205:
Determining that professional wrestling would be more lucrative (and in part because of his diminutive stature - estimates of his height ranged from between 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 9 inches), he switched to wrestling and spent nine years touring the United States and Japan, primarily as a
853:
357:
858:
257:
at events throughout the Reno area in his later life. He died
September 23, 2014, at the age of 80 following a brief illness. He had at least two wives and three children.
322:
318:
242:
893:
888:
556:
289:
285:
222:
848:
833:
863:
843:
828:
299:
295:
226:
878:
868:
883:
253:
By 1967, Manoukian had retired into a life of real estate and business investment. His outgoing and humorous personality made him popular as a
189:(class of 1957), Manoukian played professional football for the Salinas Packers of the Pacific Football Conference in 1958 and with the
758:
549:
342:
338:
768:
658:
643:
485:
418:
445:
388:
873:
838:
653:
598:
29:
693:
312:
217:
Don the
Bruiser, he won several championships as both a singles wrestler and a tag team wrestler. He won several titles in
542:
370:
663:
570:
279:
218:
381:
478:
Wrestling Title
Histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present
194:
449:
267:
162:
230:
628:
823:
818:
423:
254:
186:
131:
111:
54:
534:
698:
618:
481:
158:
207:
182:
106:
565:
190:
142:
529:
453:
797:
748:
723:
708:
688:
613:
245:
and the Los
Angeles version of the NWA International Television Tag Team Championship.
812:
773:
673:
668:
638:
633:
608:
583:
783:
753:
743:
733:
728:
170:
77:
501:
788:
778:
713:
678:
303:
234:
703:
648:
623:
603:
593:
326:
238:
763:
683:
588:
214:
166:
28:
738:
476:
Will, Gary; Duncan, Royal (2000). "Texas: NWA Texas
Heavyweight Title ".
358:
List of gridiron football players who became professional wrestlers
538:
854:
Players of
American football from Merced County, California
480:. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. pp. 268–269.
371:
Reno's Don
Manoukian, ex-Oakland Raider, dies at 80
138:
127:
122:
117:
105:
97:
89:
84:
73:
61:
50:
35:
319:WWA International Television Tag Team Championship
243:WWA International Television Tag Team Championship
16:American football player and wrestler (1934–2014)
382:Ex-Raider, wrestler Manoukian dies in Reno at 80
369:Ray Hagar and Guy Clifton (September 24, 2014).
859:Players of American football from Reno, Nevada
286:NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship
550:
8:
21:
412:
410:
408:
406:
404:
296:NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship
227:NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship
157:(June 9, 1934 – September 23, 2014) was an
557:
543:
535:
27:
20:
894:20th-century male professional wrestlers
400:
389:Manoukian shunned football for 'rasslin
380:Associated Press (September 24, 2014).
889:Professional wrestlers from California
417:Mooneyham, Mike (September 28, 2014).
419:"WWE not faring well in numbers game"
302:) - with Kurt von Poppenheim (1) and
7:
849:Sportspeople from Merced, California
834:American male professional wrestlers
864:American people of Armenian descent
844:Stanford Cardinal football players
829:American football offensive guards
387:Oliver, Greg (September 7, 2006).
339:NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship
14:
261:Championships and accomplishments
233:in 1959 and two years later with
213:Occasionally wrestling under the
93:5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
879:American Football League players
869:Sportspeople of Armenian descent
237:. He also regularly teamed with
884:NWA Texas Heavyweight Champions
395:. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
384:. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
377:. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
225:in 1964. Previously he won the
313:Worldwide Wrestling Associates
197:team's inaugural 1960 season.
1:
502:"NWA Texas Heavyweight Title"
201:Professional wrestling career
572:1960 inaugural season roster
241:, with whom he won both the
530:Manoukian's NFL.com profile
280:Pacific Northwest Wrestling
219:Pacific Northwest Wrestling
910:
579:
148:
101:242 lb (110 kg)
26:
223:Heavyweight Championship
195:American Football League
177:American football career
74:Place of death
51:Place of birth
874:Reno High School alumni
839:Oakland Raiders players
62:Date of death
36:Date of birth
450:Cauliflower Alley Club
334:Southwest Sports, Inc.
268:Cauliflower Alley Club
163:professional wrestler
424:The Post and Courier
375:Reno Gazette Journal
273:Men's honoree (1997)
255:master of ceremonies
231:Kurt von Poppenheim
193:as a member of the
187:Stanford University
155:Donald J. Manoukian
132:San Francisco 49ers
23:
456:on August 19, 2014
85:Career information
65:September 23, 2014
55:Merced, California
806:
805:
619:Donnis Churchwell
229:twice, once with
159:American football
152:
151:
901:
573:
568:
559:
552:
545:
536:
517:
516:
514:
512:
506:Wrestling-Titles
498:
492:
491:
472:
466:
465:
463:
461:
452:. Archived from
442:
436:
435:
433:
431:
414:
221:, including the
183:Reno High School
68:
45:
43:
31:
24:
909:
908:
904:
903:
902:
900:
899:
898:
809:
808:
807:
802:
793:
575:
571:
567:Oakland Raiders
566:
563:
526:
521:
520:
510:
508:
500:
499:
495:
488:
475:
473:
469:
459:
457:
446:"2014 finishes"
444:
443:
439:
429:
427:
416:
415:
402:
366:
354:
263:
251:
203:
191:Oakland Raiders
179:
143:Oakland Raiders
66:
41:
39:
17:
12:
11:
5:
907:
905:
897:
896:
891:
886:
881:
876:
871:
866:
861:
856:
851:
846:
841:
836:
831:
826:
821:
811:
810:
804:
803:
801:
800:
798:Eddie Erdelatz
791:
786:
781:
776:
771:
766:
761:
759:Billy Reynolds
756:
751:
749:Charley Powell
746:
741:
736:
731:
726:
724:Nyle McFarlane
721:
716:
711:
709:Tom Louderback
706:
701:
696:
691:
689:Jack Larscheid
686:
681:
676:
671:
666:
661:
656:
651:
646:
641:
636:
631:
626:
621:
616:
614:Carmen Cavalli
611:
606:
601:
596:
591:
586:
580:
577:
576:
564:
562:
561:
554:
547:
539:
533:
532:
525:
524:External links
522:
519:
518:
493:
486:
467:
437:
399:
398:
397:
396:
385:
378:
365:
362:
361:
360:
353:
350:
349:
348:
347:
346:
331:
330:
329:
309:
308:
307:
293:
276:
275:
274:
262:
259:
250:
247:
202:
199:
181:An alumnus of
178:
175:
150:
149:
146:
145:
140:
136:
135:
129:
125:
124:
120:
119:
118:Career history
115:
114:
109:
103:
102:
99:
95:
94:
91:
87:
86:
82:
81:
75:
71:
70:
69:(aged 80)
63:
59:
58:
52:
48:
47:
37:
33:
32:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
906:
895:
892:
890:
887:
885:
882:
880:
877:
875:
872:
870:
867:
865:
862:
860:
857:
855:
852:
850:
847:
845:
842:
840:
837:
835:
832:
830:
827:
825:
822:
820:
817:
816:
814:
799:
796:
792:
790:
787:
785:
782:
780:
777:
775:
774:Bill Striegel
772:
770:
767:
765:
762:
760:
757:
755:
752:
750:
747:
745:
742:
740:
737:
735:
732:
730:
727:
725:
722:
720:
719:Don Manoukian
717:
715:
712:
710:
707:
705:
702:
700:
699:Billy Locklin
697:
695:
692:
690:
687:
685:
682:
680:
677:
675:
674:Al Hoisington
672:
670:
669:Wayne Hawkins
667:
665:
662:
660:
659:Charlie Hardy
657:
655:
652:
650:
647:
645:
644:George Fields
642:
640:
639:Bob Dougherty
637:
635:
634:John Dittrich
632:
630:
627:
625:
622:
620:
617:
615:
612:
610:
609:Joe Cannavino
607:
605:
602:
600:
597:
595:
592:
590:
587:
585:
584:Ray Armstrong
582:
581:
578:
574:
569:
560:
555:
553:
548:
546:
541:
540:
537:
531:
528:
527:
523:
507:
503:
497:
494:
489:
487:0-9698161-5-4
483:
479:
471:
468:
455:
451:
447:
441:
438:
426:
425:
420:
413:
411:
409:
407:
405:
401:
394:
390:
386:
383:
379:
376:
372:
368:
367:
363:
359:
356:
355:
351:
344:
340:
337:
336:
335:
332:
328:
324:
320:
317:
316:
315:
314:
310:
305:
301:
297:
294:
291:
287:
284:
283:
282:
281:
277:
272:
271:
270:
269:
265:
264:
260:
258:
256:
249:Personal life
248:
246:
244:
240:
236:
232:
228:
224:
220:
216:
211:
209:
200:
198:
196:
192:
188:
184:
176:
174:
172:
169:descent from
168:
164:
160:
156:
147:
144:
141:
137:
133:
130:
126:
121:
116:
113:
110:
108:
104:
100:
96:
92:
88:
83:
79:
76:
72:
64:
60:
56:
53:
49:
38:
34:
30:
25:
22:Don Manoukian
19:
794:
784:Dalton Truax
754:Gene Prebola
744:Babe Parilli
734:Paul Oglesby
729:Riley Morris
718:
654:Al Goldstein
599:Larry Barnes
509:. Retrieved
505:
496:
477:
470:
458:. Retrieved
454:the original
440:
428:. Retrieved
422:
393:Slam! Sports
392:
374:
333:
311:
278:
266:
252:
212:
204:
180:
171:Reno, Nevada
154:
153:
78:Reno, Nevada
67:(2014-09-23)
46:June 9, 1934
18:
824:2014 deaths
819:1934 births
795:Head Coach:
789:Ron Warzeka
779:Tony Teresa
714:Eddie Macon
694:Paul Larson
679:L.C. Joyner
664:John Harris
629:Don Deskins
304:Shag Thomas
235:Shag Thomas
813:Categories
769:J.D. Smith
704:Billy Lott
649:Tom Flores
624:Wayne Crow
604:Alex Bravo
594:Joe Barbee
460:October 3,
430:October 3,
364:References
327:Dick Beyer
239:Dick Beyer
161:guard and
107:US college
42:1934-06-09
764:Ron Sabal
684:Bob Keyes
589:Doug Asad
511:March 30,
325:) - with
215:ring name
123:As player
739:Jim Otto
352:See also
167:Armenian
112:Stanford
300:2 times
484:
343:1 time
323:1 time
290:1 time
98:Weight
90:Height
80:, U.S.
57:, U.S.
513:2017
482:ISBN
462:2014
432:2014
208:heel
185:and
139:1960
128:1958
306:(1)
165:of
815::
504:.
448:.
421:.
403:^
391:.
373:.
210:.
173:.
558:e
551:t
544:v
515:.
490:.
474:*
464:.
434:.
345:)
341:(
321:(
298:(
292:)
288:(
134:*
44:)
40:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.