The Deplorable Buck Zumhofe
We now live in an age where shows like Dark Side Of The Ring, wrestling podcasts and shoot interviews have given us unprecedented insight into the wrestling business and the people that populate it. And for whatever reason, we usually take the most interest in the horrible events and people. This brings us to today’s subject, former wrestler Eugene “Buck” Zumhofe.
In the mid-1970s, before the big boom of “rock n’ wrestling” launched the business into the stratosphere, Zumhofe trained to become a professional wrestler at one of the most prolific training facilities of the era in Minnesota under the tutelage of Verne Gagne. In the same place, names like Ric Flair, The Iron Sheik, Ricky Steamboat and countless others learned to ply their trade. Soon enough, he would begin wrestling for Verne’s American Wrestling Association (AWA), becoming known for his light-heavyweight stylings and always carrying a boom box, in many ways helping predate the forthcoming “rock n’ wrestling” connection.
His early days in AWA s him mixing it up with a who’s who of future stars, including Dick Blood (Ricky Steamboat wrestling under his real name), Nick Bockwinkel, Bobby Heenan, Blackjack Lanza, ‘High Chief’ Peter Maivia (yes, The Rock’s grandfather) and even Lord Alfred Hayes! Of course, given how the business ran back in that era, none of his contemporaries could have possibly understood the depths of depravity within the boombox-carrying young wrestler.
Over the next few years, Zumhofe would jump around from the AWA, also appearing for Sam Muchnick’s St. Louis NWA affiliate, wrestling in the historic Chase Plaza Hotel on the highly-rated Wrestling From The Chase. Zumhofe became somewhat of a journeyman, travelling across the United States and Canada before landing for a spell in Dallas’ World Class Championship Wrestling. He would link up with the eternally underrated Iceman King Parsons, dubbing themselves the Rock n’ Soul Connection. The duo would see moderate success in the territory, capturing the Tag Team Championships twice. Completing his run through the Texas territory, Zumhofe would soon return ‘home’ to the AWA, looking to use his gathered experience over the years for a singles run once again.
Battling back and forth with his old rival Steve Regal (no, not that one), he captured the AWA Light Heavyweight Championship, a title he had held once years earlier. Unfortunately for Zumhofe, the title was soon vacated when Eugene Zumhofe was convicted of sexual misconduct involving a minor. Yet, despite this monstrous charge and serving jail time, Zumhofe would continue to work for the AWA throughout 1987.
By 1989 with the charges in his rearview, Zumhofe would begin working semi-regularly as an enhancement talent for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), doing the honors for both singles wrestlers and tag teams such as Demolition, Rick Rude and Ted DiBiase. In 1989, Zumhofe again found himself in court for a “fourth-degree sexual misconduct with a minor” conviction. Unlike his previous charge, this one saw a more substantial punishment, with Zumhofe now serving 36 months of jail time.
In what can only be described as an indictment on the wrestling business at the time, upon his release from prison, Zumhofe would once again find himself employed in the wrestling business semi-regularly.
While he thankfully never rose back up to his previous prominence, which would likely have allowed him more opportunities to victimize more people, he somehow continued to appear for different wrestling companies, including the WWF, where he remained on periodic jobber duty. Perhaps the most notable appearance he had on this second-post conviction jaunt would be the first person to lose a match to Hunter Hearst-Helmsley, a new fresh face in the WWF having jumped over from WCW.
Perhaps sensing that most of his wrestling career was over as the last of the territories shuttered down over the preceding years, Zumhofe launched his promotion, basing the name around his old rock n’ roll gimmick, fittingly titled Rock & Roll Wrestling. The territory ran in many old AWA hot spots but was never destined to be more than a vanity project for Zumhofe.
The entire time that Rock & Roll Wrestling was running, however, Zumhofe was sickeningly sexually abusing his teenage daughter for years. As was discovered upon his arrest in 2013, he had been sexually tormenting her from 1999 through 2011. One can only imagine the torture this poor girl endured for over a decade before Zumhofe was finally brought to justice. While he was finally arrested in May of 2013 for the abuses, he was not convicted until early the following year, in March of 2014.
Zumhofe was found guilty and convicted of all charges before he somehow thought it would be a good idea to try and make a run for it. Thankfully, the deranged fiend was no Ted Bundy and didn’t make it very far before being taken down and further charged with escaping custody. Zumhofe was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his crimes only a few months later.
While undoubtedly a drop in the bucket of the torment and pain he caused, one could take solace in the fact that he would surely spend the rest of his life behind bars, as he was already in his 60s at the time of conviction. And given his deplorable crimes, his life ending rotting in a prison cell is too good for him.
Editor’s Note: RAINN is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE, online.rainn.org y rainn.org/es) in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers nationwide and operates the DoD Safe Helpline for the Department of Defense. RAINN also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence, help survivors, and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.
The Signature Spot donated to RAINN in publishing this article.
