"Nature Boy" Buddy Landel, was an American professional wrestler born in Knoxville, Tennessee. 1976–1990Landel first became interested in professional wrestling when his sister was dating Barry Orton, and the two would occasionally wrestle when he came over to visit. 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. He started his career in 1979 in Bill Watts's Mid South promotion. He also worked in International Championship Wrestling. He went to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)'s Jim Crockett Promotions in 1985 and joined manager James J. Dillon's stable. A wrestling card with a Landel-Ric Flair main event in July 1985 broke Elvis Presley's attendance record in Dorton Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. He won the NWA National Heavyweight Championship from Terry Taylor at Starrcade '85 in Greensboro, North Carolina.[2]Landel was set to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Ric Flair in 1985. However, Landel had a falling out with the management of Jim Crockett Promotions and left the company. Landel went back to the Tennessee area in 1986. With Bill Dundee, Dutch Mantell and Jerry Lawler, he headlined the last sold-out show in the Mid-South Coliseum. He worked in the Alabama territories in 1987 and 1988. Landel at one time was managed by Andy Kaufman, Jim Cornette, and Jimmy Hart.
He came back to the NWA in 1990 and wrestled "Nature Boy" Ric Flair in a "Battle of the Nature Boys". He wrestled Flair in a "Gauntlet match" which aired on November 24, 1990. The storyline was dropped after three months because of Landel's personal problems. He worked in Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) in 1994 and 1995. There he became one of the main events managed by Jim Cornette. Buddy held the SMW Heavyweight Championship and the SMW Television Championship in 1995. He remained a heroic character until the promotion folded in late 1995. After Cornette closed SMW, both Cornette and Landel went to the World Wrestling Federation.[5] He started the same day as The Ringmaster (the future Stone Cold Steve Austin) on December 5, 1995.