WWWF Alumnus Sonny King Passes Away At 79

Sonny King, a former WWWF Tag Team Champion in 1972, has passed away. Slam Wrestling reports that King, real name Larry Anderson, passed away on Saturday. He was 79 years old.

King was a former pro boxer who got into wrestling after becoming friends with Ernie Ladd. He trained in Detroit and debuted in 1968 in Big Time Wrestling. He worked in several territories including Houston, Dallas, and Florida, the latter of which saw him challenge Dory Funk for the NWA World Championship in 1971.

King went to the WWWF in 1971 and eventually teamed with Chief Jay Strongbow. The two had a feud with Baron Mikel Scicluna & King Curtis which led to King and Strongbow winning the WWWF Tag Team Championship in May of 1972, a reign that lasted 36 days before losing the titles to Mr. Fuji & Toru Tanaka. King and Strongbow challenged for the titles several times afterward but didn’t win them back and King eventually moved on, working for NWA Hollywood and NWA Mid-Atlantic among other territories.

King found success in the NWA, winning the NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship in March of 1977 and working as a manager in Memphis. He feuded with Jerry lawler over the Southern Championship and had a run with the NWA Florida Brass Knuckles Champion in 1979, as well as two runs with the AWA Southern Tag Team Championships.

King had a scary incident with a fan in 1982 in Charlotte where he was nearly killed. While waiting for a show to start in Charlotte, he saw a man who had been ejected from the arena try and force his way back in past a security guard. King confronted the man, who yelled a racial slur at him and was attacked by others with the man. He ended up being stabbed several times and was rushed to the hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. The knife had nicked his heart and he nearly died. He spend weeks in intensive card and received financial help from Jim Crockett Jr. assisting him financially.

King returned to wrestling after the incident, ultimately retiring in 1985. He owned an operated a junkyard in Florida following the end of his wrestling career.

On behalf of 411, our best wishes to the family, friends and fans of Sonny King.

WWWF Alumnus Sonny King Passes Away At 79

WWWF Alumnus Sonny King Passes Away At 79

WWWF Alumnus Sonny King Passes Away At 79

WWWF Alumnus Sonny King Passes Away At 79

WWWF Alumnus Sonny King Passes Away At 79