Also known as Lee Hippie
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A Fighting Irishman
In the early 1970s we came across a young Irish wrestler working in the north of England, clad in a judo outfit, and going by the name Lee Hippie. Outside the ring he went by the less glamorous name of Dennis McMillan, born in Lisburn on 12th April, 1952. He was working mostly in the north of England and Scotland for Relwyskow and Green Promotions, often tagging as an Irish pair with Whirlwind Munroe, Billy Joe Beck or Eddie Hamill. He wasn’t around for long, disappearing after a few months, though we later learnt he was back in Ireland where he continued wrestling for the rest of the decade.
In the summer of 1981 there appeared a new kid on the block. Yet this new kid wasn’t so new. Lee Hippie was back in Britain with a new name, Rocky Moran, and a rougher more rugged style unafraid of breaking the rules. This new style started to make a greater impact whilst he worked for independent promoters, mostly All Star, and settled in Birkenhead.
In May 1983 he started working for Joint Promotions, and received his first television booking, a draw with Birmingham’s Steve Logan on the 21st of that month. Moving on quickly he was back on television two months later, challenging Alan Kilby in a British Heavy Middleweight Title contest.
In all Rocky Moran appeared on television ten times between May 1983 and December 1987, with singles opponents that included Vic Faulkner and Fuji Yamada and three tag matches partnering Dave Fit Finlay. Indeed, Heritage member The Wrestling Nick has told us that Rocky holds what must be a unique record, having wrestled Fuji Yamada (Jushin Thunder Liger) three times on three different channels available in Britain – ITV, Screensport and S4C.
Championship success, as British Heavy Middleweight champion, was limited to a couple of months in 1986, winning it from Chic Cullen and losing to Eddie Hamill, but otherwise he 1980s were a very busy period for Rocky Moran. This included another new name, Chic Scott, whilst working for Stampede Wrestling in Canada for three months from May 1986.
Last seen in action in the early 1990s. Without doubt Rocky Moran was one of the best young stars of the 1980s, unfortunately overshadowed by that trio of other powerhouses around his weight class at this time – Marty Jones, Rollerball Rocco and Fit Finlay.
Rocky Moran died, still living in Birkenhead, aged just 53, in July 2005.
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