He later attended Massey Agricultural College, and later served for six months in the Royal New Zealand Air Force during World War II in 1945.

[1] At the Empire Games, O'Connor, once again representing New Zealand,[4] won a silver medal winner in the (freestyle) heavyweight division.

In March, he won the NWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship (Toronto version), but lost it on 2 May 1957 to Gene Kiniski.

That same month, O'Connor and Whipper Billy Watson won the NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship, but lost it to Gene Kiniski and Fritz Von Erich on 31 October of that year.

The title change was part of the rivalry between bookers Sam Muchnick and Fred Kohler, the latter of whom did not want to waste any money announcing O'Connor as the new champion.

Kohler also wanted O'Connor to pay him $10,000 (equivalent to $104,521 in 2023) to wrestle at shows in Chicago, while being paid less than champions usually earned.

The men later worked out a deal of sorts, and beginning on 19 February 1960, O'Connor wrestled in Chicago against Bruno Sammartino and Johnny Valentine, among others.

On 30 June 1961, O'Connor dropped the title to Buddy Rogers in front of 38,622 fans at Comiskey Park, a North American professional wrestling attendance record that lasted until Toronto's The Big Event in 1986.

[6] However, he never defended the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, and was stripped of it in August, after ninety days, when Verne Gagne was recognised as the new champion.

On 1 January 1982, O'Connor was part of the card that comprised promoter Sam Muchnick's last professional wrestling show, located in St. Louis.

[7][8] On 18 September 1983, O'Connor was named as a co-conspirator in the monopoly that controlled professional wrestling in Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa.

[1] On 16 November 1987, O'Connor participated in a World Wrestling Federation "Legends" battle royal, which was won by Lou Thesz.