Dash77
03-11-2007, 02:16 PM
<p>WWE Hall of Famer <a href="http://www.ronfez.net/superstars/halloffame/ernieladd/">Ernie Ladd</a> passed away last night, according to TheNewsStar.com. Ladd, 68, had been battling cancer since 2004.</p><p>Professionally known as the “Big Cat,” Ladd was one of the premiere professional wrestlers of the 1960s and 1970s. Long-time fans in the Northeast particularly remember the havoc he wreaked in WWE throughout the ‘70s as one of the biggest names the territory had ever seen. Managed by the <a href="http://www.ronfez.net/superstars/halloffame/thegrandwizard/">Grand Wizard</a>, Ladd was a persistent challenger to WWE Champions Bruno Sammartino, <a href="http://www.ronfez.net/superstars/halloffame/pedromorales/">Pedro Morales</a> and Bob Backlund.</p><p>Prior to a successful career in sports-entertainment, Ladd earned fame as a dominant football player at both the college and pro level. He was a star lineman for Louisiana’s Grambling State University in the late ‘50s, and was recruited in 1961 by the AFL’s San Diego Chargers. He was a member of the Chargers’ 1963 AFL Championship team, and appeared in four straight AFL All-Star Games from 1962-1965. In addition to the Chargers, he also played for the Houston Oilers and Kansas City Chiefs.</p>