The Cream of the Crop – Episode 4: Billy Jack Haynes & Rip Oliver

<p><strong>The Cream of the Crop – Episode 4: Billy Jack Haynes &amp; Rip Oliver</strong></p><p>Sometimes you don&#39;t have to wait very long to discover your greatest rival.</p><p>For <strong>Billy Jack Haynes</strong>, it took exactly one night.</p><p>On October 29, 1982, the Portland native trained by Stu Hart walked into Portland Wrestling for the first time. Before the night was over, he had already battled <strong>Rip “The Crippler” Oliver</strong> to a draw—and begun a rivalry that would weave through nearly a decade of Portland Wrestling history.</p><p>In Episode 4 of <strong>The Cream of the Crop: The Main Eventers, Money Draws, and Territory Legends</strong>, we move into the 1980s and two men who took very different paths to the top.</p><p>Billy Jack was the hometown hero. He had the physique, intensity, sincerity and devastating full nelson that immediately connected with Portland fans. Rip Oliver was already becoming the territory&#39;s dominant villain—the leader of <strong>The Clan</strong> who would eventually capture an incredible <strong>12 Northwest Heavyweight Championships and 16 Northwest Tag Team Championships</strong>.</p><p>And then Rip Oliver dressed up as Santa Claus.</p><p>Near Christmas 1982, Santa entered the Portland Sports Arena carrying candy for the fans. When Billy Jack approached, Santa reached into his bag, pulled out a <strong>tire iron and clobbered him with it</strong>. Underneath the Santa suit was Rip Oliver.</p><p>Merry Christmas, Portland Wrestling style.</p><p>It was ridiculous. It was personal. And it worked. The hometown hero against the leader of The Clan became one of the rivalries that would help carry Portland Wrestling into a new era.</p><p>Billy Jack&#39;s career soon carried him far beyond Portland, but perhaps the greatest evidence of his drawing power came at Portland Wrestling&#39;s <strong>60th Anniversary Extravaganza in 1985</strong>. With Roddy Piper, Buddy Rose, the Road Warriors, Sgt. Slaughter, Rick Martel and the Hennigs all on the card, <strong>Billy Jack Haynes versus Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship went on top</strong>. More than 12,000 fans packed Memorial Coliseum for the sellout.</p><p>While Billy Jack pursued opportunities around the wrestling world and eventually reached WrestleMania III, Rip Oliver stayed in Portland. He became a champion, leader, booker and one of the pillars of the territory throughout the decade.</p><p>Then professional wrestling did what professional wrestling does.</p><p>On Christmas night 1989, after years of fighting each other, <strong>Billy Jack Haynes and Rip Oliver became partners</strong>, teaming inside a cage. Months later, a garbage can and a misunderstanding changed everything again. Billy Jack turned against Rip and the Portland fans—and suddenly the longtime hometown hero was the villain while Rip Oliver, after spending most of his Portland career as a heel, became the hero.</p><p>Enemies. Champions. Partners. And enemies all over again.</p><p><strong>Billy Jack Haynes and Rip Oliver</strong> spent nearly a decade seemingly unable to escape each other—and that&#39;s exactly why they belong among Portland Wrestling&#39;s main eventers, money draws and territory legends.</p><p>They were <strong>The Cream of the Crop</strong>.</p><p>And next Friday, we bring another great Portland rivalry back into the spotlight: <strong>Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka and Ripper Collins</strong>. One became one of the most recognizable stars professional wrestling ever produced. The other became one of the Pacific Northwest&#39;s most memorable villains.</p><p>Hosted by Frank Culbertson and based on <em>The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers</em> by Portland Wrestling historian Mike Rodgers, available now on Amazon.</p><p>New episodes of <em>The Cream of the Crop</em> drop every Friday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your wrestling fix.</p><p></p>