty ticked off. He grabbed the top rope, jerked Mummy back in, and went back to the dressing room. Mummy was then pinned to end the match. I thought there would be a feud between Roger and the Mummy but it never materialized. I guess Mummy thought he screwed up and got what he deserved.

Kirby went on to work several territories including Portland, Kansas City, WWA, Florida, and Mobile. He was very colorful and successful.

Dory Dixon

One of the best African-American wrestlers to come through the Dallas territory in the 1960s was Dory Dixon. He was very quick and athletic and had good babyface psychology. Dory had very good comebacks after selling for the heel. His finisher was a flying body press. Many times he would jump over the ropes from the ring apron to pin an opponent.

Dory did not have any major programs but wrestled every mid-card heel in the territory. The Mummy, Jimmy Valentine, Indian Joe, Roger Kirby, Blackjack Daniels, Louie Tillet, and the Zebra Kid were among the people he wrestled at that time. He teamed with Bull Curry, Ox Baker, and Nick Kozak. He won the Texas Tag Team Titles with Kozak by defeating Louie Tillet and the Zebra Kid in a tournament. Dory also held the Texas Heavyweight Championship in 1962.

I saw Dory in person on 5-30-66 in Fort Worth. He teamed with Bull Curry to wrestle the Mummy and Roger Kirby. Dory won the first fall with the flying body press on the Mummy. Kirby pinned Dory for the second fall and Curry pinned the Mummy for the third fall.

Dory resides in Mexico now. I read in the Wrestling Observer about four years ago that Dory wrestled on occasion. That would make him in his late 60s at that time. He really must be in good shape.

Chief Billy White Wolf

Chief Billy White Wolf came through Texas in the early and mid-1960s. He was a very good baby face who was able to sell and make intense comebacks. The Texas Championship was his for about three months in 1963.

Billy had the usual American Indian gimmick moves for that era. Tomahawk chops and a war dance highlighted his comebacks. The sound of war whoops echoed in the building from the fans when the comebacks were made.

His opponents included Mark Lewin, Chris Tolos, Jack Dalton, Tim Tyler, and Killer Karl Kox. Billy teamed with Cowboy Bob Ellis in a feud with Jim and Jack Dalton.

After leaving Texas, Billy went on to the WWWF to win the tag team championship in the territory. He also went to Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest. Later, he went to the AWA as Shiek Adnan Al-Kaissie and did very well as a manger and wrestler.

White Wolf's real name is Adnan Bin Abdulkareem Ahmed Al-Kaissy El Farthie. I did not know that White Wolf and Al-Kaissie were the same person until my brother gave me a book on wrestlers in 1995. It amazed me that a person from Iraq could pass for a Native American.