hiː hæd mˈætʃᵻz wɪð mˈɛnɪəv ðə tˈɑːp nˈeɪmz ɪnðə bˈɪznəs ɪŋklˈuːdɪŋ hɪz ɹˈiːəl bɹˈʌðɚɹɪnlˈɔː bˈɪli ɹˈɛd lˈaɪɑːnz, hˌuː hˈændᵻd hˌɪm hɪz fˈɜːst ɐmˈɛɹɪkən ɹˈɛsəlɪŋ ɐsˌoʊsɪˈeɪʃən ˌeɪdˌʌbəljˌuːˈeɪ dᵻfˈiːt ˌɔn mˌɪniːˈæpəlɪs tˈɛlᵻvˌɪʒən, wɪð ɐ fˈɪɡjɚfˈoːɹ lˈɛɡlɑːk.
He had matches with many of the top names in the business including his real brother-in-law Billy Red Lyons, who handed him his first American Wrestling Association (AWA) defeat on Minneapolis television, with a figure-four leglock.