Tim Woods

George Burrell "Tim" Woodin, (July 28, 1934-November 30, 2002) better known as "Mr. Wrestling" Tim Woods, was an accomplished American amateur and professional wrestler.

Career[]

Began his wrestling career at the age of 29 using the name Tim Woods. He was given the name "Mr. Wrestling" by Nebraska promotor Joe Dusek. Mr Wrestling became a major superstar in the Georgia, Florida, Texas & Mid-Atlantic territories. He had his final match in 1983, teaming up with Mr. Wrestling II against the Road Warriors.

Woodin was involved in the same 1975 plane crash that involved pilot Joseph Michael Farkas (he was put in a coma and died the next year), wrestling legend Johnny Valentine (broke his back and bone fragments inpacted into his spinal cord, which ended his career), wrestler Bob Bruggers (broke his back and had a steel rod put in; Bruggers could have made a comeback, but he decided to retire), future legend Ric Flair (broke his back, but recovered and returned to wrestling), and JCP announcer David Crockett. At the hospital, Woodin gave them his real name (George Burrell Woodin), and told them that he was a promoter. Since Woodin wrestled under the name Tim Woods, a newspaper article in the Charlotte Observer listed his name as his real name, George Burrell Woodin, and mentioned that he was a promoter.

Woodin was the only babyface wrestler on the plane, while the rest wrestled as heels, and this was back in the days when kayfabe was not broken (at the time, Woods was feuding with Flair and Valentine). Eventually, rumors began circulating that Tim Woods WAS in fact on the plane. Unwilling to risk the exposure of professional wrestling, he got back in the ring 2 weeks after the crash and was obviously in extreme pain. Ric Flair later said in his book "To Be the Man", that he was more than just 'Mr. Wrestling' that day, he was the man who saved wrestling. Woodin eventually returned to wrestling but retired shortly thereafter.

On November 30, 2002, Tim "Mr. Wrestling" Woods, died from a heart attack at his home in Charlotte, North Carolina at the age of 68.

Outside of Pro Wrestling[]

Tim Woodin earned an Agricultural Engineering degree at Cornell University and a Mechanical Engineering degree at Michigan State University. He was an accomplished amateur wrestler at Michigan State University and had a very strong amateur wrestling background.

He was an avid collector of motorcycles as well as an accomplished photographer and saxophone player. Woods also ran a heating and air conditioning business after retiring from the ring.

Championships and accomplishments[]

Amateur wrestling[]

Amateur Athletic Union
- AAU National Championship (1955, 1957)
Big Ten Conference
- Big Ten Conference Championship (1958, 1959)

Professional wrestling[]

All Japan Pro Wrestling
- Champion Carnival Technique Award (1975)
- World's Strongest Tag Determination League Fighting Spirit Award (1979) - with The Masked Strangler