Family shines light on Curtis Iaukea in new book
Curtis Iaukea was one of the most legendary professional wrestlers produced by the state of Hawaii. Athletic, eloquent, erudite and possessing a forehead like a World War I battlefield, whether wrestling as Prince Kuhio, Prince Iaukea, King Curtis or The Bull, he was the center of attention everywhere he went.
After two years playing football at U.C. Berkley, and a brief run in the Canadian Football League, Iaukea looked permanently to a career in wrestling. It racked up championships, and friendships everywhere he went.
From multiple tours of Japan, Australia, and all over North America, Iaukea eventually became known as a tremendous talker, influencing the likes of Dusty Rhodes and Superstar Billy Graham, and a great brawler and bleeder, influencing the likes of Abdullah the Butcher and Bruiser Brody. He was a mainstay for Ed Francis’ 50th State Big Time Wrestling in Hawaii and Jim Barnett‘s World Championship Wrestling in Australia.
After his in-ring days were over, he took his talents to manage and helped establish the LSD-fueled, psychedelic second act of Mark Lewin‘s career as “The Purple Haze” and helped shape the career of Kevin Sullivan in Florida. Iaukea was one of the most popular “wild man” wrestlers of the 1960s-1970s.
So it makes sense there was a book about him.
The just-released tome, As The Sun Rises Over Diamond Head: The Life and Family of Curtis “Da Bull” Iaukea, is about a wrestler, but it is not a wrestling book.
As the subtitle indicates, more than anything, it is a loving remembrance of a man by his family. Equal parts family photo album and life story for Curtis Iaukea, Liane Iaukea, wife and mother of his two daughters, paints an in-depth portrait of the man, his family, their history, his multitude of friends, and his connection to his homeland.
Even the passages about wrestling were more about King Curtis’ relationship with his ring partners and the fans who both loved and hated him than about the wrestling itself. One gets the feeling that had Curtis Iaukea been a realtor, farmer, politician, or ran a junkyard, instead of being a professional wrestler, he still would have been the same man, with a deep love of his home and family, ever exploring the world and people around him.
For the hardcore fans, if you’ve ever wondered why there is a gap in Iaukea’s match history between September 1968 and February 1969, it’s because Curtis finally took a break from wrestling to take his wife on a much-delayed honeymoon, in the form of a four-month world tour. And not a working vacation, unlike most wrestlers’ honeymoons.
Curtis Iaukea gives cowboy life a try in Stampede Wrestling. Photo by Bob Leonard
Most surprising for a book like this is that the photos are in colour! Granted, they are mostly snapshots from the late 1960s to the 1980s, but the color was a welcome touch.
Both their daughters also contribute pieces about life growing up with a local legend. While Amazon lists the book at 122 pages, at least half of that total is photos, so it is a very quick read.
So while you won’t find the most in-depth exploration of the wrestling career of King Curtis Iaukea here (and hopefully someone takes on that project), you will get a great picture of the man himself and how he impacted those around him and lived life on his terms. Not bad for $19.95!
