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James Donald Raschke (born October 17, 1940 in Omaha, Nebraska) was a professional wrestler best known as Baron Von Raschke. His signature hold was The Claw.

Career

After a successful amateur wrestling career and a stint in the United States Army, James Raschke started in professional wrestling in 1966 in the American Wrestling Association as a referee. He was soon wrestling under the name of Jim Raschke, playing off of his amateur wrestling notoriety in the area. He eventually changed his ring name to Baron Von Raschke and claimed to be from Germany. He would do a goose-step and then put his finisher, the claw on his opponent. His most memorable quote came at the end of an interview where - running out of time before the next match and not fully hearing the question - he simply blurted out, "Dat is all da people need to know!".

Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s he held numerous singles and tag team titles throughout several NWA and AWA territories, as well as wrestling for the WWWF where his claw hold was "censored" by a huge RED "X" on WWWF TV because of the blood it would draw when applied. In 1978 he was recognized as the first NWA World Television Champion (the Mid Atlantic Television title had been renamed).

In May 1984, Raschke and the Crusher defeated Jerry Blackwell and Ken Patera for the AWA World tag team title. They would lose the belts in August of that same year to the Road Warriors.

In 1986, he wrestled for the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions reuniting with former tag partner Paul Jones (who was now a manager) as part of Paul Jones' Army. He also filled in for the injured Krusher Khruschev defending the NWA World Six-Man Championship with Ivan and Nikita Koloff.

He was briefly in the WWF in 1988 as the manager for The Barbarian and The Warlord (The Powers of Pain) under the name of The Baron, but was released shortly after his arrival.

Raschke resurfaced in the AWA, returning to the ring to feud with Soldat Ustinov and Teijho Khan in late 1988. He then went on to captain "Baron's Blitzers" during the ill-fated Team Challenge Series. When the AWA folded, Raschke continued to wrestle for independent promotion primarily in the Minnesota area, retiring in 1994.

Raschke also took part in one of the legends matches at WCW's inaugural "Slamboree: A Legend's Reunion" in 1993. He teamed with Ivan Koloff, losing to Thunderbolt Patterson and Brad Armstrong.

When not wrestling, Raschke worked as a substitute teacher. Upon retirement, Raschke purchased and managed a Bric-a-brac shop called The Wigwam in Lake George, Minnesota. He sold it in 2000.

In April 2007 James Raschke began a several month run at the Minnesota History Theatre in a play based around his life, persona, and times in the AWA. The play details how a very mild mannered and polite man created an in-ring gimmick that drew so much heat that he and his frequent partner (and real life friend) Mad Dog Vachon often had to fight their way out of the ring.