He, however, was a considerable draw himself. With an HPI of . He toured across America with fellow wrestlers and held several championship titles. Sadly, his fame and glory in the British circuit were cut short. Training under Marty Jones, Matthews made his pro wrestling debut at the age of 15 for a local promotor at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. He portrayed a Japanese samurai with a relatively unknown past: Kendo Nagasaki. After one of his shows on December 2nd, 1997, he died from a stroke. Marty Jones perhaps might be the least known of the names mentioned on this list but is one of the best all-around grapplers of the bunch. Coventry Live. The long-running debate over the best Muscle Cars from the 60s and 70s finally ends in this article. 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. As his nickname "Crazy" suggests, he portrayed a deranged persona who covered his ears and claimed he was not insane when someone made allusion to his craziness. By Kelly O'Sullivan. Not moving as well as his large frame once was able, Arn Anderson recalled this time in Haystacks career on his ARN Podcast, stating, He could only probably fall one more time. 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 * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. He worked in Brixton offices by day but would become a villain by night. Wrestled in the UK, Asia, Middle East and India. There were more than 4,000 different brews available in the 60s, so we cannot list them all. Regal would debut in WCW in 1993. He was 69. Began his career in the 1940s. Larry Chene, Mike Clancy, Jack Curtis, Mike DiBiase, Pepper Gomez, Red McKim, Sonny Myers, Angelo Savoldi, Joe Scarpello, Oni Wiki Wiki. 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. Dave Clark. You can learn more about this fearless trendsetter here. By 1960, nearly three quarters of the population had television, and by the end of the sixties, nearly ninety-five percent. The '60s: With Josh Hamilton, Julia Stiles, Jerry O'Connell, Jeremy Sisto. Although he never got a chance to appear in many mainstream promotions, he indeed laid his legacy in his home country. Little Bruiser ready for a bout in Chicago, September 1 1972. I also considered the longevity with the WWWF, a point not very important after the early '80s and the death of the territories concept. The Red Shoes (1948) Film. Think also about a 600-pound, 6'1" behemoth who could actually wrestle and who finished his opponents with a big splash. This is a list of oldest surviving professional wrestlers. The 10 best music producers of the '60s By Simon Arblaster ( Future Music ) published March 04, 2016 MusicRadar users have voted, so here's the countdown. [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. Updated 11:52, 21 APR 2013. Electricity Steve Regal. (Youngest WWE Divas Champion) 44. By M.A LeBlanc Ring Of Honor Tag Team Champion Jay Briscoe Passes Away At 38. Old School Wrestling: 10 Things Sorely Missed! The iconic villain had a mysterious past, Samurai skills, supernatural powers and a cheap red face mask. 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. He died of cancer in 2004 aged 67. Warner Bros. Click here to watch history being made when Ivan Koloff defeated Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF; and click here if you want to see The Russian Bear in a cage match again vs. Sammartino, in 1975. 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. 1963-09 - Boxing Illustrated Wrestling News, 1967-10 - The Wrestler (credit: @wrestlerweekly), 1968-12 - Wrestling Revue "Official Wrestling Ratings" (credit: Tom Burke), 1968-12 - Ring Wrestling: "Official World Ratings". Not all boxing came under the control of the BBBC. 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. Think about Yokozuna or Big Daddy V but wearing a farmer boy outfit and carrying a horseshoe necklace from 1955 to the late '70s. Former printer William Matthews nickname, Rugged South London Tough Guy, was hardly catchy yet he was one of the sports biggest draws. The free-form music expression of jam bands became a monumental part of hippie culture in the 60s. I found no singles action for Haystacks Calhoun, but you can click here to watch some three-against-three action and click here to watch him in a WWWF World Tag Team title defense. It was a detective/cop show starring Jack Lord. Oldest British wrestler in history, Second oldest worldwide. Once the race barrier was finally crossed, he had feuds against Killer Kowalski, The Sheik and all the other heels in WWWF at the time. The hardcore wrestling pioneer trained many wrestlers who became original ECW icons such as Rob Van Dam, Raven and his nephew Sabu. The 1974 PWI Rookie of the year was trained and introduced to the WWWF by Bruno Sammartino. aaaaaahhhAndre the Giant one of my chidhood heroes, Davey "The British Bulldog" Smith November 27, 1962- May 18, 2002 Smith, who shot to fame wrestling as the British Bulldog in the World Wrestling Federation, was trained by the legendary Stu Hart. 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. British wrestling history has a name - HeritageWrestling Heritage celebrates the glorious days of British professional wrestling. His impressive reign lasted until December 1, 1973 when Stan "The Man" Stasiak defeated him for the title in a shocking moment. Born in Golborne, Lancashire, Smith is best known for his appearances in the United States with the then World Wrestling Federation . 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. Initially unpopular with the crowds, he became much loved after his acting career took off. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Photograph: David Redfern/Redferns Swinging. Adrian Street is one of the most influential British wrestlers of his time. Antonio Inoki He retired in 1982, worked in public relations, bought a pub and became a porcelain expert. His calculated evil ways made him one of the biggest heels in any company he worked. 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. With adopted names like Little Bruise, Sky Low Low, Billy The Kid, Little Beaver, Lord Littlebrook and Little Tokyo, men (and a few women) who might have eked out a living in the circus started a spectator port. Kendo was unmasked in 1977, with 12 million viewers disappointed to learn that Peter Thornley was not Japanese after all. Voice of World Class Championship Wrestling. Prestons unchoreographed no-sells to McManus strikes led to McManus reacting and throwing legitimate strikes to get the referee to disqualify him during the match, thus giving Preston the unscheduled technical victory. The oldest male wrestler was Killer Kowalski, who won on an independent show in Massachusetts on March 14, 2008, at age 81. Jamaica Kid and Little Beaver backstage at a wrestling arena April 25, 1969. Billy started his career in the 1950s, where he established himself as a wrestling bad guy. Disclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. And, in those years, he often fought in 60-minute time limit draws. You can find this story in My Bookmarks. 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 it debuted, everyone in the world was like, "That's it! He retired, ran a care home and, now aged 70, still sells Kendo merchandise online. He was even put in rare face-against-face matches when he challenged Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF World Title on a few occasions in the mid-60s. Also was a bodybuilder, swimmer, and actor. . The voice of the Tetley tea ads, the father-of-two died of a brain tumour in 1997, aged 63. 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. Welcome to professional wrestling in the 1970s, where anything goes and grapplers weren't participating in sports entertainment. What makes the Archmage and Avenging armor sets great: How to get the Archmage and Avenging armor sets: the pieces for these sets drop from various mobs and bosses in the Great Cleave . Worked as Purple Haze. Patera made a name for himself as a dominant strongman wrestler who had a successful weightlifting career behind him. "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith 39 May . Let's get straight to the wrestlers information, which we've split up in the following handy sections below: Wrestling tickets currently on offer - click to see more! Wrestled his last match at a show that was independently produced by. He was a top draw in Australia and in Europe when he headed to America to join the company. All rights reserved. Cause of death: Heart attack, Tony St. Clair v Doug Joyce- WRESTLING HERITAGE, Steve Veidor vs Kendo Nagasaki 1969 - WRESTLING HERITAGE. Blood, barrel chests, and mutton chops. As for any similar list, I considered many factors to rank the wrestlers. Share. He currently lives in Liverpool, United Kingdom, and finds his spare time training to become a wrestler. However, since I didn't watch wrestling in those great days, I could hardly evaluate the in-ring abilities, the charisma and the mic skills. He started wrestling at the age of fifteen and went on to become one the worlds top midget wrestler over a 30 year period, during which time he won the NWA World Midget Championship twice. So from Joy Division to Radiohead, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, we've picked the best British rock bands of all time, listed in ascending order. From her blue eyes to her athletic build and immersive backstory, we are Angela Ziegler Or Mercy, was born in Switzerland. Graham, one of the greatest brawlers ever, won three different tag team championships during his runs with the company. Extreme Record Collecting: Confessions of an analog vinyl snob, A long, rambling blog post about my Nico obsession (+ some astonishing, seldom seen TV performances). Click the appropriate section on the right. Formed in 1952 Joint Promotions was a syndicate of a handful of promoters based around the country. However, like many on this list, his potential was not pursued to its extent as he tragically died in 2001 at the age of 46 due to being shot to death after a dispute with his former roommate. Graham also managed to put the hand on the short-lived WWF International Tag Team Championship. Wrestled in the Central States and was a light heavyweight champion. And, with his trademark war dance, the fans went as crazy as when Hogan was "Hulking" up in the '80s. Fit Finlay over the years. 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. Collectors of British & American back issues will find some great stuff here like Beat Instrumental magazine, early 70's glam & pop magazine Music Star, The excellent Zigzag magazine, for blues enthusiast there's Blues Unlimited, Creem, Crawdaddy, Let it Rock . Both men clashed on many occasions with no clear winner until that famous day in 1978 at the Madison Square Garden. Instead, he relied on his judo background. British Wrestlers. Peter S. Beagle (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating 103,279 ratings. Mexican actor, wrestling announcer and baseball broadcaster. 3. He was so pushed on television that he was unbeaten for twenty years. The original Nature Boy was the total package back in the day, and he directly inspired Ric Flair with his flamboyant gimmick. This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 00:57. One such style was the Vidal Sassoon pixie, which was created by the British hairstylist of the same name. In 1978 DeNucci enjoyed his second reign with Dino Bravo as his partner, and they held the belt for 104 days. He died, aged 52, in 1998. First African-American promoter & manager working under Vincent J. McMahon. AEW President Tony Khan broke the news on Tuesday that one-half of the ROH World Tag Team Champions Jay Briscoe, real name Jamin. It is said that Gustav Fritensk wrestled until the age of 72. He was also a trainer at the WWE Performance Center, where he trained the newest batch of WWE superstars. 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. Mark Rocco was a fourth-generation British wrestler. If it was not really his fault, it was still the birth of a legend. Oldest Canadian Wrestler. As might be expected, Jones is now a trainer for several British-based wrestling promotions and, in recent years, even mentored multiple members of the current NXT UK roster. 1. He won three WWWF Titles in the tag team division with three different partners from 1971 to 1978. WWE Director of Talent Development and Head of Global Recruiting, playing a significant role in building the future stars of WWE. He was referred to as the man you love to hate!. 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. He dropped out of West Texas State College in 1953 to take up the fight game. From Barbados former Mr. Universe, a bodybuilder wrestler in the 60s and 70s and teamed with Rocky Johnson. Wrestling stars of the 60s/'70s4 of 18 . He won the WWWF World Tag Team Championship in 1976 with one of his students, Big John Studd.