wrestling / News
UPDATED: Ole Anderson Passes Away, Family Releases Obituary
Image Credit: WWE
UPDATE: The family of Ole Anderson has released an obituary online following the wrestler and promoter’s passing. The full obituary is below. It notes that due to the family’s wishes, no service will be held.
The obit reads:
Obituary for Mr. Alan Robert Rogowski
Mr. Alan Robert Rogowski, age 81, of Monroe, passed away peacefully on Monday, February 26, 2024 at his residence.Mr. Rogowski was a professional wrestler and wrestled under the name of Ole Anderson. He served the United States faithfully in the Army.
Mr. Rogowski was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Joseph Rogowski and Georgiana Bryant; and his brother, Robin Rogowski.
Mr. Rogowski is survived by his significant other of twenty-two years, Marsha Cain; children, Bryant Rogowski, Christian Rogowski, Fortune Evans, Aaron Rogowski, Ethan Rogowski, Galen Rogowski, and Dana Armstrong; along with a host of grandchildren and extended family also survives.
Per the request of the family, no services will be held.
Carter Funeral Home, Winder, is entrusted with the arrangements.
ORIGINAL: Ole Anderson, the wrestler and promoter who was a founding member of the Four Horsemen, has passed away. Ricky Morton posted to Instagram to announce that Anderson had passed. No word on the cause of death at this time. He was 81 years old.
Morton wrote:
“Rest in Paradise, Ole Anderson.
You taught me so much in professional wrestling. You were tough as nails.
You will be missed, my friend.”
Anderson began his wrestling career in 1967, working in the AWA as Rock Rogowski. He would move onto Jim Crockett Promotions in 1968 where he joined his kayfabe brother Gene as the Minnesota Wrecking Crew. Ole was replacing Lars Anderson in the team. Ole stayed with JCP until 1970 and began a two year-sting in Championship Wrestling from Florida in 1971. During that time, he had runs with the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship and NWA Florida Television Championship.
Anderson returned to Jim Crockett Promotions in 1972 and stayed working primarily between there and Georgia Championship Wrestling throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. The Minnesota Wrecking Crew became a dominant tag team there and had a number of legendary feuds over the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championships, as well as the Mid-Atlantic version of the NWA World Tag Team Championships. Anderson also worked behind the scenes at both companies as the booker, often simultaneously, and would hold supercards between the two companies. During this time he was one of the most prominent heels in the Carolinas, and eventually left JCP to work full-time for GCW.
When Vince McMahon bought the majority interest in GCW, Anderson pushed back against the change and left to start a new company called Championship Wrestling from Georgia.
Aside from his booking, Anderson is likely best known for his time in the Four Horseman. Anderson was a founding member of the group along with Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, and manager J. J. Dillon, with the group forming in 1968. Ole was kicked out in 1987 when Lex Luger came into the stable and retired from the ring that year. He would return to reform the Horsemen in 1989 but retired again to be a manager.
Anderson ended up in a booking position in WCW in 1990, a run that included several iconic infamous ideas such as the Black Scorpion and the Shockmaster. He took over WCW when Bill Watts was fired, but that was short-lived as Eric Bischoff soon came to power and Ole was out of the company soon after. He retired from wrestling in 1996.
On behalf of 411, our condolences to the family, friends and fans of Ole Anderson. Wrestling wouldn’t be the same without him.
