The North Ireland-born Finlay amassed twenty championship reigns throughout his career, including the United States Championship in WWE. Strongbow will probably be most remembered for his Native American gimmick, with the complete outfit, including his famous traditional headdress than for his achievements. Matthews trained as a shooter (a wrestling term that describes a wrestler with a legitimate fighting background), and he often defended prize money against members of the public. A spokesman for ITV said: 'The two hour special will see some of the UK's finest pro wrestlers including, 'The East End Butcher' Sha Samuels, Dave Mastiff and 'Viper' Kimberly Benson, compete in. Click here to watch The Baron teaming up with Frand "The Moose" to face Jay Strongbow and Peter Maivia. You can find instructions here as to how. Different versions of this character would form in the years to follow, showing the personas longevity, but none lived up to the original. He was also credited by the Guinness Book of Records as the Worlds Strongest Midget. Click here to watch Mr. Fuji in rare singles action taking on Pedro Morales and click here to see him in some tag team action. 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. The best British wrestlers: From Big Daddy to Mick McManus, what became of our wrestling stars The mostly overweight men in leotards, often facing off at The Dome in Brighton, were a world. Graham, one of the greatest brawlers ever, won three different tag team championships during his runs with the company. We have taken a lot of time and careful attention to detail in bringing you our free to use and access Wrestler's Database. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. 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. The inaugural WWE Champion lost the title 21 days later against Bruno Sammartino, and he suddenly vanished for a while. Buy Wrestling Tickets securely and cheaply online -. Little Tokyo went on to win the NWA World Midget Champion three times equaling Lord Littlebrooks achievement. From Barbados former Mr. Universe, a bodybuilder wrestler in the 60s and 70s and teamed with Rocky Johnson. He dropped out of West Texas State College in 1953 to take up the fight game. When they formed their alliance they left out in the cold many other promoters who were not invited to the party. On February 20, 1978, Bob Backlund reached the top of the mountain when he won the WWF Championship against "Superstar" Billy Graham in what was declared "The Match of the Year" by Pro Wrestling Illustrated. 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. 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. The Promoters A-Z lists many of those promoters who made it all happen between 1930 and 1988. One of his trademarks was to cut his opponents' face with a pencil hidden in his outfit. These contests, though, receive little publicity and mostly go unnoticed by the general public. All rights reserved. Peter Thornleys version of the character remained a household name throughout Britain, but most Americans and Japanese fans associated the character mostly with Kazuo Sakuradas version. 41.88, Davey Boy Smith is the 2nd most famous British Wrestler. Former WWWF World Tag Team Champion. They represent an era in which Saturday afternoon telly was genuinely gripping. Wrestling stars of the 60s/'70s. No matter where he wrestled, Koloff generated heat like no other with his Russian gimmick, all that right in the middle of the Cold War. And, when we take a look at everything he did in 1980 and after he left, he is clearly one of the most misused talents in WWE's history. It's an impossible task, surely. Also, the rarer the item the higher the gear score will be within the gears tier range. Duets have always been perfectly suited to oldies music and love songs, mainly because rock and roll began as a combination of popular styles. He moved to the US in the early 1960s, where he became NWA World Midget Championwinning a record three times (tied with Little Tokyo). His potential and ability have been often overlooked despite his influence on wrestling. He even found time to release the single True Love in 1975 and still has stables in Bingley. 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. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Jamaica Kid and Little Beaver backstage at a wrestling arena April 25, 1969. Many greats, including Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold, Ric Flair and Triple H, were inspired by him to forge their characters. Oldest in the wrestling industry ever verified. After retiring in 1983, he wrote his autobiography, You Grunt, Ill Groan, and did acting work, getting knocked out by Honor Blackman in a fight scene on The Avengers. After that last success, Graham slowly faded away from the WWWF. His impressive reign lasted until December 1, 1973 when Stan "The Man" Stasiak defeated him for the title in a shocking moment. Both men clashed on many occasions with no clear winner until that famous day in 1978 at the Madison Square Garden. He immediately became the No. Brother of. His father was an alcoholic and his abusive and violent behavior towards his son led the teenage Murray to run away from home. Old School Wrestling: 10 Things Sorely Missed! Logos are registered trademarks of respective organizations. 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. Karloff Largarde - World & National Champion. Oldest surviving Mexican women wrestler. From his debut in 1973 and for the rest of the decade (in fact until 1987), Andre was one of the most beloved wrestlers and the most well known across the planet. Click here to see Patera injuring Billy White Wolf after the match and click here to see the strongman clashing with Bob Backlund. Oldest Canadian Wrestler. Was the promoter of Seattle wrestling, from 1958 to 1969 he was the sole promoter in Washington, Idaho, and Northeast Oregon. For most Bleacher Report readers, Mr. Fuji is that iconic manager of the '80s and '90s who led Yokozuna and Demolition to the gold. He was an instant top babyface who battled Gorilla Monsoon and The Sheik among others. Nowadays, he trains the stars of tomorrow at the WWE Performance Center. News. 6 Antonio Inoki Disclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. From her blue eyes to her athletic build and immersive backstory, we are Angela Ziegler Or Mercy, was born in Switzerland. With two different partners (Professor Tanaka and Mr. Saito), he managed to have five reigns as Tag Team champion, for a total of 932 days. 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. flickr/Orange County Archives. Garea made his mark in the tag team division by winning the gold on three occasions, with three different partners, for a total of 384 days with the title in the '70s. Or so Joint Promotions would have the enthusiasts believe. 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. Can you imagine if Cena held the WWE title that long nowadays? He became one of the most infamous heels ever in the late '70s when he injured many babyface wrestlers with his signature swinging full nelson he didn't release after the bell. On November 29th, 1998, he would sadly die of lymphoma at his home near Manchester, England. Like everything on Wrestling Heritage this is a developing project and we welcome additions and corrections. As you could see, pro wrestling didn't start with Hulk Hogan in the '80s. A number of bands emerged with an amalgamation of diverse musical influences. Training under Marty Jones, Matthews made his pro wrestling debut at the age of 15 for a local promotor at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. Share. The hardcore wrestling pioneer trained many wrestlers who became original ECW icons such as Rob Van Dam, Raven and his nephew Sabu. Whilst the enthusiasts focus was quite rightly on the wrestlers they could never have taken their place centre stage had it not been for those who made it happen, the promoters. The theme to the show was created by Morton Stevens and is recognized easily by millions of people even now, more than 40 years later. 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. 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. So, I took in consideration the impact, the popularity, the legacy and the "it" factor when I could. 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. 1962-08-10 - National Wrestling Association (source: LegacyOfWrestling.com) 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. When he left New Zealand after he signed with the WWWF in 1972, he quickly became a big star, earning the 1973 PWI Rookie of the Year. British grappler Darren William Regal Matthews is one of the most well-regarded wrestlers in the business, though he never was able to land on his feet at the top of the professional wrestling mountain, where many believe he could and should have been. He was born Roland Barriault in Sudbury, Ontario on July 22, 1946. At just 5 feet, 6 inches (1.68 m) tall, and 175 lbs (79 kg), he was known for his brutal way of punishing opponents of all sizes. Think about Yokozuna or Big Daddy V but wearing a farmer boy outfit and carrying a horseshoe necklace from 1955 to the late '70s. In pictures: Mick McManus and the stars of the British wrestling FOLLOWING today's news of the passing of Mick McManus, one of the stars of ITV's World of Sport wrestling, we look back on. His most notable feud, that lasted for over two decades in and out WWWF, was against Bobo Brazil, and in the process, he became a two-time WWWF US Champion. He retired, ran a care home and, now aged 70, still sells Kendo merchandise online. He won the WWWF World Tag Team Championship in 1976 with one of his students, Big John Studd. Click here to watch the only excerpt I found of Backlund winning the WWWF Championship and click here to watch him against Pat Patterson in a cage match in 1979. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Stacks of rare and collectible music publications from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.