From her blue eyes to her athletic build and immersive backstory, we are Angela Ziegler Or Mercy, was born in Switzerland. You can also click here to watch another poor quality video (Sammartino defeating Stasiak for the WWWF Title). Short hair became a go-to in the 60s. Are you looking for a specific British Wrestler? 5 Times The Forbidden Door Opened in Wrestling, 10 Surprising Moments WWE Deceived Their Fans, 11 WrestleMania Matches That Surprisingly Didnt Main Event, Bruce Hart Explains How He Revolutionized Pro Wrestling, 10 Wrestlers Who Turned Scraps to Gold in ECW. Due to the lack of complete records, it is believed that Farmer Pete was World Champion for seven days in 1957, after beating Sonny Boy Cassidy, who won the title back in a rematch in October the same year. A comeback bout with Hulk Hogan was axed in 1995 after Haystacks, born Martin Ruane, contracted cancer. The Liverpool-born wrestler initially performed in a tag team called The Golden Boys alongside William Regal (then known as Steven Regal). The forgotten heroes of Midget Wrestling: Vintage photos from the 60s and 70s, Oliver Reed as a prototype Alex from A Clockwork Orange in These are the Damned, I Have No Desire To Be Nico: Post-Punks Muse Of Manchester, Linder Sterling. 6 Antonio Inoki It is said that his disillusion with his career direction led to a return to the Texas independent scene in late 99. It was at its peak of popularity when the television show World of Sport was launched in the mid-1960s, making household names out of Adrian Street . Both were combat sports, millions of fans believed both were competitive, contests were split into rounds, combatants were introduced by a Master of Ceremony wearing a dinner jacket, and referees were smartly dressed, usually in white shirts. Want to Read. Wrestled his last match on a AAA show in a loss to El Pistolero in San Pedro Cholula, Mexico. Graham also managed to put the hand on the short-lived WWF International Tag Team Championship. These contests, though, receive little publicity and mostly go unnoticed by the general public. The Fabulous Moolah is the longest reigning champion in pro wrestling history. It would be squaring off against the likes of Satoru Sayama (Tiger Mask), Keiichi Yamada (Jushin Liger), and Dynamite Kid (more on him a little later), among others, which would earn the British grappler his initial acclaim and start him on the path towards leaving an indelible mark on the profession. Joy Division. But the female in the wrestling industry was Betty Wagner, the valet of Gorgeous George who lived to 98 years old in 2011. There's no Buddy Rogers WWWF footage available but click here to watch a little gem from the '50s between him and Johnny Valentine. Last wrestled for Big Time Wrestling in Spartanburg, South Carolina where he teamed with, Most recently wrestled for AML Acts Of War Games 2 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina defeating, Last wrestled for Hawaii Championship Wrestling as he teamed up with. He had the strength, the technical abilities, the charisma and that mythic "it" factor to draw the audiences. The Russian Bear was with the WWWF for only two years, but he claimed the most shocking world championship victory of all times when he defeated Bruno Sammartino on January 18, 1971. Blood, barrel chests, and mutton chops. Gori Guerrero - World Champion By 1960, nearly three quarters of the population had television, and by the end of the sixties, nearly ninety-five percent. flickr/Roadsidepictures. * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. He currently lives in Liverpool, United Kingdom, and finds his spare time training to become a wrestler. Here is where he would meet Robbie Brookside. Voice of World Class Championship Wrestling. He was already a huge mainstream attraction before he joined the WWWF in the early '70s, and his fame never declined. David Fit Finlay began his wrestling career in 1974, though his first mainstream exposure came when he debuted as the Belfast Bruiser in WCW in 1996. Oldest Canadian Wrestler. Updated 11:52, 21 APR 2013. This would prove to make him a crowd favorite in Britain throughout the 1970s and 80s. Apr 21, 2020. 9. He was a master of the heel tactics, but he was also very agile in the ring. The Gentleman, as he was known, still did get his due in other less mainstream promotions such as the Global Wrestling Federation, where he won the GWF Heavyweight Championship twice in 1994. There was simply too much going on throughout the world to accurately reflect the best music of the 70s. Here, Matthews would go by Steve Regal a name he had used going back to 87, and a name he had seen in an American wrestling magazine in use by another wrestler named Mr. Like everything on Wrestling Heritage this is a developing project and we welcome additions and corrections. He headlined many Madison Square Garden supercards, mainly in two or three-men tag team action, and in 1973, he had a 105-day WWWF World Tag Team Championship reign along with Tony Garea. Policy. In addition, he accomplished the unthinkable when he ended Sammartino's seven-year reign. Initially unpopular with the crowds, he became much loved after his acting career took off. Through a succession of promoters, the. 1961-09-29 - National Wrestling Association (source: LegacyOfWrestling.com) He worked for Joint Promotions and frequently wrestled on ITVs World of Sport. And, in those years, he often fought in 60-minute time limit draws. Kendo Nagasaki was an inspiration to many cultural gimmicks to come, and many wrestlers have named him as an inspiration behind their work. source Cauliflower Alley Club, Spanish announcer in boxing and wrestling in Los Angeles. The 60s and 70s set the ball rolling for rock music. However, like many of his colleagues, his career and achievements have been sadly overlooked. One built a reputation just meeting him in the ring. Bobo Johnson also wrestled under the name the Brown Panther. Best known for his tag performances with Louie Louie and later Rocky Johnson, Bobo was one of the earliest Black midget wrestlers alongside Haiti Kid. Giant Haystacks was one of the best-known wrestlers on the British wrestling scene in the 1970s and 1980s. In addition to his championships, he left his mark on the WWE hardcore scene, with his uncommon mix of technician and brawler's skills.Click here to watch Pat Patterson defending the Intercontinental Championship against Dominic DeNucci. Frost. He later would become a regular performer on WCW Saturday Night and WCW Thunder. Dozens of wrestling tournaments were held every night of the week, (with a handful on Sunday), whilst boxing in the doldrums struggled to put on a couple of shows a night. One of their biggest stars went by the name Big Daddy.. Kowalski wrestled his last match as he defeated Gino Giovanni with the clawhold at Top Rope Promotions in Fall River, Massachusetts. Patera made a name for himself as a dominant strongman wrestler who had a successful weightlifting career behind him. * Some NWA promoters recognized Moolah as world champion In the 1960s British professional wrestling was a credible rival to professional boxing for the position of Britain's most popular combat sport. McManus has been described as the greatest name in British wrestling history, yet he remains mostly unknown outside of the United Kingdom. His first reign, in 1975, lasted 105 days, and he teamed up with Victor Rivera who was later replaced by Pat Barrett. He only spent one year with the company in the '70s, but what a year it was! Sadly, his fame and glory in the British circuit were cut short. ALL STAR WRESTLING IN THE 50's, 60's, 70's and 80'S (BCTV ) New Zealand wrestler. Wrestled for WWF from 1999 to 2000, 2004 and 2010. But the mostly overweight men in leotards, often facing off at The Dome in Brighton, were a world away from todays slick, toned stars. The 20 Great Lost Albums of British Rock, 1968-72. Oldest British wrestler in history, Second oldest worldwide. He won the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship in June 1964 with Dr. Jerry and they held the title for nearly eight months. Owns Pro Wrestling America. [Photo: huckmag.com]Street played by his own rules, and, according to his peers, was known to be able to hurt you in the ring if needed! Former NWA World Tag Team Champion. We have them all, from the 1980's, 1990's, 2000's, including Legends and Brits of note. He was an instant top babyface who battled Gorilla Monsoon and The Sheik among others. After one of his shows on December 2nd, 1997, he died from a stroke. He went on to the glitz and glamour of the WWF in the US as The British Bulldog before a tragically early death at 39 after a heart attack. Nina Hagens Nunsexmonkrock: Greatest (and weirdest) unsung masterpiece of the postpunk era? On the top of all that, if that means anything, he was the PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year in 1973 and the Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year in 1979. By Kelly O'Sullivan. It was a detective/cop show starring Jack Lord. Warner Bros. Honorable mention: Edouard Carpentier, Verne Gagne, Lou Thesz, Wilbur Snyder, Rip Hawk, Fritz Von Erich, Pepper Gomez, Lorenzo Parente, Jr. Heavyweight: Jack Ernest Gutteridges alter-ego had an 11-year grudge with McManus and developed moves such as the cross-shoulder backbreaker. Monsoon lost the match, but he once again proved he could hold his own against the largest wrestlers in the business at the time, being himself a 6'5", 400-pounder. Multi-time regional champion. The Promoters A-Z index has been split into sections. From Martinique wrestled for Pacific Northwest and Stampede Wrestling. Born Murray Downs in Wallaceburg, Ontario, Little Bruiser was the only son among four sisters. Profile aside, however, there were many reliable independent promoters and, although statistics do not exist, it seems quite credible that on any one night the independent shows presented would outnumber the Joint Promotion shows, albeit many being in small halls and clubs. Click here to see Patera injuring Billy White Wolf after the match and click here to see the strongman clashing with Bob Backlund. One such style was the Vidal Sassoon pixie, which was created by the British hairstylist of the same name. Second oldest British wrestler ever behind Joe D'Orazio. Raised in Texas. All this respectability was presided over by the governing bodies, the British Boxing Board of control for the boxers and Joint Promotions for the wrestlers. Wrestled last match as a replecement for Nick Strong, teaming with, Last wrestled on November 14, 2021, for an event in Guadalajara, Mexico where he defeated. Mekita Rivas, SNR communications and project associate, publishes a biweekly feature called "Grammar Guru." Every other week, the Grammar Guru will share writing tips to help make your work as polished as possible. When he was not embracing success in the tag team division, he had some memorable feuds in singles against the likes of Billy Graham and Ken Patera. Also later on in his career he wrestled as Enforcer Luciano in NWA Hollywood. Wrestled his last match on his 80th birthday against Bobo Brazil Jr. at a CCW card in Marion, Ohio. Not entirely content with only being placed in tag bouts to make his partner Big Daddy look good, Matthews moved over to All Star Wrestling. We have taken a lot of time and careful attention to detail in bringing you our free to use and access Wrestler's Database. Oldest person to wrestle ever at 87 years old. He didn't fail to bring his aggressive style with him when he joined the WWWF in the mid-60s. On April 7th, 1986, at WrestleMania 2, The Bulldogs dethroned Greg The Hammer Valentine and Brutus Beefcake, successfully capturing the WWF World Tag Team Championships. More of Maciejewskis superb photography can be seen (and purchased) here. Disclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. I hope you enjoyed that ride back to the old school universe, and as usual, your comments are more than welcomeespecially if I missed anyone on the list and/or if you disagree with the order. Former British Middleweight Champion and British Welterweight Champion. Some consider this match one of the greatest matches of all time. Think also about a 600-pound, 6'1" behemoth who could actually wrestle and who finished his opponents with a big splash. These promoters were commonly known as the independent or opposition promoters. French-Canadian wrestler. Nov 18, 2017 - Explore Larry McFarland's board "Mexican Wrestlers 1960s", followed by 104 people on Pinterest. The oldest female wrestler was Princess Bonita (19192014), aged 94years, 273days. He especially made his mark in handicap bouts and in what would become his specialty, the battle royal matches. Out of traveling carnivals, circus acts and sheer ambition, these wrestlers started a sport that was followed by hundreds of thousands across America, Canada and England. Clockwise from top left: the band Chicago in 1978, Paul Butterfield of The Paul Butterfield Band, Jerry McGeorge of The Shadows of The Knight, Frankie Sullivan of Survivor, Jim Sohns of Shadows of. Big Daddy & Danny Collins Bobby Barnes & Sid Cooper 14 7 84 JNLister 7.3K views 1 year ago 25 years of ITV UK Wrestling special - 1980 VintageLynx 74K views 8 years ago John Quinn Tony St Clair. The iconic Bun Boy building located in Baker as captured in this picture from the 1960s. t.co/O5GfUklP1O", "Cowboy" Bob Ellis profile, from LegacyOfWrestling.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_oldest_surviving_professional_wrestlers&oldid=1142721943. Worked as Purple Haze. Tweet. As long as you work hard and strive to improve yourself, you can achieve whatever you put your mind to. Adrian Street with his valet and wife, Miss Linda. Before long, he would be touring as far away as France, Japan, and eventually North America. With his famous headbutt and his piledriver, he became a seven-time WWWF United States Championship from 1963 to 1971, when the title was deactivated.