Ole Anderson

Alan Robert Rogowski (September 22, 1942 – February 26, 2024), better known by the ring name Ole Anderson (/ˈoʊlɪ/), was an American professional wrestler, referee, manager and promoter. Part of the Anderson family, Anderson was a founding member of the influential stable The Four Horsemen.

Rogowski served in the United States Army. He was stationed in Germany.

American Wrestling Association (1967–1968)

Rogowski was trained to wrestle by Dick the Bruiser and Verne Gagne. He debuted on August 19, 1967 in the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based American Wrestling Association (AWA); wrestling as "Rock Rogowski", he defeated Jose Quintero in a bout in the Minneapolis Auditorium. He went on a short unbeaten streak which ended the following month when he and Mighty Igor Vodik unsuccessfully challenged Harley Race and Larry Hennig for the AWA World Tag Team Championship. In October 1967, Rogowski defeated Bob Orton for the AWA Midwest Heavyweight Championship; Orton regained the title from him the following month. In December 1967, he twice again challenged for the AWA World Tag Team Championship, teaming with Bill Watts in a pair of losses to champions Dr. Moto and Mitsu Arakawa. Rogowski wrestled regularly for the AWA until June 1968, when he moved to Jim Crockett Promotions.

Jim Crockett Promotions (1968–1970)

In mid-1968, Anderson began wrestling for the Carolinas-based Jim Crockett Promotions. Adopting the ring name Ole Anderson (a play-on-words referring to the toxic shrub oleander), he became a member of the legendary tag team called the Minnesota Wrecking Crew with his kayfabe brother Gene Anderson after Lars Anderson left the team in the late 1960s.He appeared regularly with the promotion until September 1970.

American Wrestling Association (1970–1971)

In November 1970, Anderson returned to the American Wrestling Association, readopting his "Rock Rogowski" ring name. Upon his return, he defeated Tex McKenzie to win the AWA Midwest Heavyweight Championship for a second time, losing the title to Stan Pulaski the following month. Also in November 1970, Anderson challenged his trainer Verne Gagne for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, wrestling him to a double countout. In early-1971, Anderson held the AWA Midwest Tag Team Championship on two occasions, once with The Claw and once with Ox Baker. Anderson left the AWA once more in mid-1971 to join Championship Wrestling from Florida.

Championship Wrestling from Florida (1971–1972)

In July 1971, Anderson began wrestling for the Florida-based Championship Wrestling from Florida promotion. Shortly after arriving, he formed a tag team with Ronnie Garvin, with the duo winning the vacant NWA Florida Tag Team Championship later that month. They lost the titles to the Australians (Larry O'Dea and Ron Miller) the following month. In December 1971, Anderson defeated Jack Brisco to win the NWA Florida Television Championship. His reign ended one week later when he lost to Bob Roop. Anderson wrestled regularly for Championship Wrestling from Florida until spring 1972, when he left to return to Jim Crockett Promotions.

Jim Crockett Promotions / Georgia Championship Wrestling (1972–1985)

From 1972 to 1985, Anderson wrestled primarily for Jim Crockett Promotions and Georgia Championship Wrestling. From the mid-1970s through the early 1980s, The Minnesota Wrecking Crew became synonymous with tag team wrestling in the Georgia and Mid-Atlantic territories by capturing the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship and the Mid-Atlantic territorial version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship 7 times each. The Andersons feuded with such stars as Mr. Wrestling and Mr. Wrestling II, Wahoo McDaniel, Jack Brisco, Jerry Brisco, Dusty Rhodes,Tommy Rich, Johnny Weaver, Dino Bravo, Paul Jones, Ric Flair, Greg Valentine, Ricky Steamboat, Rufus R. Jones, The Mongols, and Thunderbolt Patterson throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. Behind the scenes, Anderson was also the primary booker for GCW and also had a stint booking JCP in 1981–82. For a time he even booked both companies simultaneously, often combining both rosters for supercards which were noted for offering some of the best action in the business at that time. He later left JCP to book and wrestle for GCW full-time. When Jack and Jerry Brisco sold their majority interest in the GCW promotion to Vince McMahon, Anderson resisted the change, and joined forces with longtime NWA-sanctioned promoters Fred Ward and Ralph Freed to start a new company called Championship Wrestling from Georgia.

Jim Crockett Promotions / World Championship Wrestling (1985–1995)

The Minnesota Wrecking Crew (1985–1986)

In April 1985, Jim Crockett Promotions and Championship Wrestling from Georgia essentially merged. Anderson was teaming with Thunderbolt Patterson in GCW just as Marty Lunde was debuting in JCP as Arn Anderson. It seemed like a natural fit to put the two Andersons together, especially considering their similar facial appearance. Anderson soon turned on Thunderbolt and teamed with Arn as the Minnesota Wrecking Crew.

The Four Horsemen (1986–1987)

In 1986, Anderson became part of the original The Four Horsemen, a heel stable, with Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, and manager J. J. Dillon. During his time in the Horsemen, Anderson feuded with Magnum T. A., Dusty Rhodes, The Rock 'N Roll Express and The Road Warriors. Anderson was later kicked out of the group in favor of Lex Luger in early 1987. Anderson retired in 1987, when his son, Bryant, was starting his own amateur wrestling career. Bryant later joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW) wrestling under the ring name of Bryant Anderson.

Tag team with Lex Luger (1988)

Anderson reappeared in 1988 when he rescued Lex Luger from a beating by their former Horsemen brethren.

The Four Horsemen (1989–1990)

Anderson returned to wrestling with WCW in 1989 to reform the Four Horsemen with Flair, Arn and Sting. They quickly kicked Sting out of the group, and Anderson retired again to manage the Horsemen, who by then also included Barry Windham and Sid Vicious.

World Wide Wrestling / booking(1990–1994)

By 1990, he decided to wrestle in smaller local promotions such as World Wide Wrestling (WWW). He reformed the Minnesota Wrecking Crew with Burt Young aka “Paulie” or Paulie Anderson.He feuded with the companies top stars Enforcer Tortoriello, The Future Marcus Valentin, SRA Aluggi, and Bob Beatrice. The Wrecking Crew had three reigns as tag team champions defeating Poisoner Vitale and John Kuklinski twice and Lord of War Berry and Drill Sergeant Willams once.

In 1990, Anderson began headingthe booking committee for WCW, which was at that time beginning to phase out the use of the NWA name on its television programming. Appearing in the credits for WCW pay-per-views under his real name, Anderson was responsible for some of the more infamous creative ideas tried by WCW. Among his creations were The Black Scorpion, which was intended to be a nemesis from Sting's past. After several miscues, the Scorpion's identity was eventually revealed as Ric Flair, in a ploy to confuse Sting and force him to lose the WCW World Heavyweight Championship back to Flair. Flair indeed soon regained the title from Sting and for this, Anderson was dismissed as head booker by Herd, who despised Flair. In 1992, Anderson became a referee. After Bill Watts was ousted in 1993, Anderson temporarily took control of WCW.

When Eric Bischoff took over control of WCW in 1994, both Anderson and his son became a casualty of Bischoff's "house cleaning" when Bischoff fired Bryant while he was training at the WCW Power Plant. This prompted Anderson to call Smoky Mountain Wrestling promoter and head booker Jim Cornette to try to get his son a job. Anderson's decision to deal with Cornette, someone Bischoff was on bad terms with, on WCW property, was the factor that led to his firing. Bischoff fired Anderson over the phone, even though he spoke to Anderson face-to-face the day before. The chain of events was covered in a shoot interview by Cornette.

Retirement (1996–2024)

From that time, Anderson stayed away from the sport, but wrote a book on it titled Inside Out. He also hinted at having animosity with former partner and friend Ric Flair after criticizing him for wrestling the same kind of match for years. In his WWE biography, Flair recalled that upon returning to WCW from the WWF in 1993, Ole - who was WCW's head booker at the time - asked what good he was to WCW after losing a loser-leaves-town match with Mr. Perfect on national TV. Flair took this as a personal attack and it led to his ending their friendship. Anderson was also vocal about his personal issues with Vince McMahon, Dusty Rhodes, Michael Hayes, Paul Heyman, Eric Bischoff, Tully Blanchard, Jim Herd, Roddy Piper, and Bruiser Brody.

Rogowski had seven children, including Bryant Rogowski, who wrestled as Bryant Anderson. At the time of his death, he had been in a relationship with Marsha Cain for 22 years.

In July 2007, Gerweck.net reported that Rogowski had multiple sclerosis and had gotten worse with decreased mobility and memory loss. On February 27, 2011, it was announced that Rogowski had been nursing broken ribs due to a fall he had earlier that day, as well as a broken arm.

Rogowski died on February 26, 2024, at the age of 81.

• Inside Out: How Corporate America Destroyed Professional Wrestling (2003)

• American Wrestling Association
  • AWA Midwest Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
  • AWA Midwest Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Ox Baker (1), and The Claw (1)
• Championship Wrestling from Florida
  • NWA Florida Television Championship (1 time)
  • NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ron Garvin
• Georgia Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Columbus Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (17 times) – with Gene Anderson (7), Ivan Koloff (5), Lars Anderson (2), Rene Goulet (1), Ernie Ladd (1), and Jerry Brisco (1)
  • NWA Georgia Television Championship (2 times)
  • NWA Macon Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • NWA Macon Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Gene Anderson
  • NWA National Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Thunderbolt Patterson (1)
  • NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship (Georgia version) (1 time) – with Gene Anderson
• Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling / Jim Crockett Promotions / World Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Eastern States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • NWA National Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Arn Anderson
  • NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Gene Anderson
  • NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Gene Anderson
  • NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (8 times, inaugural) – with Gene Anderson (7), and Stan Hansen (1)
  • WCW Hall of Fame (Class of 1994)
• National Wrestling Alliance
  • NWA Hall of Fame (class of 2010)
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI Tag Team of the Year (1975, 1977) – with Gene Anderson
  • PWI ranked him #74 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
• Southeastern Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Northern Division) (1 time)
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Tag Team of the Year (1982)