Dick Slater
A rugged and uncompromising brawler whose 'Dirty' persona brought a gritty, street-fight realism to Southern wrestling rings.
1951–2018 (age 67)·American professional wrestler·Birthday: May 19·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dick Slater emerged from the tough circuits of the American South, crafting a reputation as one of the most believable and intense competitors of his era. His style wasn't about high-flying spectacle; it was a brutal, no-nonsense approach that made every match feel like a personal grudge. Wrestling primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Florida territories, Slater became a top-tier villain, his 'Dirty' moniker earned through underhanded tactics and a willingness to bend any rule. His career peaked with notable runs in Jim Crockett Promotions and later WCW, where he formed a formidable tag team with Dick Murdoch. While never a world champion in a major promotion, his influence was in his authenticity—a throwback who convinced audiences he was as tough outside the ring as he was inside it. His legacy is that of a worker's worker, respected by peers for his physical, convincing performances that defined an era of territorial wrestling.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Dick was born in 1951, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1951
#1 Movie
Quo Vadis
Best Picture
An American in Paris
#1 TV Show
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
Dick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1951Born
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1956Started school
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1964Became a teenager
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Could drive
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1969Could vote
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Turned 21
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1981Turned 30
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 40
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 50
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 60
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2018Died at 67
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
Key Achievements
- Won the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship in 1983, a major regional title in the Jim Crockett Promotions territory.
- Captured the NWA World Television Championship in 1986, solidifying his status as a top performer.
- Formed a successful and feared tag team with 'Captain Redneck' Dick Murdoch in the late 1980s.
- Had a notable feud with WWE Hall of Famer Bob Orton Jr. over the Southern Heavyweight Championship.
Did You Know?
He was a standout amateur wrestler at the University of Tampa before turning professional.
Slater served as a bodyguard for singer and actress Ann-Margret for a period in the 1970s.
He was once stabbed in a bar fight, an incident that was later incorporated into his wrestling storylines.
His ring name was reportedly inspired by a character in the 1967 film "Cool Hand Luke."
“I don't care who you are; in this ring, you're just another man to beat.”
