Career
After graduating from Elon College, Kernodle started wrestling in 1973 in the National Wrestling Alliance"s Jim Crockett Promotions. He got his start by accepting a "shoot" wrestling challenge from Bob Roop. Although Roop defeated Kernodle by submission, Kernodle"s skills impressed Ole Anderson and Gene Anderson who both offered to train Kernodle for free.
At first, he (now known as Pvt Kernodle) was part of Sergeant
Slaughter"s "Cobra Corps" and teamed with Slaughter and Private Jim Nelson. They lost the titles in a legendary steel cage match versus
Rick Steamboat and Jay Youngblood on March 12, 1983. Following the title loss, Kernodle remained a villain and formed a tag team with Bob Orton, Junior. and was managed by Gary Hart.
Also in 1984, the Koloffs turned on Kernodle after he and Ivan lost the NWA World Tag Titles to Dusty Rhodes and Manny "The Raging Bulletin" Fernandez and started a feud.
In 1986, Kernodle left the NWA and wrestled in various independent promotions in the Carolinas. He later became a Sergeant for Immigration Customs Enforcement for Alamance County. He appeared in the 1978 Sylvester Stallone movie Paradise Alley.
In college, he lettered four times in amateur wrestling.
Managers
Gary Hart
Oliver Humperdink
Nicknames
"The Pride of the United States of America"
Maple Leaf Wrestling
NWA Canadian Television Championship (1 time)
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Private Jim Nelson (2) and Ivan Koloff (1)
NWA World Six-Manitoba Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ivan & Nikita Koloff
NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (3 times) - with Sergeant
Slaughter (1), Bob Orton, Junior. (1), and Ivan Koloff (1)
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
PWI ranked him # 463 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003
PWI ranked # 29 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Sergeant
Slaughter.
