One of the well-remembered characters of a bygone generation, Pampero Firpo, had passed away at the age of 89 with the news made public through his family.
Thank you to his fans, friends, and colleagues who have shared your memories, friendship, love, prayers, and support with my dad and our family. It means the world to us. God bless you. ❤️ Mary
2 Corinthians 5:8. pic.twitter.com/46kEz8YCZI— Pampero Firpo (@PFirpo1) January 9, 2020
Firpo, real name Juan Kachmanian was a well-traveled performer beginning in 1953 and having his last match 33 years later.
Originally was Argentina, he got his start in his native country, but his first big break occurred in Texas where he wrestled as Ivan the Terrible in 1957. The name ‘Pampero Firpo’ is attributed to boxing legend Jack Dempsey, who bestowed the name upon Kachmanian citing Argentine boxer Luis Angel Firpo and the concept of billing Karchmanian as his son.
In Texas, he became their heavyweight champion defeating Don Leo Jonathan in August 1957 but dropped it quickly to El Medico two weeks later in Houston.
Firpo was the name he was most famous as, although wrestled as The Missing Link for Ed Francis in Hawaii. It was there that he became the NWA Hawaii heavyweight champion in July 1969 defeating Curtis Iaukea and held it for three months before dropping it to Ripper Collins. He also captured their tag titles with partners Neff Maiava and Jim Hady.
In 1967, he became the first NWA Americas heavyweight champion in Los Angeles for promoter Mike LeBell and lost the title to Mike DiBiase, the father of Ted.
He had several stays in New York for Capitol/WWWF, feuding with Antonino Rocca and later Pedro Morales.
In Puerto Rico for the WWC, he won their heavyweight title in July 1979 from Abdullah the Butcher for a short reign that ended with Carlos Colon taking the title after the belt was held up.
He wrestled for most major territories throughout his career including for promoters Vince McMahon Sr., Jim Crockett Sr., Verne Gagne, The Sheik in Detroit – where he gained tremendous notoriety, and for Don Owen in Oregon.
Firpo is also the one credited for influencing Randy Poffo a.k.a. ‘Randy Savage’ with his famous catchphrase of ‘Oooh yeah’ that Firpo popularized.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE-ZtlVAxwA
Additional reading on Pampero Firpo:
SLAM Wrestling obit by Greg Oliver & Steven Johnson
