The Golden Age of Wrestling unsurprisingly coincided with the Golden Age of Television with the significant contributions between the genres. When the 'boob tube' first made its appearance in American homes after WWII, TV producers had little to fill their time slots with to meet the needs of their commercial sponsors. In pro wrestling, TV found a ready-made audience, performers, scripts, story lines, heroes and villains unlike any others. It was a marriage made in heaven, and pro wrestling experienced a growth unparalleled since the turn of the century. Here is a profile of some of the biggest stars in the galaxy of the Fifties.
Fred Blassie
It didn't take long for Freddie Blassie to assess the situation in the new TV market, realizing that the 'boob tube' was a quick ticket to West Coast fame and fortune. Bleaching his hair blond and investing heavily in a flashy ring wardrobe, the gravel-voiced Blassie became one of the villains fans loved to hate. His camera personality was one of a kind, and his wisecracking, insulting style had fans screaming for justice after a televised Blassie tirade. He coined the term "pencil-necked geek", which was one of many epithets he reserved for fans and foes alike.
Blassie's penchant for publicity was second only to his wrestling ability. Despite a blatantly roughhouse style, he was a ring general who captured numerous titles throughout his career, the WWA world title among them. He was extremely popular in Japan, where his biting tactics earned him the nickname of "The Vampire". His love of the West Coast made it his base of operations over a career spanning three decades.
He finally signed on with the WWF at the end of his wrestling career, taking on Pedro Morales in a debacle in which he exited the ring a bloody mess. He embarked on a managerial career in which he enjoyed noteworthy success. After having failed in a conspiracy with ex-Bruno cohort Spiros Arion to win the title, he went to war with the Mongol against Andre the Giant. The rivalry resulted in a broken ankle for the Giant, which kept their feud going over the years. He then masterminded the Iron Sheik's title win over Bob Backlund and the Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff's Wrestlemania title win over Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo. Guiding his proteges to both major WWF titles was the crowning glory in a long and illustrious career.
Blassie remains employed with the WWF; his intro to Wrestlemania XV was a heartwarming tribute to a champion and a legend.Dick the Bruiser
Richard Afflis was unquestionably one of the toughest wrestlers of all time. A weightlifting enthusiast in his early teens, the Bruiser stood 6'1" and weighed 265 rock-hard pounds back in the pre-steroid days. Despite his enormous notoriety, Afflis cared little for travel and spent most of his career in the Midwest under contract with the AWA. His stock skyrocketed when he lured NFL star Alex Karras into the ring for a free-for-all in the Sixties. The Bruiser suffered a 21-stitch cut during the brawl; Karras never wrestled again. Another major incident occurred at Madison Square Garden when he subbed in a tag match with the Grahams against mat idols Antonio Rocca and Miguel Perez. The bout was ended by a mob riot; the Bruiser was suspended for life by the NYC Athletic Commission.
In his mature years, he spent most of his time as AWA 'policeman', weeding out the competitors for old nemesis Gagne's AWA crown. He teamed with his cousin, Crusher Lisowski, a formidable duo that ran roughshod over all comers in the tag-team divisions. Their wars with Hennig and Race, Moto-Arakawa and the Vachons are mat classics. The Bruiser's untimely death in the early '80's left a void that has yet to be filled.Haystacks Calhoun
This was another big man with a heart of gold who could write his own ticket with any promotion in the world. At 6'2", 601 pounds, the mammoth hillbilly wore a white T-shirt, overalls, and went barefoot into the ring save for the horseshoe necklace he reserved for overanxious opponents. He was Bruno Sammartino's acid test at Madison Square Garden; the new champ astounded the audience by tossing the behemoth over the top rope for a countout win. It did little to besmirch Calhoun's record; he was idolized the world over and literally crushed opponents in thousands of bouts. The 'Giant' of his time, most of his bouts were handicap matches in which he dispatched two and three opponents with relative ease.
Calhoun's size made his situation a difficult one in the real world; he often paid double fare on airlines in taking up two seats. His restaurant tabs were astronomical; he was able to finish off a dozen pancakes and a gallon of milk for breakfast alone. His vehicular transportation was always a logistical dilemma. Yet the adulation poured on him by his fans and well-wishers more than compensated for the difficulties he faced negotiating a smaller man's world.
He remained a top WWWF 'policeman' whenever he made his rounds of the East Coast, even to the end of his career. In his last Madison Square Garden bout, he faced off with the Sheik after the latter's unsuccessful three-bout series for Bruno's gold belt. The Sheik attacked before the bell, and Calhoun's horseshoe necklace dispatched the Beast from Beirut to the showers in a 0:00 DQ victory. The fans were jubilant to see their beloved hero make his curtain call in such a flourish against a most formidable opponent. Haystacks remains one of the most cherished memories in the history of the sport.Gorgeous George
...Muhammed Ali's role model, the man who revolutionized `image' in pro sports...Killer Kowalski
When Wladek Kowalski broke into the sport, he was a 6'6", 245-lb. neophyte who took a good share of lumps doing tank jobs for many stars hamming it up by steamrolling their larger opponent. Kowalski, an intellectual and a skilled photographer, began practicing vegetarianism to metabolize his gangling physique. Despite severe headaches and an alarming initial weight loss, Kowalski persevered with his new regimen. As a result, a la Evander Holyfield, he packed on nearly thirty pounds of solid muscle and experienced a dramatic increase in cardiovascular capability. Going from 'babyface' to 'heel', Kowalski's stock soared in the following months.
His new stamina made it possible for him to adopt a relentless attack which the sport has yet to see replicated. His signature move, the flying kneedrop, eventually cost Yukon Eric an ear during their rivalry. The incident, along with a new nickname, Killer, would make him one of the highest paid performers in the game. It cost him during his tours of Australia, where their heralded steaks and beer took their toll on the Killer. A thirtysomething Killer found himself in a Stateside rivalry with upcoming star Don Leo Jonathan, who put a permanent dent in Kowalski's career.
Kowalski's rep helped him make deals with the AWA and the NWA, which kept him at the top of the game for another decade. In his forties, he returned to the WWWF for a crack at Bruno Sammartino. Teaming with old partner Gorilla Monsoon, he earned a shot by pinning the champ (teamed with Victor Rivera) in midring at Madison Square Garden. Although failing in his quest, it was the pinnacle of a long and illustrious career.
Kowalski remains active behind the scenes, sharing his wealth of knowledge with students at his private wrestling school.Pat O'Connor
...one of the classiest champions, a true gentleman...Argentina Rocca
Antonio "Argentina" Rocca was perhaps the purest athlete to emerge from the Golden Age. The wiry Argentinian was not only blessed with enormous tendon strength but steel-spring thigh muscles that allowed him to bound about the ring like a kangaroo. He had awesome stamina, derived from boyhood athletics in the high-altitude regions of his youth, enabling him to run rings around his less gifted opponents. It was almost impossible for his foes to catch Rocca; when they did, the fans were treated to a display of aerial firepower that left them breathless. He was able to launch a two-footed dropkick from a standing position into an opponent's face and drop back to his stance; he was able to hit a man with either foot with the precision and velocity of a karate master. Once an opponent was completely worn down, his bodybreaker was his tool of choice as a finishing move.
Rocca was the king of the volcano at Madison Square Garden, rivaled only by the Graham Brothers as NYC's biggest mat attraction. He proceeded to take on Puerto Rican champ Miguel Perez as a tag team partner...Buddy Rogers
...the original Nature Boy, heir apparent to Gorgeous George, the man you loved to hate...Lou Thesz
The protege of such mat greats as George Tragos, Ed "Strangler" Lewis, and Ad Santel, Lou Thesz became the greatest wrestler of this century. The six-time NWA Heavyweight Champion held a record of 936 consecutive wins between 1948 and 1955. He had a three-dimensional attack: his flying head scissors was one of his signature moves, his scientific skill on the mat was second to none, and he could brawl with the best of them when push came to shove. Thesz was like a panther, combining enormous resiliency with surprising tendon strength and uncanny ring generalship. He met and defeated most of the greatest wrestlers in the game for nearly twenty years before being derailed by Canadian bruiser Gene Kiniski. Thesz was well past his prime after the loss, but their rematches drew sellouts around the country before Thesz finally retired.Fritz Von Erich
King of Texas wrestling, master of the Iron Claw, head of the greatest family in the sport's history...For a further overview of this topic, check out The Influence of Literature in Television