At age 16, while working as a lifeguard in Wildwood, New Jersey, he was playfighting with co-workers when a wrestling promoter spotted him and asked him to help with his roster, as many current ones were seeing action in World War II.

Darnell would himself leave wrestling for World War II service in December 1944, joining the United States Army.

Their careers would become forever intertwined when they began facing each other with Rogers as the heel champion and Darnell becoming a heavy fan favorite.

In a televised match on 20 May 1961, Darnell beat Ali Pasha (Alexander Vieira Fontes) who died of a heart attack after being slammed down.

Darnell regularly attended Cauliflower Alley Club reunions and received the Senator Hugh Farley Award from the Amsterdam, New York-based Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame.