Steve Ketcher (September 20, 1957 – 2017) was an American professional wrestler, promoter and convicted sex offender.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Steve Ketcher[1] September 20, 1957[2] Grand Junction, Colorado, U.S. |
| Died | 2017 |
| Cause of death | Heart Attack |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Steve Gatorwolf Steve Stone Masked Zodiac |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Billed weight | 282 lb (128 kg) |
| Debut | 1978 |
| Retired | circa 2006 |
Ketcher worked as a professional wrestler under the ring name Steve Gatorwolf in the World Wrestling Federation during the 1980s.
Between April 2013 and March 2014, Ketcher was convicted of sexual crimes against a 15-year-old girl.[3]
Professional wrestling career
editBorn in Colorado but raised in Florida, Ketcher made his debut in the World Wrestling Federation in 1984 as Steve Gatorwolf using a Native American gimmick.[4] He would only score victories over Terry Gibbs (wrestler), Rene Goulet, and Mr. X.[5] He only made his only pay-per-view appearance at Saturday Night's Main Event V when he lost to King Kong Bundy in 41 seconds.[6][7][8] In 1986, Gatorwolf would team up with Chief Jay Strongbow as The Indians.[9] In 1987, Gatorwolf left the WWF and worked in the independents.[10]
In January 1990, Gatorwolf worked for All Japan Pro Wrestling where he feuded with Goro Tsurumi.
Gatorwolf returned to the WWF in February 1990 when he lost to Ted DiBiase.[11]
Later in his career, he worked in the independent circuit in Arizona and Utah until he retired around 2006.[12]
Legal issues
editGatorwolf was arrested in Utah in 2001 for aggravated assault and violation of a protection order. He was sentenced to a year in prison.
In May 2014, Gatorwolf turned himself in at a Jacksonville, Florida police station for a sexual assault crime with a 15-year-old girl in western Colorado.[13] He was accused of assaulting a pre-teen girl in Colorado numerous times over several months beginning in April 2013.[14]
In August 2015, Gatorwolf was sentenced to 16 years in prison.[15][16]
Personal Life
editGatorwolf is Native American Cherokee. After wrestling, he became a truck driver and was a promoter for the American Wrestling Federation in Arizona.[17] His son, Logan was also a wrestler.
He trained Navajo Warrior.[18]
Gatorwolf passed away in 2017 in prison from a heart attack.
Championships and accomplishments
editReferences
edit- ↑ Saalbach, Axel. "Wrestlingdata.com – The World's Largest Wrestling Database". wrestlingdata.com (in German). Retrieved February 26, 2024.
- ↑ "Steve Gatorwolf: Profile". CageMatch.
- ↑ Shockley, Paul (May 8, 2014). "Girl's claims put former pro wrestler in jail". The Daily Sentinel. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
- ↑ "1984". Thehistoryofwwe.com. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
- ↑ "1985". Thehistoryofwwe.com. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
- ↑ Cite error: The named reference
WWF6389Bookwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ↑ "Saturday Night Main Event – Mar. 1, 1986". WWE. Archived from the original on March 27, 2008. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
- ↑ "WWF Saturday Night's Main Event #5 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Archived from the original on October 6, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
- ↑ "1986". Thehistoryofwwe.com. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
- ↑ The History of WWE. "1987 WWF results". Retrieved November 25, 2012.
- ↑ The History of WWE. "1990 WWF results". Retrieved November 25, 2012.
- ↑ "Steve Gatorwolf– OWW". June 11, 2012.
- ↑ First Coast News and news source (WTLV) (May 8, 2014). "Former pro wrestler accused of child sex assault". First Coast News NBC. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
- ↑ Associated Press and news source (KUSA) (May 8, 2014). "'Gatorwolf' appears before Clay County Judge". 9News NBC. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
- ↑ Shockley, Paul (May 8, 2014). "'Gatorwolf' gets 16 years to life for child sex assaults". The Daily Sentinel. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
- ↑ "Steve Gatorwolf Was Sentenced to 16 Years to Life in Prison for a Horrific Crime". The Sportster. October 25, 2025. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
- ↑ Carter, Edward J. (May 3, 2000). "Grappling in the ring Utahn plans pro wrestling school for wannabes". Deseret News. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Navajo Warrior – OWW". September 17, 2025.
- ↑ Royal Duncan; Gary Will (2000). "ARIZONA: AWF American Wrestling Federation Title [Steve Catcher]". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 294. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ↑ "AWF Heavyweight Title (Arizona/Colorado/Utah)". Wrestling-Titles.com. Puroresu Dojo. 2003. Retrieved February 12, 2026.