Ripper Collins (1933-1991)

Real Name - Roy Collins

Lifespan - 8/10/33 - 12/11/91

5’10” 2?? lbs. - Muskogee, OK

Athletic Background - n/a

Teacher(s) - n/a

Aliases - Roy Collins, Pretty Boy Collins

Peak Years - `66-`71

Place in History - Since the days of Gorgeous George and arguably before that, pro-wrestling heels have agitated the masses by playing effeminate characters that pushed the bounds of social mores and sexuality.  These heels were often straight men who realized that playing a seemingly gay character would be their ticket to greater success.  A doughy kid from Texas who took the name of a baseball player, bleached his hair and played up his Southern cadence and naturally flamboyant personality, Ripper Collins was one of the great heels of his era.  While touring around the South, he met his wife Barbara Baker and his career took off.  Collins was a closeted homosexual throughout his career and his marriage to Baker allowed him to blur the lines like Gorgeous George before him.  It also allowed him to have a family and mask a lifestyle that was well-known to his peers and got him in a little legal trouble here and there.  While Collins was well liked by his peers and was always an affable jokester, he was notorious for ribbing young wrestlers by being very forward and suggestive in his conduct.  While no one ever talks up his in-ring prowess, Ripper Collins was exceptional in every other aspect of pro-wrestling.  The outrageous outfits he wore to the ring, his employ of man-servants (most notably Beauregarde), his effeminate mannerisms, his child-like temper tantrums and his over-the-top promos made him one of the hottest heels of the late 1960s.  During this time frame, Ripper Collins had caught fire in Hawaii and he spent over six years there.  The promotion was noted for giving more time for promos than other offices and this allowed some amazing talkers to blossom.  The self-professed “King of Hawaii,” Collins would butcher the native language with his thick Southern drawl and it was a tremendous heat generator.  The territory was built around himself, Jim Hady, Johnny Barend and Curtis Iaukea through its hottest period.  After leaving the island, Collins toured around with varying degrees of success, mainly tagging with Whipper Watson Jr. throughout the 1970s.  Ripper Collins would return to Hawaii both with Watson for a time and later as a commentator for Peter and Lia Maivia’s promotion.