We are saddened to report that former AWA & WWF wrestler Colonel DeBeers (real name: Edward Wiskoski) has passed away at the age of 80.
Wiskoski, trained by Harley Race and Lord Littlebrook, made his wrestling debut in 1972. He primarily competed in the Portland, Oregon area, where his tag team partnership with “Playboy” Buddy Rose became renowned across the West Coast. Together, they held the Pacific Northwest Tag Team titles multiple times and the NWA World Tag Team titles (San Francisco version). Wiskoski also achieved singles success as the United States Heavyweight Champion and Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Champion. Additionally, he captured the Central States Heavyweight title in 1975 and frequently competed in Germany and Austria during the late 1970s and early 1980s in tournaments organized by IBV (later CWA) and VDB.
In the early 1980s, Wiskoski worked as a heel in Tulsa, Oklahoma, under Leroy McGuirk’s promotion, where he was known as “Easy” Ed Wiskoski and managed by Skandor Akbar. During this time, he feuded with Tommy Gilbert and Eddie Gilbert. In 1983, he wrestled briefly in the WWF as “The Polish Prince,” managed by Fred Blassie. Later, in the Pacific Northwest territory, Wiskoski adopted the gimmick of “Mega Maharishi Imed,” a parody of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, donning red robes and a stocking cap to resemble the controversial spiritual leader. This character capitalized on the public’s awareness of the Rajneeshee movement in Oregon during the mid-1980s.
Wiskoski became most widely known as Colonel DeBeers in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) from 1985 until its closure in 1990. As Colonel DeBeers, he portrayed a pro-Apartheid South African villain, capitalizing on the racial and political tensions of the era. Although billed as being from Cape Town, South Africa, he had no discernible accent, and his name was a nod to the South Africa-based DeBeers diamond corporation. While in the AWA, DeBeers feuded with notable wrestlers such as “Big” Scott Hall, “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, Sgt. Slaughter, Derrick Dukes, and Jake Milliman. His feud with Snuka, in particular, stood out for its overtly racist undertones, as DeBeers refused to wrestle Snuka due to his ethnicity. Their rivalry culminated in brutal matches, including an injury storyline where DeBeers attacked Snuka, leading to high-profile bouts.
RIP Col. Debeers. A lot of his stuff doesn’t age great.
But this is my favorite memory of him. “Scott Hall, you are on ANABOLIC STEROIDS!” pic.twitter.com/rM23IYqFlx
— “Tom”. (@NotThatTomGreen) January 26, 2025
DeBeers was also involved in one of AWA’s infamous Team Challenge Series matches, the “Great American Turkey Hunt,” where he faced Jake Milliman in a comedic contest involving an uncooked turkey suspended on a pole. Although DeBeers initially grabbed the turkey, Milliman managed to claim victory after the referee was knocked out. During his AWA tenure, DeBeers was briefly managed by Diamond Dallas Page and his Diamond Exchange stable.
In Herb Abrams’ Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF), DeBeers stirred additional controversy with racially charged angles, including refusing to have an African-American referee, Larry Sampson, officiate his matches. This feud led to a storyline involving Iceman Parsons and further cemented DeBeers’ villainous persona. During the 1990s, he used his performances to promote Aryan Nations and Richard Butler’s Church of Jesus Christ–Christian.
Wiskoski’s wrestling career concluded on January 29, 2005, at WrestleReunion, where he teamed with Buddy Rose and Bob Orton Jr. in a losing effort against Roddy Piper, Jimmy Snuka, and Jimmy Valiant in Tampa Bay, Florida.
RIP Colonel DeBeers
1945 – 2025
