"Bob" Starr (born 1971) is a semi-retired American professional wrestler, trainer, and manager who has competed in numerous independent promotions throughout the United States since his debut in 1988.
It was during the mid-1980s, searching for cartoons to watch while snowed in at his home, that Starr came across a televised wrestling match of Paul Orndorff and Roddy Piper "[beating] the hell out of each other".
He soon became an avid wrestling fan and, while attending Dundalk High School, began training to be a pro wrestler after meeting "Bad Boy" Ricky Lawless.
[7] In 1990, Starr joined the World Wrestling Federation[8] making his debut with Bobby Knight in a tag team match against both The Executioners (Pain & Agony) and Legion of Doom (Hawk & Animal) at a television taping in Utica, New York.
Slaughter, Rick Martel, Berzerker, Skinner, Duane Gill, Jim Brunzell, Barry Horowitz, Jim Powers, Barry Hardy, Bob Knight, the Beverly Brothers, The Nasty Boys, and WWF World Tag Team Champions Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase & IRS); Starr was eliminated by one of the Beverly Brothers.
During the summer of 1991, Starr became involved in the creation of the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation, one of the earliest independent promotions in Maryland, along with co-founders Dennis Wippercht and Tim Burke.
[6] He held the title for eight months before losing it to Mike Khoury in Essex on November 14, 1993; the title changed hands during an 8-man tag team elimination match pitting Bob Starr, Tommy Lee Manson, Max Thrasher, and Duane Gill against Mike Khoury, Joe Thunder, Tommy Dreamer, and Max Moon.
[2] Their MEWF tag title reign, however, lasted only a brief time as they were defeated by Road Warrior Hawk and Ultimate Comet in Catonsville days later.
In the next three years alone, he would wrestle Ice Train, The Shockmaster, Marcus Bagwell,[23][24] "Jungle" Jim Steele, Thunder and Lightning,[25][26] The Guardian Angel, Randy Savage, Alex Wright, The Renegade, Kamala, Johnny B. Badd,[27] Rockin' Rebel, Road Warrior Hawk,[28] and Eddie Guerrero.
On April 20, 1994, in his match against WCW International World Champion Sting at Atlanta's Center Stage Theatre, he was pinned in 36 seconds following a Stinger Splash.
[33][41] On February 1, 1997, following the death of Neil Superior, Starr wrestled John Rambo for the vacant NWL Heavyweight Championship but failed to win the title.
[47][48] Prior to Hulk Hogan's heel turn at Bash at the Beach, Starr's nickname was changed by the promotion to "Playboy" so as to avoid confusion between the two.
[5][8] In 1998, Corporal Punishment and Mark Shrader left the MEWF due to creative control and salary disputes to form their own promotion, Maryland Championship Wrestling.
Starr also helped Tim Burke with the day-to-day running of the promotion, such as bringing in Tonya Stevens as a special guest announcer (her first break in pro wrestling),[49] and was among several who served as a booker.
[50] His title reign was not without some controversy, however, as it was alleged that some wrestlers felt he had used his position as booker to "[put] the MEWF Championship on himself for a period of several months, despite a locker room feeling he was out of shape and had become a caricature of himself".
[44] On November 24, 2002, he and Max Thrasher lost to Chad Bowman and Dino Casanova in a match for the vacant MEWF tag team titles.
A month later, he lost to MCW Television Champion Doug Delicious in a three-way title unification match, involving Marquis Jordan, at Michaels 8th Avenue in Glen Burnie on July 16.
The title change occurred at an interpromotional event between the MEWF and long-time rival Maryland Championship Wrestling, the 5th annual Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup, serving as the latter's final show and attended by an estimated 1,000 fans.
In 2006, Starr joined MEWF's one-time rival Maryland Championship Wrestling, which had reopened that same year, serving as the promotion's senior referee.
[60] A year later Starr appeared at MCW's "Monster Mash" supercard on November 14, 2007, as the manager of The Headliners (Jimmy Jannetty & Ramblin Rich) which saw the team defeat The Best of Both Worlds (Doyle Day & Buck Chyld).
They were unable to win the championship, however, and all three men attacked special guest referee (and MEWF alumnus) Earl the Pearl who Starr blamed for the loss.
The Headliners were then scheduled to face McBride and Stigma, with Earl the Pearl in their corner, at the 2008 MCW Anniversary Show in Dundalk, Maryland, on February 24, 2008.
[62] Starr's employment in the Maryland Department of Corrections limited his ring schedule, wrestling mainly on the weekends, though he continued to make regular appearances on the independent circuit, primarily for NWL/HOPWF in Hagerstown and MCW in Baltimore.
In addition, he worked part-time as a concert photographer for Kenny Chesney, Brett Michaels, Mötley Crüe, and Sugarland when performing in the Baltimore area.
He specifically talked about his thoughts on Eric Bichoff, defending his management of the organization, and the general atmosphere of the WCW locker room during this period.
[5] On October 30, at MCW's "Legends of Maryland 2" supercard, Starr teamed with "Mad Dog" Buzz Stryker against former student Ruckus and Cat Burglar.