Moondog Spot

Moondog Spot
Birth name	Larry Booker
Born	January 6, 1952[1] Louisiana
Died	November 29, 2003 (aged 51)[1] Memphis, Tennessee
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Larry Latham[1] Moondog Spot[1]
Billed height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[1]
Billed weight	375 lb (170 kg)[1]
Debut	1979[1]

Larry Booker (January 6, 1952 – November 29, 2003) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring names Moondog Spot and Larry Latham.^[1]

Professional wrestling career

Booker debuted in 1979 under the ring name Larry Latham. Latham formed a tag team with Carl Fergie called "The Ragin' Cajuns" managed by Billy Spears in the Gulf Coast territory.^[1] Early in his career, he wrestled in Memphis and Mid-South. His first big push came as a member of the Blond Bombers with Wayne Farris (The Honky Tonk Man). The Blond Bombers were involved in heated feuds with several baby faces across the two competing Tennessee promotions, appearing in both Nick Gulas Nashville based territory, and Jerry Jarrett's Memphis area. The team was managed by Danny Davis. Their signature moment was the now famous "Tupelo Concession Stand Brawl" against Jerry Lawler and Bill Dundee.

Years later, Booker resurfaced as "Moondog Spot", a member of The Moondogs. The Moondogs feuded with The Fabulous Ones, The Rock 'n' Roll Express, and Midnight Express. The Moondogs became a regular gimmick in the Memphis promotion featuring a revolving door of wrestlers who teamed with Latham.

Booker became a WWWF World Tag Team Champion as a replacement for Moondog King in May 1981.^[2][3] Booker held the title along with Moondog Rex until they were defeated by Rick Martel and Tony Garea on July 21, 1981.^[2][3]

On November 7, 1985 he wrestled in the tournament on the WWF pay-per-view event Wrestling Classic. He defeated Terry Funk in the first round by count out, then lost to Junkyard Dog in the quarterfinals.^[3][4]

In March 2003, he made a few appearances as Moondog Spot in NWA:TNA, which is known today as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.^[1]

Death

Latham died of a heart attack in the ring during Jerry Lawler's "birthday bash" show on November 29, 2003 in Memphis, Tennessee.^[2]

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Splash^[1]
• Signature moves
  • Diving elbow drop^[1]
  • Gory special
  • Powerbomb
• Signature weapons
  • Bone^[1]
• With Moondog Rex
  • Backbreaker hold / Diving elbow drop combination – WWF
• Managers
  • Lou Albano^[5]
  • Jimmy Hart^[6]
  • James Mitchell

Championships and accomplishments

• International Championship Wrestling (New England)

• ICW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Moondog Spike^[7]

• Moondog Championship Wrestling
  • MCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[8]
• NWA Mid-America - Continental Wrestling Association

• AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Wayne Farris (3), Bill Irwin (1) and Moondog Rex (1)^[9]
• NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Wayne Farris^[10]
• CWA Heavyweight Championship (3 times)^[11]
• NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship (1 times)^[1]

• Power Pro Wrestling
  • PPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Derrick King^[1]
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated

• PWI Feud of the Year (1992) with Moondog Cujo vs. Jerry Lawler and Jeff Jarrett

• Southern Championship Wrestling

• SCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[8]

• United States Wrestling Association

• USWA World Tag Team Championship (13 times) – with Moondog Spike (3), Moondog Cujo (2), Moondog Splat (4), Moondog Rex (3), and Moondog Rover (1)^[12]

• World Wrestling Council

• WWC North American Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Moondog Rex^[1]
• WWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Moondog Rex^[1]
• WWC World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Moondog Rex^[1]

• World Wrestling Federation

• WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Moondog Rex^[13]

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

• Feud of the Year (1992) with Moondog Cujo vs. Jerry Lawler and Jeff Jarrett

References

1. "Larry Booker's profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
2. Oliver, Greg. "Moondog Spot dies during match". SLAM! Wrestling.
3. Cawthon, Graham (2013). the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 1: WWF 1963 - 1989. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 1492825972.
4. "The Wrestling Classic results". Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments. Retrieved 2008-05-25.
5. Ellison, Lillian. First Goddess of the Squared Circle, p.166–167.
6. "Jimmy Hart profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
7. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Boston: International Championship Wrestling Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
8. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
9. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "(Memphis, Nashville) Tennessee: Southern Tag Team Title [Roy Welsch & Nick Gulas, Jerry Jarrett from 1977]". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 185–189. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
10. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Tennessee: NWA Mid-America Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 194–195. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
11. "CWA Heavyweight Championship history". Wrestling-Titles.com.
12. Duncan, Royal; Gary Will (2006). "(Memphis, Nashville) Memphis: USWA Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 200–202. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
13. "History of the World Tag Team Championship". WWE. Retrieved 2007-05-11.

External links

• Moondog Spot, Joey Rossi Remembered by Mike Mooneyham
• In Memory of Moondog Spot
• The Accelerator's Wrestling Rollercoaster: Moondog Spot
• Deceased Wrestlers - Moondog Spot
• Larry Latham at the Internet Movie Database