The Missing Link (wrestler)

Byron James John "Dewey" Robertson (February 28, 1939 – August 16, 2007) was a Canadian professional wrestler, known best by his ring name The Missing Link.

As The Missing Link, Robertson wore blue and green face paint and shaved portions of his head while letting the hair grow in other areas.

His gimmick was similar to that of George Steele and Kamala, a crazy out-of-control wild man who needed a trainer or manager to lead him to the ring.

During his matches, Robertson would often ram his own head repeatedly into the turnbuckle or wooden chair, headbutt and dive head first onto an opponent.

Robertson started wrestling in his native Canada in the 1961 as Dewey Robertson.

He was a very popular Babyface in the Toronto area.

It was long believed that he was a protege of former NWA world champion Whipper Billy Watson (William Potts), but Watson did not start him in the business.

Watson was, however, the godfather of Robertson’s sons.

He also owned a gym in the 1970s, and had a famous television spot where he tore up a phone book in a supermarket ad. Robertson's first title victory came in May 1973 when he teamed with Dennis Stamp to win the Tri-State version of the NWA United States Tag Team Championship.

They held the belts until July, when they dropped them to Alex Perez and El Gran Tapio.

Robertson found more success in tag team wrestling the following year while competing in Toronto, Ontario.

He left to wrestle in the Southern United States and Australia in 1973, but returned a year later as "The Masked Crusader" with manager John St. John (John Lang).

He was on a crusade to keep wrestling scientific but was soon unmasked by The Sheik.

After that, Robertson formed a tag team called "The Crusaders" with Billy Red Lyons.

He teamed with Billy Red Lyons to win the Toronto version of the NWA International Tag Team Championship from The Love Brothers (Hartford and Reginald) on June 23, 1974.

The Love Brothers regained the belts on September 8, but Robertson and Lyons won them back on December 29.

They then held the belts for over six months before dropping the titles to Mike and Pat Kelly in June 1975.

Robertson and Lyons had one final reign as champions, when they won a rematch on August 24.

During one match his right leg was broken while performing a sunset flip on one of the Kelly twins.

He and Lyons also toured Japan.

In 1979, Robertson wrestled in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions as a heel with "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers as his manager.

He used Rogers' figure-four leg lock as his finisher.

That year, he also won a tournament for the vacant NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship in Toronto by defeating Gene Kiniski, Ken Patera and then Greg Valentine in the final round.

He fought both NWA world champion Harley Race and AWA world champion Nick Bockwinkel in separate matches in Toronto.

With Bockwinkel he won with the Canadian heavyweight belt on the line.

In a rematch with the AWA title for grabs they went to a draw.

He later lost the Canadian title to the Great Hossien AKA the Iron Sheik.

He was offered a contract as NWA World heavyweight champion, but the NWA had concerns over his drinking habits.

He achieved his greatest fame late in his career, wrestling in WCCW, managed by Skandor Akbar and in the WWF, managed by Bobby Heenan and Jimmy Hart in the mid-1980s.

Into 1980 he traveled between Ontario and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, where he continued to wrestle as a tag team competitor.

He won the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship by teaming with George Wells to defeat The Sheepherders on December 12, 1980.

The pair held the belts for almost two months before dropping it to Genichiro Tenryu and Mr. Fuji in February 1981.

Robertson regained the championship later that year, however, by teaming with Johnny Weaver to take the belts from Tenryu and Fuji.

Robertson moved to Central States Wrestling, where he won the majority of his titles.

On October 22, 1981, he won the NWA Central States Television Championship with a victory over Gene Lewis.

He lost the belt to Oliver Humperdink later that year but soon regained it in a rematch.

His first reign came in October 1981 when he teamed with Rufus R. Jones to defeat Buzz Tyler and J. J. Dillon.

On February 18, 1982, however, he dropped the belt back to Lewis.

This allowed Robertson to focus on the NWA Central States Tag Team Championship, which he won a total of five times.

His next reign came in March 1982 when he teamed with Steve Regal to win the belts from Roger Kirby and Jerry Valiant.