Buddy Landel

William Fritz Ensor (August 14, 1961 – June 22, 2015) was an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name "Nature Boy" Buddy Landel.

He was best known for his work in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) territories.

Landel first became interested in professional wrestling when a friend of his sister, Lou Anne Smith, introduced him to Bob Orton, Randy Savage and Boris Malenko.

Landel was an amateur wrestler in high school, but dropped out during his junior year.

While he was training with Boris Malenko, Landel lived in an apartment with Olympian Bob Roop.

Landel started his career in 1979.

In 1980 he worked for Angelo Poffo's International Championship Wrestling in the Mid-East.

In 1981, he became a part of Bill Watts's Mid-South Wrestling.

Landel made his debut on May 25, 1981, in New Orleans, LA and defeated Kelly Kiniski.

The young wrestler was quite active, wrestling Ken Mantell, Carl Fergie, Jake Roberts, and The Great Kabuki.

On August 18, 1981, he received his first title opportunity, but fell in defeat to Mississippi Champion Bob Orton.

On September 29, 1981, he teamed with Jim Garvin in an unsuccessful challenge to MSW Tag-Team Champions The Wild Samoans, and after this moved on to Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling.

Less than two weeks later Landel surfaced in Jim Crockett's Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, defeating Mike Miller in Asheville, NC.

He was largely victorious against a number of opponents, including Charlie Fulton, Mike Miller, and Jeff Sword.

Landel returned to Mid-South Wrestling on March 3, 1982, defeating Bob Orton in a match held in Baton Rouge, LA.

He stayed in Bill Watt's territory for the next few months, facing Rick Ferrara, Paul Orndorff, and One Man Gang.

After several months in the promotion, Landell jumped to the Continental Wrestling Association on August 30, 1982.

Teaming with Mike Graham, they battled Spike Huber and Steve Regal to a double count-out.

After several months in the CWA, Landel returned to MSW and would split time between several National Wrestling Alliance promotions, including Mid-South, the CWA, and Houston Wrestling.

On March 8, 1983, he traveled to Capitol Sports Promotions and defeated Pierre Martel to win the WWC North American Heavyweight Title.

This was Landel's first title, and he held the belt until June 25, 1983, when he lost to Pedro Morales in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

That summer Landel defeated Dutch Mantell to win the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship in Memphis, TN.

He held the title until August 29, 1983, when he was defeated by Koko B. Ware.

Landel regained the title on September 10, then holding it until he was defeated by Terry Taylor on December 1, 1983, in Lexington, KY.

Landell spent all of 1984 splitting time between Mid-South and Houston Wrestling, facing competitors such as Terry Taylor, Jose Lothario, and Brickhouse Brown.

In 1985 he returned to Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling (Jim Crockett Promotions), defeating Denny Brown at "MACW Title Night '85" in Raleigh, North Carolina on March 6.

Landel joined manager J. J. Dillon's stable, and he unsuccessfully challenged Magnum T. A. for the United States Heavyweight Championship on March 29, 1985.

He would wrestle Magnum several more times that spring but was unable to gain the title.

On June 15, 1985, Buddy Landell received his first ever shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, falling in defeat to "Nature Boy" Ric Flair in Greensboro, NC.

A wrestling card with a Landel-Ric Flair main event on July 31, 1985, drew an overflow crowd at J.S. Dorton Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina.

(Landel often claimed this crowd broke Elvis Presley's attendance record at the arena, but this has not been independently confirmed. ) He won the NWA National Heavyweight Championship from Terry Taylor at Starrcade '85 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Landel was set to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Flair in 1985.

However, Landel had a falling out with the management of Jim Crockett Promotions and left the company after dropping the National Heavyweight Championship to Dusty Rhodes on December 19, 1985.

He resurfaced in the Continental Wrestling Association January 4, 1986, and defeated David Haskins at a television taping in Memphis, TN.

Seventeen days later he retook the CWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship from Koko B. Ware, although his reign was brief as he was defeated for it by Dusty Rhodes on February 2.

Landel regained the championship sixteen days later and held it until April 7, when he lost to Dutch Mantell.

On April 19, 1986, he made a one-off return to Jim Crockett Promotions, teaming with Bill Dundee to participate in the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup.

The duo was defeated in the first round by Steve Williams and Terry Taylor.

On June 2, 1986, he defeated former partner Bill Dundee to win the AWA Southern Championship in a barbed wire match held in Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee.

He briefly vacated the belt that month, then regained it in a tournament finale over The Flame (Roger Smith).