Wrestling's Dark Secret: Buffalo Jim Barrier's Chilling, Unsolved Demise!

Pro Wrestling Stories Learn more

"Buffalo Jim" Barrier was a larger-than-life figure, a walking parade in his own right. Standing at 6'2" and weighing 295 pounds, he adorned himself with an abundance of jewelry and leather, of ten donning a top hat and Shaman-like attire. Learn more

Imagine a cross between Bray Wyatt and rocker Dr. John, The Night Tripper, and you’ve got “Buffalo Jim.” The hard-partying and fun-loving wrestling promoter and business owner was a Las Vegas mainstay. That was, until his shocking unsolved death in Motel 6.

[{"selector":"#anim-26f37959-15d9-47b1-98cd-d653c85f6751","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ac7d35e5-414b-47d8-8a1c-c348e82cc086","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(96.95291%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

In 2005, “Buffalo Jim” Barrier was voted The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s “Most Colorful Character” award.

[{"selector":"#anim-f92096d4-f44a-473b-a928-1f73ee1e8ac0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-58246077-efcb-46e7-8acc-112b97887b88","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-141da685-ba3b-42c7-bf7f-0a0f61eab1a3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(95.01385%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

"Buffalo Jim" Barrier was a modern-day renaissance man and a devoted father. Serving as a wrestling promoter, fearless entrepreneur, and exceptional auto mechanic, he embodied the spirit of a true showman in every aspect of his life.

[{"selector":"#anim-1dcc1dfc-66f8-4f96-b391-6f8a4fd78e23","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0ee6f193-874a-4513-b8d4-a77dbd233c2b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1d953bc2-2d14-4fdc-91f5-d16128c89081","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(96.95291%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

Pro Wrestling and Las Vegas: A Perfect Fit for Buffalo Jim

[{"selector":"#anim-6b1c2171-4ff7-4a9f-801e-53c2b6bcde51","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8e37830b-9972-4023-b011-193a79ea55c7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-93b78203-965e-4b35-b055-05e1ef38155a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(96.95291%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

After his tragic, unsolved murder, "sinners, celebrities, folks as old as Vegas itself and young babes just born into the city this Spring arrived in endless droves to the old part of Las Vegas to see Buffalo Jim Barrier one final time."

[{"selector":"#anim-238d8ea0-52c9-4011-905e-3d0516ad5a1d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-25b91240-e907-4e2c-b5be-d02608cf87fb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f83a2c0c-a6ff-403b-8e24-b5d985dc2c73","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(121.32964%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

SWIPE UP TO READ THE FULL POST

[{"selector":"#anim-d5b2351a-570c-4f3e-a27c-2d212597b02e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-31c6987f-4ba5-42f8-b99b-1fc130299056","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cfe1631a-41b4-4099-bbab-e6e6783295f6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

More Stories

[{"selector":"#anim-d561a4a9-64e7-4abf-84f7-4f2f66c07ca7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-33994321-fc8f-4b3b-9390-8744c26af48b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -290.22854%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-77e4a5bf-2e6f-4fd3-9dc2-4f5a9d86b6da","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cdd00e96-bb35-44e6-b3ac-94c85afc492e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -364.36063%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-45a61ff7-b952-4ac9-bd2f-f713090882f3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-151365ac-2449-4e8e-9b2d-91c56010de45","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -566.24746%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5915fa61-d4b0-4541-b0e1-d13e3f311ee4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5c9549e1-7851-4e8a-893a-5d4be5ed4a1b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -439.87398%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e7807294-cd90-4a53-953b-7d44a6a5b5a5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cc98960f-3b44-4a2d-9156-40592da018c7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -149.51989%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Dino Bravo: His Tragic Unsolved Murder by the Mob Sam Sheppard – How a Murder Inspired a Wrestling Career