Real Name: Charles Donald Kernodle Jr.
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 290 lbs.
Date of Birth: May 2, 1950
Date of Death: May 17, 2021
Hometown: Burlington, North Carolina
Pro Debut: 1973
Trained By: Ole Anderson & Gene Anderson
Finishing Move: Neckbreaker
Biography
– Kernodle lettered four times in amateur wrestling and was also a two-time national arm wrestling champion
– Kernodle began his career in JCP, impressing in a ‘shoot’ challenge against Bob Roop
– In his first official match, on November 2, 1973, Kernodle took Johnny Heidman to a time-limit draw
– Kernodle began a storyline alongside Sgt Slaughter in 1982, becoming ‘Pvt Kernodle’
– On March 27, 1982, Kernodle & Jim Nelson defeated Iceman Parsons & Pork Chop Cash to win the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Titles. The teams would trade the titles back and forth several times over the first half of the year
– On July 20, Kernodle & Nelson defeated Paul Jones & Jake Roberts to retain the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Titles
– On July 29, Kernodle & Nelson defeated Paul Jones & Johnny Weaver to retain the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Titles
– On August 8, Kernodle defeated Jay Youngblood to win the NWA Canadian Television Title
– On September 12, Kernodle & Sgt Slaughter were awarded the NWA World Tag Team Titles. In storyline, they defeated the team of Antonio Inoki & Giant Baba in Japan, but this match never actually occurred
– On October 9, Kernodle & Slaughter defeated Jay Youngblood & Johnny Weaver to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On October 12, Kernodle & Slaughter defeated Jay Youngblood & Ricky Steamboat to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On November 26, Kernodle & Slaughter defeated The Brisco Brothers (Jack & Jerry) to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On December 2, Kernodle & Slaughter defeated Jerry Brisco & Sweet Brown Sugar to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On January 15, 1983, Kernodle & Slaughter defeated Iceman King Parsons & Pork Chop Cash to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On January 23, Kernodle & Slaughter defeated Jay Youngblood & Ricky Steamboat in a Lumberjack Match to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On February 6, Kernodle & Slaughter defeated Sweet Brown Sugar & Dizzy Hogan to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On February 12, Kernodle & Slaughter defeated Jerry Brisco & Mike Rotundo to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On February 20, Kernodle & Slaughter defeated The Funk Brothers (Dory Jr & Terry) to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– Kernodle began a stint with the WWF in May 1983
– On October 16, Kernodle defeated Mike Rotundo to win the NWA Canadian Television Title
– Kernodle left the WWF at the end of the year and returned to Mid-Atlantic
– On January 8, 1984, Kernodle & Bob Orton Jr defeated Dory Funk Jr & Jimmy Valiant in the final of a tournament to win the vacant NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On January 27, Kernodle & Orton defeated Mike Rotunda & Greg Valentine to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On February 4, Kernodle & Orton defeated The Youngbloods (Jay & Mark) to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On February 10, Kernodle & Orton defeated Angelo Mosca Sr & Wahoo McDaniel to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On May 8, 1984, Kernodle & Ivan Koloff defeated Wahoo McDaniel & Mark Youngblood to win the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On May 19, Kernodle & Koloff defeated Mark Youngblood & Pez Whatley to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On June 4, Kernodle & Koloff defeated Wahoo McDaniel & Brian Adias to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On June 20, Kernodle & Koloff defeated Mark Youngblood & The Renegade in a No-DQ Match to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On July 18, Kernodle, Ivan Koloff & Nikita Koloff defeated Angelo Mosca Jr, Rufus R Jones & Tom Shaft to win the revived NWA Six-Man Tag Team Titles
– On August 1, Kernodle & Ivan Koloff defeated Rufus R Jones & Pez Whatley to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On August 17, Kernodle & Koloff defeated Brian Adias & The Renegade to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On October 6, Kernodle & Koloff defeated Ole Anderson & Brian Adias to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On October 13, Kernodle & Koloff defeated Brian Adias & The Ultimate Assassin to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– On October 19, Kernodle & The Koloffs defeated Mike Davis, Brian Adias & Mike Rotunda to retain the NWA Six-Man Tag Team Titles
– Kernodle retired from wrestling in 1986. He would join the US Customs Agency in North Carolina, though continued to compete occasionally in Puerto Rico
– Kernodle came out of retirement in 1997 and made several appearances for Carolina-based independent promotions
– In 2002, Kernodle joined the CWF, making several in-ring appearances alongside his son Rocky
– Kernodle retired for good in 2006
– Kernodle was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2021
– With Kernodle’s health failing, he chose to take his own life on May 17, 2021