Paul Jones (wrestler)

Paul Jones was a legendary professional wrestler and manager. Had much success in the NWA's Mid-Atlantic region including being U.S. Tag Team champs with Ricky Steamboat.

Career

Paul Frederick was born on June 16 in Port Arthur, Texas. He started wrestling around 1968 in the Mid-Atlantic promotions on the east coast, where he spent most of his career. He was known as Al Fredericks before changing his ring name to "Number One" Paul Jones.

He became famous in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions where he won the NWA United States Title and the NWA World Tag Team Titles. His most frequent partners were Ricky Steamboat and The Masked Superstar.

In the 1980's, he became a heel manager, and he called his stable Paul Jones' Army. He was involved in a huge feud with "Boogie Woogie Man" Jimmy Valiant where he ended up having his head shaved. Among the members of his "Army" were Rick Rude, Manny Fernandez, Pez Whatley (known as Shaska), Baron Von Raschke, The Barbarian, Teijho Khan, Abdullah the Butcher, Superstar Billy Graham, Ivan Koloff and Vladimir Petrov. He also managed the Powers of Pain. He left Jim Crockett Promotions around the time Ted Turner bought it and renamed it WCW.

He retired in 1991 and now lives in North Carolina.

Championships/Accomplishments

National Wrestling Alliance

• 2-Time NWA United States Heavyweight Champion
• 5-Time NWA World Tag Team Champion (with Ricky Steamboat once, Masked Superstar twice and Baron Von Raschke twice)
• 3-Time NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Champion
• 3-Time NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion
• 6-Time NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champion (with Ricky Steamboat 3 times, Tiger Conway Jr. once, Bob Bruggers once and Nelson Royal once)

Florida Championship Wrestling

• 1-Time Florida Heavyweight Champion
• 1-Time Florida Brass Knuckles Champion
• 1-Time Florida Southern Heavyweight Champion
• 2-Time Florida Television Champion

Other Titles

• 1-Time SAPC Heavyweight Champion
• 1-Time Georgia Heavyweight Champion
• 1-Time Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Champion
• 1-Time Hawaiian Heavyweight Champion
• 1-Time America's Tag Team Champion

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) ranked him # 206 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003. PWI also ranked him # 86 of the best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with The Masked Superstar.

• Jones also won the PWI Tag Team of the Year Award in 1978 with Ricky Steamboat.