gallery 3.8 - match history
 
JOURNEYMAN
 
 
TOM ZENK IN PACIFIC NORTH WEST
 
October,1985 - March, 1986
 
 
 Tom Zenk began his pro-wrestling career in early 1984 and was immediately recognized as a serious new talent.  

Wrestling Magazine declared him "1984 Wrestler of the Year" while Zenk tied with Jushin "Thunder" Liger  for the 1984 Wrestling Observer Newsletter's "Rookie of the Year" Award.  

But before achieving serious stardom in the WWF in 1987, Tom Zenk faced a year and a half of journeyman work in cold halls across the north of the United States and Canada (see cards below).  

 
 
From August 1984 to September, 1985 Tom had  worked mainly in preliminary matches in the AWA until a contract dispute led to his move in October, 1985 to NWA's Pacific North West Federation.  
 
Zenk worked in the Pacific North West for six months (until mid-March 1986) in promotions managed by Don Owen in Oregon and Dutch Savage in Washington State.  

During that time, he achieved reasonable promotion, main-eventing in arena shows and on  "Big Time Wrestling" (seen on KTVZ Channel 22, Seattle and around the region) in solo and tag team (with Scott Doring and with Billy Jack Haynes and Brady Boone). 
During October, November and December 1985, Zenk maintained an unbroken record of wins leading the then current PNW Heavyweight Champion, Bobby Jaggers, to offer a $3,000 bounty for "the first man to defeat Tom Zenk." 
 
    From "Big Time Wrestling" commentary, December 1985 - "What a sensation this Tom Zenk is - we haven't seen anything like this since Billy Jack Hayes. This man has really got the entire North West buzzing over his skills, capabilities and the excitement that he brings to professional wrestling and of course the fact that he's still undefeated."
 

On December 21, 1985  Tom Zenk and Scott Doring defeated Mike Miller and  Moondog Moretti for the PNW tag team title in Portland, Oregon.  

Subsequently, on January 21, 1986 Tom defeated Bobby Jaggers in Portland for the PNW heavyweight singles title. Tom Zenk now held the two major NWA titles in the Pacific North West. 

Immediately after his successful heavyweight title victory, Jaggers and Rip Oliver double teamed the new champion, beating him unconscious, leading to an ongoing feud between the two men. The feud was given further impetus when, two days later,on January 23, 1986,  Zenk and Scott Doring lost the PNW tag team title to Jaggers and Oliver in Salem, Oregon 
Throughout January, February and the early part of March, 1986, Tom continued to work  throughout the North West in high schools, armories and arenas with a work rate of around four out of every seven days.  

Tom's schedule included eventing in Portland, Eugene, Salem, Medford,Tacoma, Hepner, Fort Lewis, Findley, Pembleton, Centralia, Montessano, Tumwater and Seattle. This was mid-winter and the woolley pullovers and scarves would have been out in an effort to keep warm. 

Among the wrestlers he toured with were fellow 'faces'  Billy Jack Haynes, Brady Boone, Scott Doring, Steve Pardi, Terry Bradshaw, Jerry "Hercules" Samson and  Billy Two Eagles and  'heels' Bobby Jaggers, Rip Oliver, "Mean" Mike Miller, Moondog Moretti, Mega Maharishi (Ed Wiskoski), Karl Steiner and others.  

On March 9 , 1986, in anticipation of his move  to Canada,  Zenk lost the single title to Jaggers in Findley, Washington.  
Zenk and Martel spent the spring and fall of 1986 based in Montreal with Gino Brito's Canadian International Wrestling Alliance (IWA). During this period Zenk and tag partner Dan Kroffat (Phil Lafon) picked up the Canadian International Tag Team Title, defeating Scott and Bill Irwin (August, 12, 1986).  

In November 1985, Martel and Zenk moved to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and the Can-Am Connection. 

 
 
Date  Place 
Match-up
10/19/85 Portland Tom Zenk beat Tim Flowers 
10/22/85 Ft. Lewis Tom Zenk beat Chris Colt
10/31/85 Salem  Tom Zenk beat Ed Wiskoski
11/1/85 Eugene Tom Zenk beat Moondog Moretti
11/2/85  Portland Tom Zenk and Ricky Vaughn drew Mike Miller and Moondog Moretti 
11/7/85  Salem Tom Zenk and Ricky Vaughn beat Mike Miller and Bobby Jaggers 
11/8/85  Eugene  Tom Zenk beat Bobby Jaggers 
11/9/85  Portland Tom Zenk beat Moondog Moretti 
11/15/85 Tom Zenk beat Mike Miller 
11/16/85  Portland  Tom Zenk, Ole Olson and Steve Pardi beat Mike Miller,  Moondog Moretti and Karl Steiner,  Also Tom Zenk beat Bobby Jaggers. 
11/22/85  Eugene Tom Zenk beat Moondog Moretti
11/23/85  Portland Tom Zenk beat Moondog Moretti 
11/27/85  Medford Tom Zenk beat Ed Wiskoski 
 
11/29/85  Eugene  Tom Zenk beat Chris Colt 
11/30/85  Portland Tom Zenk beat Ed Wiskoski 
12/5/85  Salem  Tom Zenk beat Chris Colt 
12/7/85   Portland Tom Zenk beat Tim Flowers
 
12/10/85  Portland Tom Zenk beat Moondog Moretti 
12/12/85  Salem  Tom Zenk beat Tim Flowers 
12/14/85  Portland Tom Zenk and Scott Doring beat Moondog Moretti and  Mike Miller 
12/20/85  Eugene  Tom Zenk beat Mike Miller 
12/21/85  Portland   
 

Tom Zenk and Scott Doring beat Mike Miller & Moondog Moretti to win PNW tag titles.  
 

12/25/85  Portland Tom Zenk and Jerry Sampson drew Mike Miller and  Moondog Moretti.
12/26/85  Salem  Tom Zenk beat Moondog Moretti 
12/27/85  Eugene Tom Zenk beat Karl Steiner 
12/28/85  Portland  Tom Zenk and Scott Doring beat Mike Miller and Moondog Moretti 
 
12/29/85  Seaside  Tom Zenk beat Bobby Jaggers DQ
 
1/2/86  Salem  Tom Zenk and Scott Doring beat Moondog Moretti and Tim Flowers 
1/3/86  Eugene Tom Zenk beat Bobby Jaggers 
1/4/86  Portland Tom Zenk and  Billy Jack Haynes beat Rip Oliver and  Bobby Jaggers DQ
1/6/86  Tacoma Tom Zenk and Billy Jack Haynes beat Rip Oliver and Bobby Jaggers DQ
1/8/86  Seattle Tom Zenk won Battle Royal, Tom Zenk beat Bobby Jaggers 
1/9/86  Salem  Billy Jack Haynes and Tom Zenk beat Bobby Jaggers and Rip Oliver DQ
1/10/86  Eugene Tom Zenk beat Bobby Jaggers DQ
1/11/86  Portland  Billy Jack Haynes and Tom Zenk beat Rip Oliver and Bobby Jaggers DQ
1/16/86  Salem  Tom Zenk and Billy Jack Haynes drew Rip Oliver and Bobby Jaggers 
1/17/86  Eugene  Billy Jack Haynes and Tom Zenk beat Rip Oliver and Bobby Jaggers 
1/18/86  Portland  Tom Zenk, BIlly Jack Haynes and Brady Boone beat Bobby Jaggers, Rip Oliver and Moondog Moretti.  
 
1/21/86  Portland   

Tom Zenk beat Bobby Jaggers to win PNW heavyweight singles title in victory (after his victory Zenk is double teamed by Jaggers and Rip Oliver and beaten unconscious - a feud develops with Bobby Jaggers) 

1/23/86  Salem  Rip Oliver and Bobby Jaggers beat Scott Doring and Tom Zenk to win tag titles
1/24/86  Eugene Tom Zenk and Scott Doring beat Rip Oliver and Bobby Jaggers
1/25/86  Portland  Tom Zenk beat Karl Steiner
1/30/86  Salem Tom Zenk beat Rip Oliver dq
1/31/86  Eugene  Tom Zenk and Scott Doring beat Bobby Jaggers and Moondog Moretti 
2/1/86  Portland Tom Zenk and Scott Doring beat Bobby Jaggers and Moondog Moretti 
2/2/86 Yacama
 
 2/3/86 Hepner
2/4/86  Seaside Tom Zenk won Battle Royal, Tom Zenk beat Karl Steiner
2/5/86  Ft. Lewis, WA  Tom Zenk and Little Mr. T won Battle Royal; Billy Jack Haynes and Tom Zenk beat Rip Oliver and Bobby Jaggers 
2/6/86  Salem Tom Zenk won Battle Royal, Tom Zenk beat Bobby Jaggers DQ 
2/7/86  Eugene Tom Zenk beat Karl Steiner 
2/8/86  Portland Tom Zenk and Scott Doring beat Bobby Jaggers and Ed Wiskoski 
 2/9/86  Findley  
2/12/86 Seattle Colosseum 
2/13/86  Salem  Tom Zenk and Brady Boone drew Bobby Jaggers and Rip Oliver
2/14/86  Eugene Tom Zenk and Brady Boone beat Bobby Jaggers and Moondog Moretti 
2/15/86  Portland Tom Zenk drew Bobby Jaggers 
2/16/86 Pembleton Armory 
2/18/86  Centralia WA Tom Zenk and Scott Doring beat Moondog Moretti and Bobby Jaggers. 
2/19/86 Medford Tom Zenk beat Bobby Jaggers DQ 
2/20/86  Salem Tom Zenk beat Bobby Jaggers DQ 
2/22/86  Portland Tom Zenk drew Bobby Jaggers 
2/23/86  Montessano WA Tom Zenk and Scott Doring beat Bobby Jaggers and Mike Miller DQ 
2/25/86  Portland Tom Zenk, Brady Boone and Coco Samoa beat Rip Oliver, Bobby Jaggers and Mike Miller DQ
3/1/86  Portland  Rip Oliver beat Tom Zenk 
3/5/86  Tumwater WA Tom Zenk beat Rip Oliver
3/6/86  Salem Tom Zenk and Scott Doring beat Bobby Jaggers and Rip Oliver 
3/7/86  Eugene Tom Zenk and Coco Samoa beat Bobby Jaggers and Rip Oliver 
3/9/86 Findley, WA Zenk lost his single title to Jaggers in Findley, Washington in anticipation of moving to Canada and IWA 
3/14/86  Eugene Bobby Jaggers and Rip Oliver beat Tom Zenk and Coco Samoa  DQ
3/15/86  Portland Tom Zenk and Scott Doring beat Assassin and Mike Miller DQ 
card information very generously  provided by Mike Rodgers of "Ring Around the North West" Oregon
 
 
 

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