Frank Williams (51)

1940-02-20 - 1991-04-23 | Cleveland, Ohio

Frank Williams, born Armando Pumarejo in 1940, was an American professional wrestler most known for his long career with the WWF (now WWE) from 1975 to 1984. Williams, often performing under the ring name "Cowboy" Frankie Williams, was a key figure in New York’s independent wrestling scene and also a star for Ringside 41, a company targeting the Hispanic community. Despite being a lower-card wrestler, Williams became a staple on WWF television, often participating in preliminary matches and even scoring surprising victories, including wins over Tony Altimore and a rookie Bad News Allen. He also made an impact as a color commentator in 1980, following a major injury from a piledriver by Swede Hanson. Williams became outspoken about the dangers of the move, declaring he would not face Hanson again unless the piledriver was banned. He returned to the ring in 1983 to face Hanson once more at the Boston Garden. Behind the scenes, Williams was known as a joker and an assistant to Gorilla Monsoon at WWF tapings. Additionally, he crafted the Tag Team and Intercontinental Championship belts for the company during the late 70s and early 80s. Williams is perhaps best remembered for his appearance on Piper's Pit, where Roddy Piper humiliated him, leading to his eventual retirement from wrestling. He passed away on April 23, 1991.