Alan Rogowski

Alan Robert Rogowski, commonly recognized by his ring persona Ole Anderson (/ˈoʊlɪ/), was an influential figure in American professional wrestling, serving as a wrestler, booker, and promoter.

After completing his service in the U.S. Army, Rogowski embarked on his wrestling career in his home state of Minnesota in 1967, competing for the American Wrestling Association (AWA) under the name Al "the Rock" Rogowski or simply Rock Rogowski. In 1968, he transitioned to Jim Crockett Promotions in the Carolinas, adopting the moniker Ole Anderson. There, he formed a tag team with his "brother" Gene Anderson, known as the Minnesota Wrecking Crew. Following additional appearances in AWA and Championship Wrestling from Florida, Anderson found a stable home in 1972 with Jim Crockett Promotions and Georgia Championship Wrestling.

By the mid-1980s, he became a co-owner and booker for Georgia Championship Wrestling. After Vince McMahon's acquisition of the promotion in 1984, famously dubbed "Black Saturday," Anderson established his own organization, Championship Wrestling from Georgia, which was soon absorbed by Jim Crockett Promotions. He continued his career there and with its successor, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he reformed the Minnesota Wrecking Crew alongside Arn Anderson and co-founded the legendary stable The Four Horsemen. Additionally, he served as booker for WCW and managed the WCW Power Plant. Anderson hung up his boots in 1990 and exited the wrestling industry in 1994.

Renowned for his tough, gruff persona, Anderson is regarded as a pivotal character in the wrestling history of Georgia and the Carolinas. Throughout his career, he secured over 40 championships, including eight reigns as National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) Tag Team Champion (Mid-Atlantic version). He was honored with inductions into the WCW Hall of Fame in 1994 and the NWA