Tom Zenk attended High School with other pro wrestlers
Nikita Koloff, Brady Boone, Curt Hennig, Rick Rude, John Nord, and
Barry Darsow. He started wrestling in
1984 in the Pacific Northwest territory where he feuded with
Bobby Jaggers and occasionally appeared in the AWA during the mid 1980s.
Zenk got his first taste of wrestling stardom when he went to the
World Wrestling Federation with
Rick Martel as the "
Can-Am Connection" in late 1986. The pair faced, and defeated, the tag team of
Don Muraco and
Bob Orton, Jr. in the opening bout of
WrestleMania III in March 1987. The tandem was so popular that they were being built up as the successors to the
Hart Foundation as the next WWF World Tag Team Champions, but Zenk would abruptly leave the promotion, allegedly the result of a contract dispute. Zenk elaborated on the incident in a radio interview saying that he felt betrayed by Martel as he went behind Zenk's back and used his influence as a former AWA Champion to get a better deal for himself while not doing anything to sweeten Zenk's deal. Zenk also said Martel tried to get him to marry his sister as a way to keep him loyal to the partnership. He has never married.
He reappeared in the
American Wrestling Association in early 1989 and was the last man eliminated by
Larry Zbyszko in the battle royal to fill the vacant AWA World Heavyweight Title.
After receiving several shots at the AWA title, he went to wrestle for the NWA in mid 1989 and was billed as the "Z-Man". He soon formed a tag team with
Brian Pillman. They won the
United States Tag Team Titles, and feuded with the
Midnight Express (the version with
Bobby Eaton and
Stan Lane) and the
Fabulous Freebirds.
It was during this time that Zenk tore a muscle while weightlifting and had to take several months off to recover. His physical appearance was quite different upon returning, still muscular, but more slender than before.
When the promotion changed its name to
World Championship Wrestling in 1991, he was feuding with
Arn Anderson over the TV Title. Later that year, he feuded with the
York Foundation and the Fabulous Freebirds.
Zenk left WCW in early 1993 and finished his career in the independents in 1996. Now retired from wrestling, Zenk is currently working for an international distribution firm.
