Pez Whatley--- ND St. Chmp. 67/69

[BuckLateral]

For you longtime wrestling fans, I heard from a friend today that Pez Whatley, two time state heavyweight champion at Notre Dame High School in 1967 and 1969 ( Best Wrestler in 1969 as well) is in Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga with a very serious heart condition. Pez was a great wrestler and one of the nicest guys you could ever meet-----had a smile a mile wide. It is ironic that he is having heart problems because he is a guy that as a coach you would characterize as having a lot of 'heart". I'm pretty sure that with his win in 1967 he was the first African American to win a TSSAA state wrestling championship. His son, Pez Jr., won a state title at ND in 1992 making them the first father-son to win a TSSAA state wrestling championship. Pez went on to wrestle in college at UTC. After that he wrestled professionally as "Pistol Pez", when he was a "face"---------as a "heel", I think his tag was "Willy B. Hurt". For a while after his retirement, he was an instructor at the WWF Power Plant in Atlanta where they train their wrestlers. Let's hope he pulls through this one.

[countrypk]

Keep us apprised. He was a heck of a linebacker and tailback.

[countrypk]

Keep us apprised. He was a heck of a linebacker and tailback.

[Edited by countrypk on 1-16-03 1:37P]

[realsoccer]

Pez has been moved to Vanderbilt for heart transplant.

[mackidz]

Saturday at the UTC match, they took up money to

help his family with the medical cost and collected

nearly $1,300. Another testimony of how close the

wrestling community can be. (and generous) I know Pez

personally and he is a sweetheart. Keep him in your

prayers.

[BuckLateral]

As of yesterday, Pez was still at Vanderbilt Hospital undergoing tests to get necessary data to put him on a match list for a possible heart transplant. He may be there for a while. While he obviously has a serious condition, he seemed in good spirits considering everything and can still flash that trademark smile of his. And he is still a wrestling fan-----he was interested to know about the Ryan/MBA matchup in the duals here in Nashville this weekend and the Baylor/ McCallie matchup down in Chattanooga (since Baylor assistants Shaack Van Duesen and Yogi Anderson were his coach and teammate, respectively, at Notre Dame High School, and Jim Morgan was his coach at UTC, he has a favorite in that one). Several former UTC wrestlers/friends have come up from chattanooga to see him and while I was there he got calls from someone in Georgia and in Florida (a minister no less)----neither had ever met Pez and he did not know them, but they were wrestling fans, knew who he was and had seen posts about his condition. Pez has some difficulty getting to and talking on the phone in his room if someone is not there at the time to get the phone for him, so if anyone out there has tried to reach him by phone but has been unable to do so, that could be the reason.

[wrestlingfan]

Thank you for the post on Pez Whatley. I have never heard of him until I read about him. Sounds like an outstanding man. I will remember him in prayers.

[BuckLateral]

Pez was discharged from Vanderbilt hospital on February 7 and has returned home to Chattanooga to wait for a match to be found for his needed heart transplant. Some of you Chattanooga guys will have to follow his progress from there. I doubt if he is physically able but know that Pez would love to be watching some of the state tournament down there this weekend.

[W4L]

Hey! Tell Pez that the state finals will be on TV in Chattanooga. The finals will be aired live on Fox61 beginning at 4:00...L8er!!!!!