Personal Info

Known For

Wrestling

Real Name

Alfred Poling

Birthday

January 22, 1957

Debut Year

1990

Status

Retired (2006)

Also Known As

  • 911
  • Al The Sledgehammer
  • Big Al
  • Sledge Hammer
  • Tombstone

Appears In

911

Biography

Alfred Poling, born January 22, 1957, is an American retired professional wrestler best known by the ring name 911. Trained by Larry Sharpe, Poling debuted in 1990 on the independent circuit under the name "Al the Sledgehammer" before going on to achieve his greatest national exposure in Extreme Championship Wrestling.

Poling debuted in ECW on January 18, 1994, initially appearing as an unnamed handler to Sabu before being officially named 911 at The Night the Line Was Crossed on February 5. He joined Paul Heyman's Dangerous Alliance stable alongside Sabu and The Tazmaniac, and quickly became a fan favorite through his frequent use of the chokeslam. His popularity earned him the Pro Wrestling Illustrated Rookie of the Year award for 1994. Notable moments that year included a title challenge against Mikey Whipwreck for the ECW Television Championship and a run in the NWA World Title Tournament, where he defeated Doink the Clown before falling to 2 Cold Scorpio in the semi-finals.

Poling continued competing in ECW through 1995 and into 1996, recording victories over Ron Simmons and Jim Steele. His final ECW appearance came at the 1996 House Party event, where he teamed with Rey Misterio, Jr. to defeat The Eliminators. He departed the promotion by early 1996 following a backstage dispute with Paul Heyman. Poling retired from professional wrestling in 2006.

Sources used for verification

  • Wikidata
  • Wikipedia