With his 64-inch chest and bleach blonde hair, it was hard for him not to be popular with fans. In 1982, Dynamite Kid had an instant classic with Tiger Mask for the WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Thankfully, during a golden age of wrestling, photographer David Maciejewski documented the legends of the ring from 1966 to 1974from which some these pictures have been culled. 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. Honorable mention: Verne Gagne, Bill Miller, Karl Gotch, Dick the Bruiser, Reggie Lisowski, Wilbur Snyder, Buddy Austin, Bobo Brazil, Sailor Art Thomas, Lorenzo Parente, Light Heavyweight (Mexico): Strongbow will probably be most remembered for his Native American gimmick, with the complete outfit, including his famous traditional headdress than for his achievements. After Satoru Sayama (the original iteration of Tiger Mask) retired, Dynamite Kid went on to win the WWF Junior Heavyweight Champion on February 7th, 1984, in a tournament for the vacant title. A former tag partner of Big Daddy, they became huge ring rivals. He was so popular that the fans wanted him to wrestle against opponents who were not exclusively African American in the racial segregation era in USA. In it you will find wrestlers who have died in the last ten years, twenty years, and going all the way back to the late 19th century. The oldest female wrestler to have a match is Mae Young, who defeated LayCool in a WWE Raw handicap match on November 15, 2010, at the age of 87. Click here to watch Dominic DeNucci in tag team insane action with Victor Rivera against The Blackjacks. In June, he defeated Ted DiBiase to win the WWF North American Championship, and in September, he merged that title with the South American version to become the first ever Intercontinental Champion. 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. This is a list of the most important ones. List of oldest surviving professional wrestlers, Oldest wrestlers to ever perform 70 and over, British Empire/Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship, List of premature professional wrestling deaths, "Seattle promoter Harry Elliott dead at 101", "Gary Will: Deceased Pro Wrestlers A Tribute to Mat Stars of the Past", "Betty Wagner, first wife of WWE Hall of Famer Gorgeous George, dead at 98", "Deepest condolences to @nicklaroberts and family on the passing of her mom Lorraine Johnson at age 90. 1962-08-10 - National Wrestling Association (source: LegacyOfWrestling.com) Click here to watch The Fabulous Moolah facing one of her toughest rival in the '70s. Wrestled for WWF from 1999 to 2000, 2004 and 2010. This rivalry would continue throughout 1982 and extend to the WWWF, where Mark briefly competed against the likes of Bob Backlund and even Terry "Hulk Hogan" Bollea, captivating audiences with a faster, higher-flying style than many had ever witnessed before. Big Daddy regularly prevailed in his bouts, commonly using his star-studded finisher, The Big Splash.. Wrestled in the Central States and was a light heavyweight champion. wrestling poster, grays | Flickr Condivisione di foto! You can also click here to watch another poor quality video (Sammartino defeating Stasiak for the WWWF Title). Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. He eventually became a three-time WWWF United States Tag Team Championship. PWSTees.com Your favorite Pro Wrestling Stories, on a tee! The Last Unicorn (The Last Unicorn, #1) by. source Cauliflower Alley Club, Spanish announcer in boxing and wrestling in Los Angeles. Wrestling stars of the 60s/'70s1 of 18. He was a real animal in the ring, and his brutality was matched by only few other hardcore legends. Despite this, he managed a very successful career. Goldberg and William Regal When Things Went Wrong in El Paso, Canadians in Wrestling 13 Individuals With a Rich History in the Sport. Following that, he made sporadic appearances in various territories to eventually retire for good in the late '70s. He has written for websites such as Mersey Sports Live and is now taking his degree in sports journalism from John Moores University into the wrestling business. Despite he never broke out of the tag team division, he was very over with the fans, and he was one of the best technical wrestlers of his time. Sadly, his fame and glory in the British circuit were cut short. But the female in the wrestling industry was Betty Wagner, the valet of Gorgeous George who lived to 98 years old in 2011. 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. The rise of The Archers, Michael Powell and . French-Canadian wrestler. But the oldest in the wrestling industry was promoter Harry Elliott (1904-2006) who lived 101 years, 314 days. Cowboy Bob Bradley was born Robert Claton Bradley in Dickens County, TX, in February 1935. Zbyszko slowly climbed the ladder in singles competition until he won the WWWF Tag Team Championship along with Tony Garea, for a 105-day reign. Last wrestled for ABC Wrestling in Beziers, France, losing to Matthew Ford. 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. Former printer William Matthews nickname, Rugged South London Tough Guy, was hardly catchy yet he was one of the sports biggest draws. Now retired, Lord Littlebrook resides with his son in Saint Joseph, Missouri. He managed to win two Tag Team Championships in the '70s, once with Sonny King and once with Billy White Wolf. He later would become a regular performer on WCW Saturday Night and WCW Thunder. [Photo: mirror.co.uk]Nagasaki had superhuman powers, such as the power of healing and the ability to hypnotize. Most recently wrestled on October 22, 2022, at Niigata Pro Wrestling event in Niigata, Japan, where he teamed with, Last wrestled at the 2022 C-K Autumnfest in Kenova, West Virginia, where he teamed with, DeNucci wrestled his last match at a PWS card in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, teaming up with, Last wrestled at the 2019 Expo Lucha convention in San Diego, California, teaming up with. His father was an alcoholic and his abusive and violent behavior towards his son led the teenage Murray to run away from home. I found no WWWF footage of The Sheik, but you can click here to see the hardcore legend in action against Dusty Rhodes in the '70s; or, if you're curious, click here for a match between him and Chief White Eagle in the late '50s or early '60s. Billy the Kid born John William Guillot in Waco, Texas in 1936. He had the strength, the technical abilities, the charisma and that mythic "it" factor to draw the audiences. TV Pallo. LEGENDS 1980s; Alan Dennison Alan Garfield Alfred Hayes Bert Assirati Big Daddy Billy Robinson Bruno Erlington Count Bartelli Geoff Portz Giant Haystacks Ian Campbell Jackie Pallo Jim Collins Jim Hussey Jimmy Breaks Kendo Nagasaki King Kong Kirk Les Kellett Les Thornton Lord Littlebrook He was meant to be a transitional WWWF Champion, but with his huge popularity, he had an impressive 296-day reign as WWWF champion after he defeated none other than Bruno Sammartino. Think about Yokozuna or Big Daddy V but wearing a farmer boy outfit and carrying a horseshoe necklace from 1955 to the late '70s. William Regals story is a great representation that it doesnt matter where you come from, what demons you have, or where you are in life. In his later years, he continued to be influential within the British circuit, winning titles such as the Frontier Wrestling Alliances British Heavyweight Championship. The best wrestlers (Sky Low Low, Little Beaver, Lord Littlebrook, Little Tokyo) mixed great physical prowess with acrobatic . wrestlingheritage.co.uk. Many prestigious titles and awards are under his belt, and he won Wrestling Observers Match of the Year in 1982 with Tiger Mask on August 5th in Tokyo, Japan. Brother of. It featured geometric edges that became a hit all over the world while super out-there for the time. He was in movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, and played Bomber in TV series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. Initially unpopular with the crowds, he became much loved after his acting career took off. He won the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship in June 1964 with Dr. Jerry and they held the title for nearly eight months. Wrestled his last match on his 80th birthday against Bobo Brazil Jr. at a CCW card in Marion, Ohio. The top 100 of the 1960s is an expanded version of a top 15 list that ran last July, a few months after we began our Lost Factor calculations. The Wrestling Heritage A-Z of Wrestling Promoters catalogues hundreds of those who did make it happen, including (despite the misleading title) female promoters Kathleen Look, Jessie Rogers and Anne DeRelwyskow. Our free email updates are the best way to get headlines direct to your inbox. One such style was the Vidal Sassoon pixie, which was created by the British hairstylist of the same name. [Photo: @WrestlingIsKing on Twitter]In his first three years in wrestling, he claimed the Light Heavyweight Championship and the British Commonwealth Tag Team Titles with Marty Jones. He would win tag team titles in All Star Wrestling alongside fellow Liverpudlian Doc Dean before eventually being signed to WCW in the mid-90s. Along with his accolades, he was one of the first to incorporate a female valet into his act. He would later appear on an April 2007 episode of Raw, losing a no disqualification, 3-on-1 handicap match to Shane McMahon, Vince McMahon, and Umaga. You probably noticed that the name of Bruno Sammartino was repeated often and was featured in many videos. These promoters were commonly known as the independent or opposition promoters. He started his career as a circus acrobat before taking up wrestling in the 1950s. When they formed their alliance they left out in the cold many other promoters who were not invited to the party. David Smith (27 November 1962 - 18 May 2002) was an English professional wrestler. He won the WWWF World Tag Team Championship in 1976 with one of his students, Big John Studd. After testing his trade in carnivals and holiday camps, Darren soon gained exposure working for ITVs World of Sport, like many others on this list. 13. It would take a whole book to cover his unique career, but to make it short, he was the face of the company for over 15 years. Everyone can stop writing love songs now. He joined the WWWF in early 1977, and only four months later, he had his first shot at the WWWF Championship against Graham, but he lost via countout. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. 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. 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. He was a top draw in Australia and in Europe when he headed to America to join the company. Second oldest British wrestler ever behind Joe D'Orazio. Mexican actor, wrestling announcer and baseball broadcaster. He got his big break in the United States in 1996, competing in WCW as the Loch Ness Monster. He was also a trainer at the WWE Performance Center, where he trained the newest batch of WWE superstars. Was the promoter of Seattle wrestling, from 1958 to 1969 he was the sole promoter in Washington, Idaho, and Northeast Oregon. The long-running debate over the best Muscle Cars from the 60s and 70s finally ends in this article. By 1960, nearly three quarters of the population had television, and by the end of the sixties, nearly ninety-five percent. A comeback bout with Hulk Hogan was axed in 1995 after Haystacks, born Martin Ruane, contracted cancer. Click here to watch Luke Graham in the ring; it's probably not a WWWF footage, but that's all I could find. This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 00:57. From 1963 to 1971, the man held the WWWF Championship for an astonishing first reign of 2,803 days. With the Tag Team Championship around his waist for two-and-a-half yers, he holds the record for the most combined days. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. He didn't fail to bring his aggressive style with him when he joined the WWWF in the mid-60s. Armstrong's last match was for Continental Championship Wrestling in Dothan, Alabama, where he defeated The Assassin. He fought as part of a tag team and was often picked to fight 6ft 10in 350lbs wrestler Blackjack Mulligan who would wallop Bruiser onto the canvas. Oldest person to wrestle ever at 87 years old. Get the latest wrestling news and takes direct to your inbox. 1 Billy Robinson 2 Dynamite Kid 3 Davey Boy Smith 4 Danno O'Mahoney 5 Mick McManus 6 Steve Casey 7 Jackie Pallo 8 Bert Assirati 9 Billy Joyce 10 Big Daddy 11 Kendo Nagasaki 12 George Kidd 13 Lord Alfred Hayes 14 Adrian Street 15 Douglas Clark 16 William Regal (Use code PWS for a nice surprise). He was also a trainer even when he was an active wrestler. Wrestled in AWA. 30 Wrestlers You May Not Know Were Related! You can learn more about this fearless trendsetter here. Mexican wrestler who teamed with the Great Goliath. Retired wrestler Saraya-Jade Bevis, better known as Paige, has won the Divas Championship twice and was also its the youngest winner. He was a clever and wily opponent who brought considerable showmanship to the arena. Cause of death: Heart attack, Tony St. Clair v Doug Joyce- WRESTLING HERITAGE, Steve Veidor vs Kendo Nagasaki 1969 - WRESTLING HERITAGE. He also had many great matches against British wrestling greats such as Fit Finlay and Mick McManus. Graham also managed to put the hand on the short-lived WWF International Tag Team Championship. Beforebeing released from his WWE contracton January 5th, 2022, which ended his 22-year tenure with the company, Regal had an even bigger role behind the scenes as theWWE Director of Talent Development and Head of Global Recruiting, playing a significant role in building the future stars of WWE. Professional Wrestlers The Professional Andr The Giant Giant People Tall People Vintage Photography Andre Wwe Wrestlers Jean Ferrat Jesse Ventura andre the giant Wrestling Posters Great Memories Hall Of Fame Wwf Champs Legends Title Greats Pedro Morales poses with the US Title Belt Wrestling Stars Good Looking Men Wrestler Vintage Men By using this site, you agree to the legal terms set out in ourDisclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. Though he never won a title, he was a firm favorite with fans. However, he was not alone and this top 25 is the proof. Graham, one of the greatest brawlers ever, won three different tag team championships during his runs with the company. He won the WWWF US Championship in 1971, but he had to drop it one month later, when he became the WWWF World Heavyweight Champion on February 8, 1971. 1 contender to Bruno Sammartino's WWWF Championship, but he always fell short, and he greatly contributed to put the champ over in the process. His potential and ability have been often overlooked despite his influence on wrestling. Top 10 hit-makers After asking for your nominations, we asked you to vote in our poll to determine just who was the best producer of the 1960s. He was ahead of his time, innovating a level of athleticism unlike most before him. WWE Director of Talent Development and Head of Global Recruiting, playing a significant role in building the future stars of WWE. Regal would debut in WCW in 1993. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. In addition, he accomplished the unthinkable when he ended Sammartino's seven-year reign. He died, aged 52, in 1998. During his time there, he would become a four-time TV Champion. The hardcore wrestling pioneer trained many wrestlers who became original ECW icons such as Rob Van Dam, Raven and his nephew Sabu. One of the most beautiful and athletic women wrestlers during the '50s and '60s she and Penny Banner were women's world tag-team champions with looks and talent to spare. Here are twelve British wrestlers who were critical to the evolution of British wrestling and influenced some of the very best of today. Jamaica Kid and Little Beaver backstage at a wrestling arena April 25, 1969. They would work together as a team in many matches during the final years of the channel ITVs coverage of British wrestling. Paige. Wrestled his last match at a show in Guadalajara, Mexico teaming with his grandson, Arturo Gaona and Bucanero I defeating Babe Sharon, Comando I and Luis Chavir. In the process, I discovered countless wrestlers I hadn't heard about or I didn't really know. Although some of the wrestlers we detail below broke through to major promotions during their time in the business, often, they arent given the recognition they deserve. Although his father was against his son becoming a professional wrestler he would go as far as having Mark banned from his gym in Manchester, England Rocco would "learn the ropes" from many veterans from the age of 16 while his father was out on tour.