[Breaking News] Playboy Buddy Rose Found Dead In Portland, OR

Legends Championship Wrestling is saddened to announce the passing of legend Playboy Buddy Rose (Paul Perschmann), who was found dead today by his wife at his home in Portland, OR. He had been having health issues related to diabetes for a while.

He wrestled primarily in the Pacific Northwest for promoters like Don Owen, but also spent time in the WWF.

Rose was trained by Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson in the early 1970s. He wrestled primarily for the AWA, WWF, and for promoter Don Owen in Pacific Northwest Wrestling.

One of the most legendary feuds in the Pacific Northwest pitted Rose against Rowdy Roddy Piper. According to Piper in his autobiography, this was the feud that really made him a name in the business, and it cemented Rose's status as an icon of the region. Rose also had a long feud with Superfly Jimmy Snuka.

While in the WWF in the early 1908s, he would often work 90 days in a row. When he had a day off, he would fly back to Portland and headline cards there. At the peak of his WWF run, he was main eventing at Madison Square Garden against Bob Backlund for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. Rose, who also had some fantastic bouts with Pedro Morales during this period, was managed by the Grand Wizard.

Rose and Doug Somers engaged in an feud with the Midnight Rockers over the AWA Tag Team Titles in 1986 and 1987. During this run, Rose was never pinned.

A consummate heel, Rose was well respected for his great ability to both work the microphone along with being a ring general. He even turned his weight gain during the later part of his career into a gimmick. When the ring announcer introduced him and listed his weight, Rose would take the microphone away from him and correct him, claiming to weigh less. This would, of course, bait the crowd into a booing frenzy. On occasion, he would also do one-handed push-ups & kip ups in the ring, and challenge other more muscular opponents to a "pose-down."

Rose was a solid all-around athlete. He was proficient at baseball, softball and hockey. In 1981, he skated against five of the fastest members of a minor league hockey team, beating one of them. (The players all went on to the NHL.)

Rose, wrestling as the masked Executioner, lost to Tito Santana in the opening match of WrestleMania 1985.

His last match took place at WrestleReunion 2005 in Tampa, FL. He competed in a six-man tag team bout pitting himself, Col. DeBeers and Bob Orton, Jr. against Jimmy Valiant, Roddy Piper and Jimmy Snuka. This was billed as Jimmy Valiant's retirement match, but Rose (who took the biggest bump of the night) retired after this as a wrestler, and only made personal appearances. He opened a wrestling training school with Wiskoski in Portland after his retirement.

Rose was known for his infamous "Blow Away Diet":



Rose was never a featured legend in Legends Championship Wrestling, not because he wasn't considered a legend but because, as one unidentified source with the company said, "We thought we'd have more time with him. There were plans to bring him in, we were just looking for the right time. Buddy Rose would have been an incredible addition to the Legends roster and we're saddened that we won't get to use him in our storylines."

Here's a great article from Slam! Wrestling on the legendary career of Playboy Buddy Rose.

http://www.playboybuddyrose.com/