Ted Oates

Ted Oates
Birth name	Ted Michael Oates
Born	(1951-11-21) November 21, 1951 Columbus, Georgia, U.S.
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Ted Oates
Billed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Billed weight	254 lb (115 kg)
Billed from	Columbus, Georgia
Trained by	Milo Steinborn Dick Steinborn
Debut	June 1, 1972
Retired	December 10, 2005

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Ted Michael Oates (born November 21, 1951) is a retired American professional wrestler and trainer.

Career

1970s

Trained by Milo Steinborn and his son Dick, Ted Oates made his debut on June 1, 1972 for Billy Golden's Tri-State Wrestling in Alabama. A couple months later, he started teaming with his brother Jerry in NWA Mid-America in Nashville. By December 1972, he started working for Ann Gunkel's All-South Wrestling Alliance in Georgia. A year later, he won his first championship, the ASWA Georgia Junior Heavyweight Championship, defeating Wayne Cowan. He would hold the title for nearly three weeks, before losing it to The Champ. He left ASWA in October 1974 after losing a loser-leave-town match against Lanny Poffo; the promotion would shut down a month later. A week later, he went over to Kansas City to wrestle for Central States Wrestling. In November 1974, he would split his time between Kansas City and St. Louis, as he also wrestled for St. Louis Wrestling Club. In May 1975, the Oates Brothers won the Central States version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship, defeating Oki Shikina and Yasu Fuji. They would hold the titles for nearly six months, before losing them to Dutch Mantel and Ron Bass. In August 1975, he wrestled his first tour of Japan for All Japan Pro Wrestling.

In January 1976, the Oates Brothers regained the NWA World Tag Team titles from Mantel and Bass in a steel cage match. Two weeks later, they would lose the titles back to Mantel and Bass and left the Kansas City area, as it was also a loser leaves town match. In February 1976, he and his brother returned to Georgia, this time for Georgia Championship Wrestling. Near the end of the month, he would wrestle a double-shot in St. Louis. A month later, they won the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship, defeating Les Thornton and Tony Charles. They would hold the titles for nearly three months, before losing them to The Red Devils. In September 1976, he wrestle a single show for Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling, before joining his brother for his second tour for AJPW. A month later, they won the All Asia Tag Team Championship, defeating Motoshi Okuma and Great Kojika. Nearly three weeks later, they lost them to Samson Kutsuwada and Akihisa Takachiho. He would never return to Japan after the tour ended. In January 1977, he returned to both Kansas City and St. Louis. A month later, he won his first NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship, defeating Bob Slaughter. A week later, he would lose the title back to Slaughter. Two weeks later, Oates rebounded by regaining the NWA World Tag Team titles, this time with Akio Sato. However, nearly two months later, they lost them to Bobby Jaggers and Randy Tyler. In April 1977, he went over to the Carolinas to wrestle for Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. A month later, he would split his time between Georgia and the Carolinas all the way through 1979. In July 1979, he had a brief stop in the Gulf Coast for Southeastern Championship Wrestling.

1980s

In 1980, Oates would wrestle exclusively for Georgia, but that February, he and his brother Jerry returned to Kansas City for a tournament for the NWA Central States Tag Team Championship; they would make it all the way to finals, before losing to Ernie Ladd and Bruiser Brody. In January 1982, he returned to the Gulf Coast for SECW. He would win the NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Championship, defeating Scott McGhee, but lost it back to McGhee. Oates would split his time in Georgia and the Gulf Coast throughout 1982, aside from a brief stop in Kansas City that May. By the end of 1983, he returned to Kansas City. In April 1984, the Oates Brothers won the vacant NWA Central States Tag Team titles, defeating The Grapplers, but lost them to the Grapplers in a rematch a week later. Two months later, Oates rebounded by winning his second NWA Central States Heavyweight title, defeating Crazy Luke Graham. Soon after, he turned heel by interrupting an interview with The Uptown Boys, who also won the Central States Tag Team titles, before joining The Grapplers in attacking the Uptown Boys. After nearly two months as champion, he lost the Central States title to Buzz Tyler. Upon his return to Georgia in August 1984, Championship Wrestling from Georgia took over the territory and Oates formed a tag team with Rip Rogers, called The Hollywood Blonds, with Miss Brenda Britton as their valet. They would also wrestle short spells in Memphis and Louisville. In September 1984, the Blonds won the NWA National Tag Team Championship, defeating his brother Jerry and Ron Garvin. The Blonds would hold the titles for nearly two months, before losing them to The Lightning Express. After the Blonds split, Ted reunited with his brother Jerry in 1985. in September 1986, they went down to World Class Championship Wrestling to take part in a tournament to crown WCWA World Tag Team Champions, but lost to The Youngblood Brothers in the quarterfinals. Two months later, they went back to Georgia for Deep South Wrestling, winning the DSW Tag Team Championship from the Nightmares (Ted Allen and Billy Star). They would hold the titles for two months, before losing them back to the Nightmares. After Deep South, Oates would move on to Peach State Wrestling, where he would stay for the rest of his career. In March 1988, Oates made a brief stop in the Gulf Coast for World of Wrestling. Two months later, he and his brother wrestled for Southern Championship Wrestling.

1990s

In January 1991, Oates wrestled a WWF Superstars of Wrestling TV taping in Macon, Georgia, losing a match to Tito Santana; the match aired on February 16. In 1998, he wrestled his retirement match against Dutch Mantel.

2000s

In 2005, Oates came out of retirement to wrestle for his brother's version of Georgia Championship Wrestling. His final match was held on December 10, teaming up with The Wrestler, defeating Greg Brown and Cru Jones.

Personal life

Oates, alongside his brother Jerry, was responsible in training Marty Jannetty, Bambi, Randy Hogan, J-Rod, AJ Steele, Tom Ivy and Craig Brown.

A native of Columbus, Georgia, Oates now resides in Macon, Georgia.

His brother, Jerry Oates, died in hospice care on September 4, 2026.

Championships and accomplishments

• All Japan Pro Wrestling
  • All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jerry Oates

• All South Wrestling Alliance
  • ASWA Georgia Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Deep South Wrestling
  • DSW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jerry Oates

• Georgia Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jerry Oates
  • NWA National Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rip Rogers

• Central States Wrestling
  • NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
  • NWA Central States Tag Team Championship (1 times) – with Jerry Oates
  • NWA World Tag Team Championship (Central States version) (2 times) – with Jerry Oates (1) and Akio Sato (1)

• Peach State Wrestling
  • PSW Georgia Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Southeastern Championship Wrestling
  • NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

External links

Template:NWA World Tag Team Champions (Central States version) Template:All Asia Tag Team Championship

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