Sputnik Monroe Born: December 18, 1929 in Dodge City, Kansas Died: November 3, 2006 in Florida Sputnik Monroe was a headlining wrestler in many territories from the 1945 until his retirement in 1988. Today, Monroe is remembered for fighting to end segregation in Memphis and shattering attendance records against his biggest rival in the territory, Billy Wicks. Their attendance records would stand until the Monday Night Wars of the late-1990s. Debuting as Rock Monroe in 1945, Monroe began his career by wrestling in traveling carnivals. He changed his name to Rocky Monroe in 1949 and adopted the nickname “Sputnik” in 1957. Monroe cultivated an “evil” heel gimmick. In a wrestling-related incident, he had had an opponent locked in a worked submission hold and threatened to break his arm. A local sheriff threatened to shoot Sputnik if he did, to which Monroe replied he...