One of the premier showdowns that year was the return match for the World Heavyweight Title between new champion Dick Hutton and former champion Lou Thesz. The special referee was boxing great Jersey Joe Walcott. Hutton barely held onto the belt, though fans knew it was only a matter of time before Thesz would win it back!
Houston Wrestling fans cheered and celebrated during the summer of 1958 when Pepper Gomez and El Medico reunited as a tag team. With their feud behind them, the two once again joined forces. Wrestling fans loved bad guys who repented and became good guys, and in this case the newly-christened “good guys” became one of the most popular tag teams in Houston Wrestling history. On August 22, they defeated Wild Bill Longson and Ike Eakins to win the World Tag Team Championship Trophy, cementing Houston Wrestling as one of the great tag team wrestling promotions in the country.
Dickie Steinborn, son of Milo Steinborn, a Houston Wrestling star during the thirties, made his debut in 1958 along with Cowboy Bob Ellis, the famous Kangaroo tag team of Al Costello and Roy Heffernan, and Paul Anderson, the strongest man in the world. Anderson earned that title by beating the Russian champion weightlifter in a major world weightlifting contest. At this time, the United States and Russia were battling each other in the Cold War, so an American beating a Russian on the world stage was big news!
As the 1958 wrestling season ended, the last feud to settle was between El Medico and Danny McShane. Both men insisted that their opponent was a dirty wrestler, so Sigel seized the moment and signed the two for a final showdown. The loser had to take a bath in the ring and leave town! McShane won and El Medico was sent back to Mexico, much to the disappointment of fans.
That year also saw the emergence of newcomers like Juan Diego, Tito Carreon, Jack Pesek, Pierre De Glane, Billy Edwards, Jewish mat star Jerry Gordet, Jan Madrid, Jack Terry, Aldo Venturi, Japanese star Kato, Houstonian Joe Pizzatola, Gentleman Gene Darval, Greek star Nick Londos, Indian star Chief Black Hawk, Crybaby Bob Corby, Rip Hawk, Swede Karl Karlsson, Jerry Woods, Russian grappler Sputnik, and Freddy Fraley.
The headlines of the Houston Wrestling program of January 16, 1959, announced the crowning of a new World Champion! Pat O’Connor had beaten Dick Hutton in St. Louis Missouri on January 9, 1959. This upset was the talk of the wrestling world and Houston Wrestling's dressing room, as everyone wanted a match with the new World Heavyweight Champion from New Zealand.
Irish Danny McShane was chosen as the top contender, since he had World Championships for the three weight classes under the Heavyweight division. A victory would make him the only wrestler in history to hold the World Title in four weight divisions. While McShane was not victorious against O'Connor, his performance demonstrated to the professional wrestling world that he could battle any man in any division.
Mexican star Luis Hernandez made his Houston Wrestling debut on April 24, 1959. He was an instant hit, and within weeks was the new Texas Heavyweight Champion. Hernandez was very talented, but his primary contribution to the history of Houston Wrestling was that he became the stepfather of future Houston Wrestling great, Gino Hernandez.
Nick Kozak made his Houston Wrestling debut on June 19, 1959, and his brother Jerry, made his first appearance the following Friday night. The Kozak brothers were highly ranked as a tag team, and dreamed of winning the World Tag Team belts, which were often defended at Houston Wrestling.
Both Kozaks were accomplished individual wrestlers, and in his debut, Nick managed an upset over Danny McShane. Within weeks he was the Texas Heavyweight Champion, and had a bout with World Heavyweight Champion, Pat O’Connor. Nick did not win the World Title, but established himself as a superstar. Later he was also a valuable referee in the Houston Wrestling promotion.
Nick Kozak was one of the finest stars to step inside the Houston wrestling ring. He was a first-class wrestler, a first-class referee, and most importantly, a first-class friend to Houston Wrestling fans, Paul Boesch, and me. He made himself available for charitable events that helped people and Houston Wrestling, and deserves a sincere and heartfelt thank-you.
On Friday night, August 7, 1959, fans witnessed a match between Danny McShane and El Enfermero, who had been sent to Houston by his friend El Medico who wanted revenge against McShane. What made this showdown special was that the ring was encased by barbwire, so no one could interfere or leave the ring until a winner was declared. Sigel had anticipated a bloody battle and signed a special referee for that night: former World’s Heavyweight Boxing Champion James J. Braddock. Movie buffs know that Braddock's comeback story was the central plot of the movie Cinderella Man, starring Russell Crowe. It is one of the greatest comeback stories in the history of sports. Braddock did not know the meaning of quitting, and legend Joe Louis claimed that Braddock was the toughest man he ever faced in the boxing ring. Sigel showed his true flair as a promoter that night, as he not only put the barbed wire around the ring to contain the two wild brawlers, but he signed Braddock, one of the toughest boxers of all time, to keep the battle under control. That night's crowd didn't disappoint Sigel.
Syracuse wrestling champ and football star Dick Beyer made his debut on December 18, 1959. He would later become one of professional wrestling’s biggest stars when he changed his ring character. Who did he become? Keep reading to find out.
That year Jerry Kozak married Eda Mae Weiss of San Antonio, Texas, inside the Houston Wrestling ring. His brother Nick Kozak was the best man. It was the first time a wedding ceremony took place inside the ring, and the Houston Wrestling fans in attendance were special guests. Jerry wrestled before the wedding ceremony and won his match against Jack Laskin, then ran to the dressing room to shower and put on his tuxedo for the big event. His soon-to-be wife was a big wrestling fan, and did not start to get ready until she watched Kozak wrestle and win. You have got to love it! This could only happen in the wild and wacky world of professional wrestling.
Others who made their Houston Wrestling debut in 1959 were Bob Hess, Mario Galento, future wrestling promoter Nick Roberts, Andre Bollet, European champion Frances Vallois, The Great Antonio, El Lobo, Lester Welch, Yvon Roberre, Martino Angelo, Pancho Lopez, Mike and Ed Sharpe, Dick Dunn, Joey Maxim, Fuzzy Martin, Dino Bravo, Al Mills, Jean and Joe Corsica, Tony Barbetta, The Purple Flash, The Golden Giant, Billy Strong, Johnny Rebel, Angelo Martinelli, McKinley Pickins, Duke Scarbo, Nero, Alex Perez, Tito Kopa, Houstonian Bad Boy Hines, Jessie Alba, Charlie Garza, Pedro Godoy, Sordomudo Rodriquez, Tony Angelo, Jack Obrien and Ya Qui Bravo.
From Gorgeous George's hairpins to wedding rings in the wrestling ring, the fifties were indeed golden for Houston Wrestling.
THE STRUGGLING SIXTIES
The sixties were a challenging decade for society and professional wrestling. How promotions answered those challenges would determine which ones survived and which perished!
The most important concern of regional promotions was how to handle the powerful medium of television, which was changing the American lifestyle and the face of professional wrestling. Television in the fifties had made national celebrities out of Gorgeous George, Buddy Rogers, Antonio Rocca, Lou Thesz and others. However, that symbiotic relationship was short-lived. Television soon became a destructive force for the professional wrestling business.
Fans realized they no longer had to buy tickets and travel to the local arenas, but could have that same entertainment in their living rooms. Wrestling promotions had to adjust or perish.
Promoters experimented with strategies that would enable them to harness the power of television as a positive force. Some used studio wrestling television shows to promote live wrestling shows that they would not televise. Wrestling fans had to be in the arena if they wished to see important matches. Sigel televised opening matches, but not featured matches or main events. He also used television to air interviews designed to create interest and sell tickets! This new tactic employed television shows to “tease,” and live wrestling shows to “please.”
Professional wrestling television sh
ows built the stars and developed story lines. During televised matches, announcers also promoted the next live show and gave ticket information. Television critics were sensitive to this type of promotion. Some stations canceled wrestling shows because they were concerned that wrestling programs were developing into wrestling advertisements. If a wresting promoter lost his television show, he lost his promotion. This trend shocked the business.
The Houston Wrestling show came under the same potentially dangerous scrutiny. There was a critical gray area the Houston Wrestling promotion was careful to maintain. They promoted live shows as much as possible, but did not cross the infamous thin line that would cause television stations to consider the program a commercial. On several occasions throughout the thirty-nine years that Houston Wrestling was on the air, the promoter had to meet with the local television station and discuss this controversial issue.
Because wrestling television shows in the fifties were under pressure to produce great ratings, the sport changed so it could stay on the air. Viewers demanded characters like Gorgeous George, Buddy Rogers, and other showmen, as well as wild action. Promoters had to add showmanship and stage bizarre events, which produced higher ratings in the short term, but encouraged criticism from television critics and stations, resulting in some promoters losing their airtime.
Professional wrestling shows were also threatened by overexposure. Keeping action fresh was difficult. Fierce competition among promoters sometimes made the business its own worst enemy. Negotiating good financial agreements with television stations was challenging, especially when other promoters offered their shows for free. Worse, some promoters paid television stations for air time.
Although many promoters weathered the financial hit when they lost television revenue, some failed because they could not use shows to promote upcoming live events.
How was the Houston Wrestling promotion going to respond to these serious challenges? Morris Sigel approached the sixties with his characteristic determination, persistence, and phenomenal work ethic. He stuck to the basics of marketing: providing the right product at the right price at the right place and with the right promotion. That strategy guided Houston Wrestling promotion through changing times.
The sixties began with Pat O’ Connor, the World Heavyweight Champion, taking on all worthy opponents. The World Tag Team Champions were Houston Wrestling’s own Pepper Gomez and Cyclone Anaya, which was good news for Sigel, who made money pitting the World Champions against villain teams from around the world.
Sigel also recruited two great athletes from the University of Houston during 1960. One was Adnon Kaisy, a great amateur wrestler who represented his country of Iraq in the Olympics. He was eager for an opportunity to parlay his skills into a lucrative professional career. The second star was Hogan Wharton, an All-American football player at the University of Houston who had received plenty of attention from the Houston media. While making money at Houston Wrestling, Wharton also played professional football with the Houston Oilers, a team in the new American Football League. The combination had worked for Bronko Nagurski and Joe Savoldi, and would also lay out for future stars like “Big Cat” Ernie Ladd and Indian Chief Wahoo McDaniel.
That year also heralded the debut of “The World’s Ugliest Woman.” The Lady Angel billed herself with that title so she could sell more tickets and make money. It was not a title anyone dared to use without her permission. She was not terribly ugly; however, neither was she exactly Marilyn Monroe. There was also the “Loser Painted Yellow” match featuring a showdown between Joe Pizza and Nick Kozak. Kozak won and Pizza was painted yellow, much to the delight of the Houston Wrestling fans.
One of the biggest stories of the year was the debut of Torbellino Blanco, “The White Tornado.” Sigel brought Torbellino Blanco to Houston Wrestling hoping to fill the void left by El Medico. Torbellino Blanco wore the same white mask and white wrestling tights as El Medico, and his wrestling style was similar. Sigel gave Torbellino Blanco a huge promotional push, including a debut against El Medico's archrival, Irish Danny McShane. Blanco defeated McShane, beat Wild Bull Curry, won the World Tag Team Championship with partner Pepper Gomez, won the Texas Heavyweight Championship, and received the public endorsement of El Medico’s friend Blackie Guzman. El Medico also sent his endorsement. Sigel's determination was in part due to something Houston Wrestling fans did not know at the time: their beloved El Medico was in Mexico dying of stomach cancer.
The passing of El Medico was reported in the Houston Wrestling program of Friday, June 24, 1960. Fans were shocked and saddened, and so was I. El Medico was my first wrestling idol. In fact, I still have a small El Medico mask that he had given me when I was five years old. That was over fifty years ago, and the custom-made mask is still one of my most cherished possessions. It is with sadness that I pay tribute to him in this story. He was a wrestling legend and a very special human being.
As I write, I remember another emotional event that took place in the Houston Wrestling ticket office nearly thirty years ago. I was alone there when suddenly the front door opened and an elderly Mexican woman stepped in. She quietly looked around, then shuffled across the office until she came to the picture of El Medico that Paul Boesch and I had hung on the wall. With tears running down her face, the lady kissed her fingers and put them on his picture. The young Mexican man with her turned to me and said in broken English, “El Medico was her son.” The grieving mother closed her eyes and started to pray while she touched El Medico’s picture. When she finished, she wiped her eyes and, without speaking, gave me a warm and very touching glance. Then she turned and shuffled towards the door. She knew we had a special bond because of her son. Her glance could speak volumes without a single word being uttered.
Despite Sigel’s efforts, no one was able to replace El Medico. However, Torbellino Blanco's talent, combined with Sigel’s promotions, established Blanco as a star. He went on to face Pat O’Connor for the World Heavyweight Title in front of a sold-out crowd of over ten thousand fans in the Sam Houston Coliseum on Friday, April 22, 1960.
That year included the return of Ricki Starr, a huge sensation on the nationally-televised Jack Paar Show. Starr was a professional wrestler and professional ballet dancer, and was managed by the famous promoter Jack Pfefer. Pfefer was a colorful and controversial person, responsible for giving several stars their professional wrestling debut (including Paul Boesch).
Captain Lou Albano made his Houston Wrestling debut as a special referee, then later as a wrestler. Albano was a professional football official, as well. This is the Lou Albano who would later play a major role in the so-called “marriage” between the WWE and MTV in the early eighties. This union drastically changed the WWE as Vince McMahon started his conquest of the professional wrestling world.
World Negro Heavyweight Champion Dory Dixon from Jamaica made his United States debut on Friday December 2, 1960, while Whiskers Savage made his final appearance on Friday December 9, 1960. Also, Sigel moved Houston Wrestling events from Friday to Saturday nights during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. Additionally, Houston Wrestling opened up its own ticket office, advertised as “Sigel’s Wrestling Ticket Office,” at 707 Texas Avenue, across the street from the City Auditorium, on Tuesday, October 11, 1960.
Ciclon Negro, “The Black Cyclone,” made his debut in 1960 along with the riotous Sputnik Monroe. Other debuts included Guy LaRose, Rip Hawk, Brute Bernard, Lumberjack Tony Borne, Don Kent, El Gladiator, Mr. Kleen, Paul Vachon, Billy Parks, and Nelson Royal, who would eventually win the World Junior Heavyweight Title.
Attempting to jump-start the upcoming 1961 season, Sigel promoted a “Parade of Champions” card at the Sam Houston Coliseum on Friday, January 20, 1961. The star-studded card had Dory Dixon, the Jamaican sensation, going for the World Heavyweight Title against Pat O’Connor. World Junior Heavyweight Champion Danny Hodge, billed as the greatest athlete to come out of Oklahoma, risked his title against Jerry Kozak. The card also featured a battle for t
he Texas Heavyweight Title between Ciclon Negro and Don “The Bruiser” Manoukian, the outstanding offensive guard for the American Football League’s Oakland Raiders. There was also a battle for the Texas Tag Team Belts between the Monroe Brothers, Sputnik and Jet, who were pitted against Pepper Gomez and Hogan Wharton. Even the opening match was a title bout as Brass Knucks Champion Wild Bull Curry defended his trophy against Tony Borne.
Later that year, in the first “Russian Roulette” six-man tag war, Pepper Gomez, Ciclon Negro, and Dory Dixon took on Don “The Bruiser” Manoukian, Tony Borne, and Sputnik Monroe. Other special events of the year featured a showdown between Dory Dixon and Irish Danny McShane, which took place behind a barbed wire fence while the referee had to remain sitting on the ring post. There was also a special St. Patrick’s Day battle between Wild Bull Curry and Irish Danny McShane in which the loser was painted green by the winner. The luck of the Irish was with McShane that night, much to the disappointment of fans.
The Houston Wrestling program of July 7, 1961, announced that professional wrestling had a new World Heavyweight Champion, as “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers pulled off a stunning upset of Pat O’Connor in front of forty-two thousand wrestling fans in Chicago on June 30th.
European champion Eduardo Castillo also debuted in 1961, determined to return the World Heavyweight Title back to Europe, where it had not been since Frank Gotch defeated the German Hackenschmidt in 1905. Another interesting European debut was Eric Rommel, a direct descendant of World War II’s infamous German general Rommel, better known as the “Desert Fox.” The handsome German was well-received by Houston fans. It is amazing how time can heal the pains of war.
Other debuts that year featured Shag Thomas, a football star at Ohio State and for the Green Bay Packers, the World Tag Team Champions Jim and Jack Dalton, Sheik Abdullah, Angelo Poffo and his controversial manager Bronko Lubich, Pacific Northwest champion Pepe Gonzalez, German grappler Waldo Von Erich, and the Mighty Yankees tag team. The Houston Wrestling program made sure to inform all of Houston that they were born north of the Mason-Dixon line, since boasting that you were a Yankee still constituted fighting words.
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