A legendary professional wrestler with roots in Carbon has passed away.
Archie Gouldie, also known in the ring as the Mongolian Stomper, the Masked Bounty Hunter and the Midnight Stallion died on January 23 at his home in Knoxville, Tn. He was 79.
Gouldie cut his teeth in the wresting world at Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling promotion as “the Stomper” and held the North American Heavy Weight Championship a record of 14 times between 1968 and 1984. One of his opponents was Dave Ruhl of Hanna. While most of his tenure at Stampede Wrestling was as a villain, in 1983, he turned against Bad News Allen.
Outside of Stampede Wrestling, he achieved most of his fame in Southeast Championship Wrestling where he held the NWA Southeast Heavyweights Championship 11 times.
Along the way, he wrestled names such as Bret Hart, Paul Orndorf, Harley Race, Andre the Giant and even Terry Bolder (Hulk Hogan). Jerry Lawler described him as one of his all time great opponents.
He also wrestled in Smoky Mountains Wrestling in 1992. Later in life, he served as a deputy Sherriff in Knoxville County Tennessee, and worked as a corrections officer.
While about 10 years his junior, Reg Trempanier remembers Gouldie.
“He used to live here and go to Stampede Wrestling,” recalled Trepanier. “There used to be a circuit. He would travel from to Saskatoon, Regina, Edmonton and Calgary.”
“All the wrestlers used to travel together. It was pretty funny, because they would get in the ring and were mad as hell at each other. Then, when it was all done, they would go out and get in the same car to travel to the next stop!”
Trepanier said he knew many of Gouldie's family members but none of his siblings are in the area now.
Former local realtor, the late Reg Gouldie, was Archie's nephew.
