Revision 115499370 of "Benutzer:Van'Dhunter/Larry Zbyszko" on dewiki

{{Infobox Wrestler
|name=Larry Zbyszko
|image=Replace this image male.svg
|names='''Larry Zbyszko'''
|height={{height|ft=5|in=9}}
|weight={{convert|233|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1953|12|5}}
|death_date=
|birth_place=[[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]]
|death_date=
|death_place=
|resides=[[Avalon Park, Florida]]
|billed=[[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]
|trainer=[[Bruno Sammartino]]<br>[[Newton Tattrie]]
|debut=1973
|retired=
}}
'''Lawrence "Larry" Whistler''' (born December 5, 1953) is a [[Professional wrestling|professional wrestler]], better known by his [[ring name]], '''Larry Zbyszko'''. Zbyszko is perhaps best known for his feud with his mentor, wrestling legend [[Bruno Sammartino]] during the early 1980s.

Zbyszko's ring name has in the past been misspelled '''Zbysko''' or '''Zybysko'''. The correct spelling of the name, Zbyszko, is derived from the name of Polish wrestler [[Stanislaus Zbyszko]].

==Wrestling career==
===Early career and the World Wide Wrestling Federation (1973–1981)===
Whistler trained under Bruno Sammartino and debuted in 1973 as the [[Face (professional wrestling)|babyface]] "Larry Zbyszko", with his name a tribute to 1920s [[Polish American]] wrestler [[Stanislaus Zbyszko]]. He initially wrestled in the Pittsburgh area, appearing on the local wrestling program [[Studio Wrestling]], before receiving [[List of professional wrestling terms#B|bookings]] in [[Vancouver]]. He spent three years in the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wide Wrestling Federation]] before travelling to [[California]] in 1975. 

Zbyszko was one of the attractions in the 1976 Latin America Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight championship, held in [[Guatemala City]], under Jose Azzari promotions. Three days after the end of the tournament ([[Mil Máscaras]] won the title, defeating Jose Azzari in the final), an earthquake destroyed much of that Central American nation.

Zbyszko returned to the WWWF in 1976 and formed a [[tag team]] with [[Anthony Garcia|Tony Garea]], with whom he won the [[World Tag-Team Championship|WWWF World Tag Team Championships]] on November 21, 1978 in [[Allentown, Pennsylvania]]. Their reign lasted until March 6, 1979, when they were defeated by the Valiant brothers in Allentown. 

Zbyszko feuded with [[Bugsy McGraw]], [[Abdullah the Butcher]] and [[Billy Graham (wrestler)|"Superstar" Billy Graham]] in addition to wrestling [[Wladek Kowalski|Killer Kowalski]] and [[Mikel Scicluna|Baron Mikel Scicluna]]. In 1978 he summarized his mat-based ringwork with the statement, "I just believe in science over brawn".

At the end of the decade, Zbyszko became frustrated with his inability to shed his label as Bruno Sammartino's protégé. He challenged Sammartino to an exhibition match, claiming this was the only way he could step out of Sammartino's shadow. Sammartino eventually agreed to the match after Zbyszko threatened to [[retirement|retire]] if he was not granted the match. The trainer and pupil faced one another in Allentown on January 22, 1980, with Sammartino dominating the early stages of the match. After Sammartino threw him out of the ring, an irate Zbyszko seized a [[wood]]en [[chair]] and struck Sammartino, leaving him in a [[Blading (professional wrestling)|pool of blood]] in the middle of the ring and instantly [[List of professional wrestling terms#T|turning]] Zbyszko into a reviled [[Heel (professional wrestling)|heel]]. So despised was Zbyszko by partisan Sammartino fans in the [[Northeastern United States|northeast]] that his [[Automobile|car]] was repeatedly damaged and [[Taxicab|taxis]] in which he was travelling were overturned by fans. Zbyszko was struck with an [[iron]] pole following a match with [[Ivan Putski]], and was [[Stabbing|stabbed]] in the [[Buttocks|buttock]] following a match with [[Pedro Morales]] in the [[Washington Avenue Armory]] in [[Albany, New York]]. After turning against Sammartino, Zbyszko was approached by the WWWF's "Unholy Trio" of managers ([[Fred Blassie]], [[Ernie Roth|The Grand Wizard]], and [[Lou Albano|"Captain" Lou Albano]]), but he decided to continue wrestling without a manager.   Sammartino and Zbyszko fought one another repeatedly in a lengthy [[Feud (professional wrestling)|feud]] that stretched throughout 1980. In the course of the feud, Zbyszko began referring to himself as "The New Living Legend" (a reference to Sammartino, who was often addressed as "The Living Legend"). The feud culminated in a [[Professional wrestling match types#Cages|steel cage match]] at ''[[Showdown at Shea]]'' at [[Shea Stadium]] in [[Flushing, New York]] on August 9, 1980 that saw Sammartino defeat Zbyszko in front of an audience of 36,295.

===National Wrestling Alliance (1981–1983)===
Zbyszko left the WWWF in 1981 and feuded with Bruno's son [[David Sammartino|David]] on the [[independent circuit]]. He eventually joined the [[Georgia Championship Wrestling]] territory of the [[National Wrestling Alliance]], where he began claiming to have retired Bruno Sammartino (Sammartino had retired from full-time competition in 1981). Zbyszko initially feuded with [[Tim Woods (wrestler)|Tim Woods]] and [[Paul Orndorff]], whom he was unable to defeat for the [[NWA National Heavyweight Championship]]. After [[Killer Tim Brooks]] defeated Orndorff for the title on March 20, 1983, Zybszko immediately offered him [[United States dollar|$]]25,000 for the title, which Brooks accepted. His reign lasted until April 30 of that year, when NWA President [[Bob Geigel]] stripped Zbyszko of the title due to the manner in which he had acquired it. A tournament was held for the vacant title, which Zbyszko entered. He defeated [[Mr. Wrestling II]] in the tournament final on May 6, 1983 in [[Atlanta, Georgia]] to regain the title. His second reign lasted until September 25, 1983, when he lost to [[Brett Woyan|Brett Wayne]] in Atlanta.

===American Wrestling Association (1984–1987)===
In 1984, Zbyszko joined the [[Minneapolis, Minnesota]]-based [[American Wrestling Association]]. He was awarded the newly-created [[AWA America's Championship]] in January 1985, and engaged in a lengthy feud with [[Sgt. Slaughter]], who defeated him for the title on June 21, 1985 in [[Chicago, Illinois]]. Throughout the feud, Zbyszko drew the ire of fans by fleeing the ring and stalling for minutes at a time whenever Slaughter gained an advantage (in an April 2004 interview, Zbyszko claimed that the longest he ever stalled for was sixteen minutes).

Zbyszko feuded with [[Nick Bockwinkel]] throughout 1986, losing to him in a [[Professional wrestling match types#Texas death match|Texas death match]] at ''[[Rage in a Cage]]'' on April 28, 1986. In the course of the feud, he also vied with Bockwinkel's ally [[Ray Stevens (wrestler)|Ray Stevens]] and [[Boxing|boxer]] [[Scott LeDoux]]. Zybszko lost to LeDoux in a [[Professional wrestling match types#Boxing match|boxing match]] at ''[[WrestleRock '86]]'' on April 20, 1986 and fought him to a double count out at ''[[Battle by the Bay]]'' on June 28, 1986. 

On May 2, 1987, Zbyszko helped [[Curt Hennig]] defeat [[Nick Bockwinkel]] for the [[AWA World Heavyweight Championship]] by handing him a roll of [[Dime (U.S. coin)|dimes]] to knock Bockwinkel out with. He was [[Suspension (punishment)|suspended]] "for life" by the AWA as a result of an assault on Bockwinkel during Bockwinkel's rematch with Hennig in July 1987. As Bockwinkel retired shortly after the incident, Zbyszko began claiming to have retired both Bockwinkel and Bruno Sammartino.

===National Wrestling Alliance (1987–1989)===
In 1987, Zbyszko joined [[Jim Crockett Promotions]], where he was [[Manager (professional wrestling)|managed]] by [[Nickla Roberts|Baby Doll]]. He began feuding with [[Barry Windham]], and on January 24, 1988 in [[Uniondale, New York]] he defeated Windham for the [[NWA Western States Heritage Championship]]. After Baby Doll left Zbyszko he gained a new manager in [[Gary Hart (wrestler)|Gary Hart]], who placed him in a tag team with [[Al Perez]]. Perez and Zbyszko feuded with [[Kendall Windham]] and [[Dustin Rhodes]].

It was also during this time that Hart was asking for NWA World Title shots for both Zbyszko and Perez. It was claimed by Hart and even announcer [[Jim Ross]] that Zbyszko and Perez both had the ability to beat Flair for the title, but neither received title shots and the NWA quickly dropped the overtures. Crockett Promotions was under new ownership and both Zbyszko and Perez were essentially left with out an angle.  Zbyszko signed with the AWA in February 1989 and the NWA Western States Heritage Championship, which Zbyszko still held at that point, was subsequently retired.

===American Wrestling Association (1989–1990)===
Zbyszko took part in an eighteen-man [[battle royal (professional wrestling)|battle royal]] in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]] on February 7, 1989 to fill the vacant [[AWA World Heavyweight Championship]]. By stalling and avoiding confrontations with other wrestlers, Zbyszko was able to remain in the match until only two men remained: himself and [[Tom Zenk]]. The two men fought for several minutes. When Zenk went for a pin, referee [[Gary DeRusha]] inexplicably entered the ring to make the count.  Zbyszko kicked out and the two continued in what now appeared to be a conventional wrestling match. DeRusha ended up taking a bump and was unable to make the three count when Zenk covered  Zbyszko for the pin. As DeRusha slowly recovered, Zenk continued to dominate the match. As he attempted a [[Professional wrestling attacks#Crossbody|flying body press]], however, Zbyszko managed to catch him in mid-air and deliver a [[Professional wrestling throws#Fallaway slam|fallaway slam]], throwing him over the top rope and to the ground below. Zbyszko was thus the new AWA World Heavyweight Champion.

Early in his title reign, Zbyszko would feud with [[Wahoo McDaniel]] and [[Sgt. Slaughter]]. He would face Greg Gagne on June 23, 1989 at ''[[War in the Windy City]]'', and [[David Sammartino]], who he defeated at the ''Tri-State Winter Challenge'' on January 27, 1990. He then began feuding with [[Masa Saito|Mr. Saito]], who defeated him for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship on February 10, 1990 in the [[Tokyo Dome]] during a tour of [[Japan]]. Zbyszko regained the title at ''[[SuperClash 4]]'' on April 8, 1990, in Saint Paul and successfully defended it against [[Del Wilkes|The Trooper]], [[Brad Rheingans]], and [[Nikita Koloff]] (who he defeated on May 5, 1990 at ''[[Twin Wars '90]]'') toward the end of his reign. He was stripped of the title after leaving the AWA for [[World Championship Wrestling]] on December 12, 1990, and the AWA declared [[bankruptcy]] in 1991.

===World Championship Wrestling (1990–2001)===
In December 1990, Zbyszko returned to the NWA. Zbyszko initially teamed with [[Terry Taylor|Terrence Taylor]], a member of the [[York Foundation]], but was not recruited to the [[List of professional wrestling terms#S|stable]]. Zbyszko was paired with [[Arn Anderson]] as the [[Enforcers]] in the late summer of 1991. After [[Scott Steiner]], one-half of the [[WCW World Tag Team Championship|WCW World Tag Team Champions]], was injured, the titles were vacated on July 18, 1991, and placed on the line in an eight man tag team tournament. The tournament finals were held on September 5, 1991 at ''[[Clash of Champions#Clash of the Champions XVI: Fall Brawl|Clash of the Champions XVI: Fall Brawl]]'' and pitted the Enforcers against [[Rick Steiner]] and [[Bill Kazmeier]]. At the outset of the event, the Enforcers struck Kazmeier with a weight during a [[Powerlifting|weightlifting]] demonstration, injuring his [[rib]]s. This enabled them to defeat Steiner and Kazmeier for the titles in the main event.

At [[Halloween Havoc]], The Enforcers began feuding with [[Barry Windham]] and [[Dustin Rhodes]], and broke Windham's hand by slamming the door of his car on his hand. Following this act, Zbyszko gave himself the [[sobriquet]] the "'''Cruncher'''". Windham was replaced by [[Ricky Steamboat]], and at ''[[Clash of Champions#Clash of the Champions XVII|Clash of the Champions XVII]]'' on November 19, 1991 in [[Savannah, Georgia]], the Enforcers lost the titles to Steamboat and Rhodes.

In December 1991, the Enforcers joined [[Paul Heyman|Paul E. Dangerously's]]  [[Dangerous Alliance]], which also included [[Richard Rood|Rick Rude]], [[Stone Cold Steve Austin|"Stunning" Steve Austin]], [[Bobby Eaton]] and [[Debra Miceli|Madusa]]. They feuded with Ricky Steamboat, Dustin Rhodes, Barry Windham, [[Nikita Koloff]], [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]] and the [[WCW World Heavyweight Championship|WCW World Heavyweight Champion]] [[Ron Simmons]]. On May 17, 1992 at ''[[WrestleWar#1992|WrestleWar 1992: WarGames]]'', the Dangerous Alliance lost a [[Professional wrestling match types#War Games|War Games match]] to their rivals after Zbyszko accidentally hit Eaton in the arm with the turnbuckle that he had dismantled, forcing Eaton to submit as a result of the pain. As a result of his blunder, Zbyszko was fired from the stable by Dangerously, turning him into a [[Face (professional wrestling)|face]] for the first time since 1980. He briefly feuded with Austin and Eaton before retiring from full time competition to become a [[color commentator]]. As a commentator, Zbyszko began referring to himself simply as "The Living Legend", as many WCW fans were unfamiliar with his feud with Bruno Sammartino. 

Along with [[Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)|Dusty Rhodes]] and Chris Cruise, Zbyszko hosted ''[[WCW Main Event]]'' on Saturday mornings. In 1994, [[Darrin Matthews|Lord Steven Regal]] began harassing Zbyszko, prompting him to return to the ring. On May 2, 1994 in Atlanta, Zbyszko defeated Regal for the [[WCW World Television Championship]]. He held the title until June 23, 1994 when Regal regained the belt in [[Charleston, South Carolina]]. 

In 1996, Zbyszko was promoted to the ''[[WCW Monday Nitro]]'' broadcast team, where he announced during the first hour with [[Tony Schiavone]]. In 1997, he was challenged by [[New World Order (professional wrestling)|New World Order]] (nWo) member [[Scott Hall]], but opted not to face Hall. Zbyszko remained in the broadcast booth for most of 1997, occasionally refereeing matches involving Hall and the nWo. On December 28, 1997 at ''[[Starrcade (1997)|StarrCade 1997]]'', Zbyszko returned to the ring for a match against Bischoff for control of ''WCW Monday Nitro'' with [[Bret Hart]] acting special referee. Hart ensured that the nWo did not interfere, and Zbyszko won the match, regaining control of Nitro for WCW. He continued to feud with Hall and his [[lackey]], [[Louie Spicolli]], culminating in a match between Zbyszko and Hall at ''[[Souled Out#1998|Souled Out 1998]]'' on January 24, 1998. Zbyszko won the match by disqualification after Dusty Rhodes betrayed him, joining the nWo. 

Zbyszko went back to commentating until 1999, when he faced [[Curt Hennig]] in a [[Professional wrestling match types#Retirement match|retirement match]] and lost. He returned in January 2000 as a member of the [[Old Age Outlaws]] with [[Terry Funk]], Arn Anderson and [[Paul Orndorff]] to feud with the revived nWo, then returned to commentary in [[February 2000|February]] until WCW was purchased by the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]] in March 2001. At Monday Nitro on August 28, 2000 it was revealed that Larry is a long time juggalo.

===Independent circuit (2001–2005)===
After the sale of WCW, Zbyszko wrestled several matches for Dusty Rhodes's [[Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling]] promotion. 

In late 2001, Zbyszko requested that [[World Wrestling Entertainment]] cease referring to [[Chris Jericho]] as "The Living Legend", claiming that this infringed upon his [[common law]] [[trademark]]. After WWF refused to comply, with Chairman [[Vince McMahon]] personally addressing Jericho as "The Living Legend" during a televised broadcast, Zbyszko launched a [[lawsuit]] against WWF. In addition, he challenged McMahon to a [[Shoot (professional wrestling)|shoot fight]] during a 2002 [[World Wrestling All-Stars]] [[pay-per-view]].

In 2002, Zbyszko had a short feud with [[Chris Harris (wrestler)|Chris Harris]] in the [[Nashville, Tennessee]]-based USA Championship Wrestling promotion. On March 2, 2002, Zbyszko defeated Harris for the USA North American Heavyweight Championship. He held the title until March 30, 2002 when Harris regained the belt at the ''[[Tojo Yamamoto]] Memorial Show''. On August 27, 2005 at [[WrestleReunion]] in [[Valley Forge, Pennsylvania]], Zbyszko faced [[Diamond Dallas Page]], with the provision that he would receive five minutes alone in the ring with the sixty-nine year old Bruno Sammartino if he won. Page knocked Zbyszko out with his signature [[Professional wrestling throws#cutter|Diamond Cutter]], however, then pulled Zbyszko on top of him, thus giving him the win by pinfall. Sammartino then entered the ring and began throttling the still-prone Zbyszko until he was dragged away.

===Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2003–2006)===
Zbyszko debuted in [[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling]] on January 15, 2003 and delivered a [[Promo (professional wrestling)|speech]] in which he exhorted the roster to respect tradition. This sparked a feud with [[A.J. Styles]], who was not receptive to Zbyszko's requests. On January 29, 2003 Zbyszko faced Styles in a ten minute long match with the stipulation that, should Styles be unable to pin him twice in that time, he would become Styles's [[Manager (professional wrestling)|manager]]. Styles was only able to pin Zbyszko once, and Zbyszko managed him for a short time before [[List of professional wrestling terms#B|booker]] [[Vince Russo]] cancelled the [[List of professional wrestling terms#A|angle]] and Zbyszko left the promotion. He returned for one night on August 6, 2003, losing to [[Kid Kash]] following interference from [[Chris Parks|Abyss]].

Zbyszko made a full-time return to TNA on June 23, 2004, assisting [[Ron Killings]] in his feud with [[Jeff Jarrett]]. On July 14, 2004, Killings, Zbyszko, [[Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)|Dusty Rhodes]], [[Konnan]] and [[Brian Gerard James|B.G. James]] defeated Jarrett, [[Ken Shamrock]] and "The Elite Guard" ([[Shawn Hernandez]], [[Chad Collyer]] and [[Kyle McNeely|Onyx]]) in a "ten man guitar on a pole match".

Along with [[Harley Race]] and [[Terry Funk]], Zbyszko was appointed to a body known as the Championship Committee. The Committee would watch matches on ''[[TNA Impact!]]'', most of which had a ten-minute time limit, and determine a winner in the eventuality of a draw. As on practise few professional wrestling matches end in a draw, the Committee was gradually phased out.

In February 2005, Zbyszko joined [[Planet Jarrett]], Jarrett's dominant [[Heel (professional wrestling)|heel]] [[List of professional wrestling terms#S|stable]]. He disappeared several weeks later. 

On June 19, 2005, at [[Slammiversary (2005)|TNA Slammiversary 2005]], the returning Zbyszko was named [[Professional wrestling authority figures#Directors of Authority|Director of Authority]], replacing Dusty Rhodes. His first act as DoA was to give Jeff Jarrett's place in the [[King of the Mountain match]] later that night to [[Scott Levy|Raven]]. At [[TNA Sacrifice#2005|TNA Sacrifice 2005]] on August 14, Zbyszko responded to Jarrett's request for a shot at the [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship]] by informing him that he would receive a title shot if he won his tag team match that night, but would be banned from receiving a title shot for a year if he lost the match. As Jarrett's partner, [[Terry Gerin|Rhino]], won the match, neither stipulation was applicable.

Zbyszko remained neutral for several months, but in October 2005 he became exasperated with Raven, who continually accused him of robbing the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and refusing to grant him a rematch. At [[TNA Genesis#2005|TNA Genesis 2005]] on November 13, Zbyszko told Raven to resign from TNA or have his life "made hell". After Raven refused to resign, Zbyszko forced him to wrestle [[Peter Polaco|P.J. Polaco]]. Much to Zbysko's chagrin, Raven defeated Polaco. Nevertheless, Zbyszko continued his personal crusade against Raven, and to that end booked him into a [[Professional wrestling match types#Clockwork Orange House of Fun match|Raven's House of Fun Match]], again with an unknown opponent, for the December 3 episode of ''Impact!''. The opponent turned out to be the entire [[Diamonds in the rough|Diamonds in the Rough]] stable ([[Pat Kenney|Simon Diamond]], [[Elix Skipper]], and [[David Santo|David Young]]). Despite interference from [[Cassidy O'Reilly|Cassidy Riley]] on Raven's behalf, he was pinned and lost the match.

Raven went on to defeat his former tag team partner [[Chris Kanyon|Chris K.]] at [[TNA Turning Point#2005|TNA Turning Point 2005]]. At [[TNA Final Resolution#2006|TNA Final Resolution 2006]] on January 15, 2006, Raven was scheduled to face a mystery opponent, with the stipulation that he would receive a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship if he was victorious, but would be fired if he was defeated. Raven lost to the returning [[Sean Waltman]] after Zbyszko, who refereed the match after the original referee was knocked unconscious, distracted Raven so that Waltman could deliver a [[facebuster#Sitout facebuster|X Factor]] and then counted to three despite Raven placing his foot on a ring rope. Following the match, Zbyszko ordered the TNA security to escort Raven from "my arena", then mocked Raven until he was confronted by [[Jackie Gayda]] about an undisclosed issue.

At [[Lockdown (2006)|TNA Lockdown 2006]] on April 23, 2006, the debuting [[Christy Hemme]] handed commentator [[Mike Tenay]] an envelope containing a message from "TNA management" stating that Zbyszko had been placed on probation due to his conduct, while Raven had been reinstated. Raven then entered the arena and approached the ring, causing Zbyszko to evade him until he was removed by security guards. At [[TNA Victory Road#2006|TNA Victory Road 2006]] on July 17, 2006, Zbyszko lost to Raven in a [[Professional wrestling match types#Luchas de Apuestas|hair versus hair match]]. He would then go on to lose a match to [[Eric Young (wrestler)|Eric Young]] at [[Bound for Glory (2006)|TNA Bound for Glory 2006]], he was fired a week later.

===Independent Circuit (2007–present)===
Zbyszko returned to the independent circuit and claimed the [[WSL World Heavyweight Championship|AWA Superstars of Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship]] in [[Wrestling Superstars Live|AWA Superstars of Wrestling]]. Zbyszko started rallying for what he claimed was rightfully his since mid-2007. The situation heated up immediately after the then AWA Superstars of Wrestling Board of Directors stripped [[Masato Tanaka]] of the World's title. Zbyszko, through his newly named "representative" Mister Saint Laurent and legal representation, started filing documentation, to the new AWA Superstars of Wrestling Management Team, proving he had never lost the title in 1991 when [[Verne Gagne|Verne Gagne's]] American Wrestling Association entered into bankruptcy. After considerable deliberation and review of the bankruptcy file from the early 90's, the AWA agreed with Zbyszko that he did indeed never actually lose the title. Accordingly, Zbyszko was once again the recognized AWA Superstars of Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship. He lost the title to Brian Logan. Logan defeated Larry Zbyszko and Ricky Landell in a three-way match on April 18, 2008 at a Mountaineer Wrestling Association event in Fayetteville, West Virginia.

Four Territories of the AWA Superstars of Wrestling have broken away from AWA Superstars of Wrestling, however, and joined with Championship Wrestling of Tennessee to create the [[American Wrestling Affiliates]]. Brian Logan took his championship reign and belt with him <ref>[http://therealawa.com/home.htm American Wrestling Affiliates - Official Website]</ref> and Zbyszko is once again recognized as the AWA Superstars World Heavyweight Champion as AWA Superstars of Wrestling retroactively refused to recognize the title change. He dropped the title to Ricky Landell on October 11. He has just had his book published, ''Adventures in Larryland'', by ECW press.

In 2009 [[Full Impact Pro]] hired Zbyszko as the executive director of the FIP Championship committee.

Zbyszko Competed at the ROH show on January 29th as a part of Wrestle Reunion 4 where he had a match with [[Scotty 2 Hotty]]. <ref>http://www.wrestlereunion.com/schedule/roh-show/</ref>

==In wrestling==
*'''Finishing moves'''
**''LarryLand Dreamer'' ([[Guillotine choke]])
**[[Piledriver (professional wrestling)|Piledriver]]
**[[Professional wrestling holds#Reverse figure four leglock|Standing reverse figure four leglock]]

*'''Signature moves'''
**[[Professional wrestling holds#Abdominal stretch|Abdominal stretch]]
**[[Professional wrestling throws#Body slam|Body slam]]
**[[Dropkick#Front dropkick|Front dropkick]]
**[[Professional wrestling throws#Inverted atomic drop|Inverted atomic drop]]
**[[Professional wrestling holds#Chinlock|Reverse chinlock]]
**[[Pin (professional wrestling)#Roll-up|School boy]]
**[[Professional wrestling throws#Shoulderbreaker|Shoulderbreaker]]
**[[Brainbuster#Jumping brainbuster|Spike brainbuster]]
**[[Professional wrestling attacks#Spin kick|Spin kick]]
**[[Professional wrestling aerial techniques#Sunset flip|Sunset flip]]
**[[Neckbreaker#Swinging neckbreaker|Swinging neckbreaker]]

*'''[[Manager (professional wrestling)|Managers]]'''
**[[Nickla Roberts|Baby Doll]]
**[[Paul Heyman|Paul E. Dangerously]]
**[[Eddie Gilbert (wrestler)|Eddie Gilbert]]
**[[Gary Hart (wrestler)|Gary Hart]]
**[[Valerie Wyndham|So Cal Val]]

*'''[[Nickname]]s'''
**The Cruncher
**Fat Boy Sanders
**The Hornswogglin' Hillbilly
**Larry Z
**The Living Legend
**The New Living Legend
**Wrestling's Living Legend

==Championships and accomplishments==
*'''[[American Wrestling Association]]'''
**[[AWA America's Championship|AWA America's Heavyweight Championship]] ([[AWA America's Championship#Title history|1 time]])
**[[AWA World Heavyweight Championship]] ([[List of AWA World Heavyweight Champions|2 times]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-h.html|title=AWA World Heavyweight Title history|publisher=wrestling-titles.com}}</ref>
**AWA World 6-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Chasyn Rance and Seth Springer

*'''[[Wrestling Superstars Live|AWA Superstars of Wrestling]]'''
**[[WSL World Heavyweight Championship|AWA Superstars of Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship]] ([[WSL World Heavyweight Championship#Title history|1 time]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/awastars/awas-h.html|title=AWA World Heavyweight Title (Superstars of Wrestling) history|publisher=wrestling-titles.com}}</ref>

*'''[[Cauliflower Alley Club]]'''
**Other honoree ([[Cauliflower Alley Club#1996|1996]])

*'''[[Georgia Championship Wrestling]]'''
**[[NWA National Heavyweight Championship]] ([[NWA National Heavyweight Championship#Title history|2 times]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/others/nat-h.html|title=NWA National Heavyweight Title history|publisher=wrestling-titles.com}}</ref>

*'''[[Jim Crockett Promotions]] / [[World Championship Wrestling]]'''
**[[NWA Western States Heritage Championship]] ([[NWA Western States Heritage Championship#Title history|1 time]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/jcp/ws-her-h.html|title=NWA Western States Heritage Heavyweight Title history|publisher=wrestling-titles.com}}</ref>
**[[WCW World Tag Team Championship]] ([[List of WCW World Tag Team Champions|1 time]]) – with [[Arn Anderson]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-t.html|title=WCW World Tag Team Title history|publisher=wrestling-titles.com}}</ref>
**[[WCW World Television Championship]] ([[List of WCW World Television Champions|1 time]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-tv.html|title=NWA/WCW World Television Title history|publisherwrestling-titles.com}}</ref>

*'''[[National Wrestling Alliance|NWA Hollywood Wrestling]]'''
**NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship (1 time)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/la/hw/ams-tv.html|title=NWA Beat the Champ Television Title history|publisher=wrestling-titles.com}}</ref>

*'''[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]]'''
**[[PWI Match of the Year]] (1980) <small>vs. [[Bruno Sammartino]] in a [[Professional wrestling match types#Cages|cage match]] at [[Showdown at Shea#1980|Showdown at Shea]]</small> 
**[[PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year]] (1980)
**[[PWI Rookie of the Year]] (1974)
**[[PWI Tag Team of the Year]] (1991) <small>with [[Arn Anderson]]</small> 
**PWI ranked him # '''105''' of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003.

*'''Southern Championship Wrestling'''
**SCW Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Mister Saint Laurent

*'''USA Championship Wrestling'''
**USA North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

*'''[[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wide Wrestling Federation]]'''
**[[World Tag Team Championship (WWE)|WWWF Tag Team Championship]] ([[List of World Tag Team Champions|1 time]]) – with [[Anthony Garcia|Tony Garea]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwf-t.html|title=WWWF/WWF/WWE World Tag Team Title history|publisher=wrestling-title.com}}</ref>

*'''[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards]]'''
**[[Dave Meltzer#Rating system|5 Star Match]] (1991) <small>with [[Ric Flair]], [[Barry Windham]], & [[Sid Eudy|Sid Vicious]] vs. [[Brian Pillman]], [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]], [[Rick Steiner]], & [[Scott Steiner]] (February 24, [[WarGames match]], [[WrestleWar#1991|WrestleWar]])</small>
**5 Star Match (1992) <small>with [[Rick Rude]], [[Stone Cold Steve Austin|Steve Austin]], Arn Anderson and [[Bobby Eaton]] vs. [[Nikita Koloff]], Barry Windham, [[Ricky Steamboat]], Sting, & [[Dustin Rhodes]]  (May 17, WarGames Match, [[WrestleWar#1992|WrestleWar]])</small> 
**[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Best Heel|Best Heel]] (1980)
**[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Feud of the Year|Feud of the Year]] (1980) <small>vs. Bruno Sammartino</small>
**[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Most Improved|Most Improved Wrestler]] (1980)

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
*[http://www.rajahwwf.com/base/2004/734 Interview with Between the Ropes]
*[http://www.georgiawrestlinghistory.com/peachstatepandemonium/conversations/larryzbyszko/page1.html *Interview with GeorgiaWrestlingHistory.com (part 1)]
*[http://www.georgiawrestlinghistory.com/peachstatepandemonium/conversations/larryzbyszko/page2.html Interview with GeorgiaWrestlingHistory.com (part 2)]
*[http://www.wrestleview.com/news2004/1097303950.shtml Interview with Steve Gerweck]
*[http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/2003-07-03/feature.html ''Life after rasslin''']
*[http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/9893/gzwjwz5.htm ''Tom Zenk battles Larry Zbyszko in AWA battle royal'']
*[http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/ususaw.html The USA North American Heavyweight Championship at Solie.org]
*[http://www.accelerator3359.com/Wrestling/bios/zbyszko.html Zybszko at Accelerator3359.com]
*[http://bodyslamming.com/nwa/larryzbysko.html Zybysko at Bodyslamming.com]
*[http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/l/larry-zbyszko.html Larry Zbyszko at Online World of Wrestling]
*[http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2003/12/05/278136.html ''Zbyszko moves from wrestling to golf'']
*[http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050611/COLUMNISTS0302/506110318/1061 ''Zbyszko wrestles with the greens'']

==External links==
{{Portal|Professional wrestling|break=yes}}
*[http://www.wrestlingepicenter.com/5678articles/215686751.shtml WrestlingEpicenter.com Interactive Interviews (2003, 2007, & 2008) with Larry Zbyszko]
*{{imdb name|id=0924226|name=Larry Zbyszko}}
* [http://inyourheadonline.com/viewnews.php?autoid=638 Aug 14 2006 IYH's Capitol Legends Fanfest Special 2006 Featuring an interview from Larry Zbyszko]
* [http://inyourheadonline.com/viewnews.php?autoid=443 Apr 13 2006 Audio Interview with Larry Zbyszko]
* [http://inyourheadonline.com/viewnews.php?autoid=744 Oct 05 2006 Audio Interview with Larry Zbyszko]
*[http://inyourheadonline.com/viewnews.php?autoid=1533 Jun 05 2008 Audio Interview with Larry Zbyszko]

{{WCW World Television Championship}}
{{World Tag Team Championship (WWE)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zbyszko, Larry}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:American color commentators]]
[[Category:American judoka]]
[[Category:American professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:American sport wrestlers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Chicago, Illinois]]
[[Category:People from St. Johns County, Florida]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling announcers]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling executives]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling managers and valets]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling trainers]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Pennsylvania]]

[[es:Larry Zbyszko]]
[[ja:ラリー・ズビスコ]]
[[pl:Larry Zbyszko]]