WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING IN AUSTRALIA 60-70s.

Always a keen all-round sportsman Ron played rugby league with  Eastern suburbs in Sydney, where he was noticed by promoter Hal Morgan while training and wrestling at a Police Boys club.

He then trained at the hard school of Hal Morgan and Jim Deakin in Australia and later in Florida USA.

Turned pro in 1964 and wrestled in clubs throughout Australia and N.Z. and  started  on the World Championship Wrestling (Aust) circuit.

1971 teamed with Larry O’Day to tour the USA ( as the Australians) for 2 years. While based in Florida, becoming Florida Tag Team Champions, then returning home via Germany, Japan and the East.

During the next few years Ron and Larry O’Day held many Tag Team Titles, and he occasionally teamed successfully with his good friend Andre.

Ron's talent was well known and highly respected.

" Ruff Tuff & Real " Available Now ! National Library only - shop.nfsa.gov.au   

The documentary plus classic matches 3 DVD set.
The history and memories of World Championship Wrestling in Australia.
Now only available at - National Film Sound Archive – Online shop

RON MILLER  Wrestler, Promoter, TV Producer.


Contact Ron by email ronmill3@yahoo.com.au

THE HOUSEHOLD NAMES, THE LEGENDS PART OF OUR HISTORY

Thanks to articles and recordings by scholars like Dr. BARRY YORK a widely published historian and writer, who was recently awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia professional wrestling has become part of Australian history.

Link for his article – GOOD AND EVIL – for the National Centre for History Education.

http://www.hyperhistory.org/index.php?option=displaypage&Itemid=716&op=page         

DEDICATED TO THE MEMORIES OF THE LEGENDS WHO WEEK IN WEEK OUT PACKED THE STADIUMS THROUGHOUT THE LAND.

Who can ever forget the glory days of one of our most popular weekly sporting attractions, which appealed to all nationalities, ages and became PART OF AUSTRALIAN HISTORY.

NEWS – I have been approached by a major TV Network to produce a  Documentary, and DVD set, to tell the story of those years.

The significance of a documentary such as this symbolizes the popularity, interest in the wrestling. The unusual characters, superb athletes representing Australia and almost every country in the world whose names are fondly embedded in the psyche of the Australian television public, thanks to the weekly exposure attributed to the sport during the 60’s and 70’s by the Nine Network.

Having been involved as a wrestler, promoter & TV producer for more than 40 years I have memorabilia, anecdotes, experiences and stories about those years.


L. O’Day

Under various owners J. Barnett, John Doyle, Florida Wrestling, T. Kolonie, L. O’Day and myself WCW (Aust) produced high rating weekly TV programmes, which was the key to its success, and promoted over 300 live shows per year throughout Australia, South Pacific and the East, and set attendance records that may never be broken.       

He was constantly in demand and toured Australia and the World wrestling the best as Australian Heavyweight Champion, a title which he held for a record length of time.

During these years Ron and Larry O’Day became shareholders in WCW with Jim Barnett, and later owning World Championship Wrestling (Australia). They continued to produce T.V. programmes and promote over 300 shows a year in Australia, Asia and the South Pacific regions, till the early 80s.

In a long and successful career which had many highlights, including over 20 trips to the USA to wrestle and attend NWA meetings. His matches for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship with Harley Race and Dory Funk were classics to be remembered.

After retiring he became involved training young people in various youth clubs, and for the Dept.of Youth and Community Service.

Ron should be happy knowing that he was one of the best in

the world, and he could pick a phone and get booked main event, in almost any NWA territory.    G.G.

Links
www.wrestling.net.au
www.kiwiprowrestling.co.nz

Ron Miller


KING CURTIS AND RON MILLER

" Ruff Tuff & Real " Available Now !
The documentary plus classic matches 3 DVD set.
The history and memories of World Championship Wrestling in Australia.

RUFF TUFF & REAL  3 DVD SET  features :-   A DOCUMENTARY  -    30 CLASSIC MATCHES -  INTERVIEWS -   Running  250 mins


Exclusive 9 Network footage featuring, * King Curtis * Mario Milano* Bulldog Brower * Brute Bernard * Spiros Arion * Larry O’Day * Ron Miller * Ox Baker * Killer Karl Kox * Waldo Von Erick * Harley Race * Nick Bockwinkle * Steve Rackman * John Da Silva * Abdullah *  Tony Parisi * Mark Lewin * Domanic De Nucci * The Spoiler * George Barnes * Jack Claybourne * Butcher Brannigan
* Tojo Brothers * Gary Hart *    PLUS  MANY  MORE    

Ron Miller, Australian Heavyweight Wrestling Champion from 1975 to 1984, takes us on a journey back to when all these lords of the ring thundered rage and reigned from the top rope Downunder and across the world. Ron travels Australia and the USA to find which friends and foes are still fighting fit from the glory days of wrestling…

Ruff Tuff & Real

Ruff, Tuff and Real” not only relives the “Saturday” television and weekday stadium bouts, but discovers “where are they now.” We speak with Aussies Ron Miller, Mario Milano, Steve Rackman, George Barnes, Ex-pat JackClaybourne, Announcer Mike Cleary (also Doco Narrator) and Larry O’Dea’s family. Traveling then to Hawaii, Ron finds King Curtis… then it’s on to Las Vegas and the Annual Cauliflower Alley Fighters’ Convention, where Ron Miller tracks down Yankee greats Harley Race, Nick Bockwinkel, Ox Baker, Red Bastien and wrestling managers, JJ Dillon and ‘Playboy’ Garry Hart.

Exclusive classic TV video and Stadium film footage of the wrestlers interviewed and many greats who have passed on. There are one on one’s for the world titles, tag teams, fighters’ managers who insisted on getting in on the act.

It was reality television decades before the term was coined and it gave the many fans a real kick watching their favourites battle with nothing but their strength and showmanship.

Ron Miller is now in his 60’s, but his memory and love of the great wrestling days is sharp and clear. He can remember the good and frequent press, the camaraderie, the extensive Australian and successful USA Tours and the many injuries.

Made by Australian owned and based Instinct Television, “Ruff Tuff and Real” is a one hour commercial documentary that speaks to a fan audience who want to remember… and a new audience who want to know where the current USA wrestling phenomenon came from. More than just footage of big blokes kicking the hell out of each other, this is a critical, cultural moment in Australia’s lifetime… but mostly, it’s just bloody good entertainment.

Ron Miller