Longtime WWF enhancement talent passes away at 81
If you were a New England WWF fan in the 1970s and 1980s, you were familiar with “The Duke of Dorchester” Pete Doherty.
The longtime enhancement wrestler passed away at 81, announced by the Cauliflower Alley Club on Wednesday:
“The CAC is saddened to hear the unforgettable Pete Doherty has passed away at the age of 81, known to fans everywhere as the Duke of Dorchester. A true character in professional wrestling who brought charisma along with a larger-than-life personality to every arena he stepped into. We send our sincerest condolences to his family and friends.”
Born in Dorchester, Massachussetts, in 1943, Doherty dated back to the WWWF days in the early 1970s and worked throughout the Northeastern U.S. which included Massachussetts, Maine, and New York.
His last match came at the Cape Cod Melody Tent in 1992 in a loss to Konnan (The Latin Fury). He competed against many of the top stars of the era like Bret Hart, Andre The Giant, Junkyard Dog, Bruno Sammartino and even Mil Mascaras and Tiger Mask.
While he didn’t get a lot of wins, he competed against Hart in the 1991 King of the Ring tournament and lost to JYD on the very first Saturday Night’s Main Event. He competed for several titles including both the WWF and WWWF Tag Team titles, the Intercontinental title, and even the World title as he unsuccessfully challenged Bob Backlund at a WWF Rhode Island show held at a high school gym in May 1983.
For those who watched WWF on NESN in the 1980s, Doherty was a fixture.
His passing comes days after legendary New England sports talk host and King of the Ring creator Eddie Andelman also passed away.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.