The Prodigal Anti-Lemming
Registered Lemming Smasher
There are two hall of fame spots open that are soon to be filled. I make a good case for the induction of Frank Gotch in a number of other threads, but I do believe too that one specific wrestler would be ultimately vital to any emergent hall. That wrestler is Lou Thesz, whom Ill make my case for by citing my personal overall criteria for noticing top all-time greats.
My criteria focuses on eight points, beginning with:
Drawing Power. Thesz was notably one of the top draws of the forties and fifties. His biggest landmark was a May 21st, 1952 outing with Baron Michele Leone, won by Thesz in defense of his NWA World title, which drew a sellout crowd of 25,256 (with thousands turned away) to the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium. The live gate was a massive $103,277, breaking a record that had been established by a Jim Londos-Strangler Lewis headlined event held in Chicago in 1934. Theszs victory established him as the dominant world champion of the period. He was one of four other sure bet draws of the time (alongside Gorgeous George, Buddy Rogers and Antonino Rocca), ensuring that Thesz remained among the highest paid wrestlers in the industry from the late-40s through to the mid-60s.
Overall Impact on the Industry. His greatest contribution to wrestling was cleaning up the fragmented title picture. In post-Depression era wrestling, many promoters nationwide employed their own real world champion. Theszs July 20th, 1948 victory over Bill Longson for the Association version of the NWA World championship made him one champion among many. His November 29th forfeiture win over Orville Brown gained him recognition as the National Wrestling Alliance World champion, and unified champion of the NWA. On July 27th, 1950, he defeated Gorgeous George to merge the old Boston version of the AWA World title with the NWA belt. The 1952 Leone win cemented Theszs place in history, merging Leones claim as the world champion of California with the NWA title and positioning Thesz as the undisputed leading title claimant in the United States.
Mainstream Visibility. While not as accessible to the mainstream as Gotch, Lewis, George or Hogan, Thesz gave wrestling a great deal of mainstream credibility because he was a no-nonsense champion with legitimate credentials who didnt resort to gimmicks or endorse silly short term novelties. While wrestling in Theszs age was starting to cater to the sideshow, Thesz himself could always be counted on to deliver on the mat. This was relevant to the mainstream sporting world because there were many sportswriters who could remember wrestlings gradual decline from legitimate matches. Thesz provided wrestling with greatly needed legitimacy.
Championship Success. A 6-time world champion, Thesz held two versions of the NWA World title five times, and the old AWA World title once (contrarily, many sources that report Thesz as a 6-time NWA champion, which is untrue). His third world title reign spanning from 1948 until 1956 lasted an uninterrupted seven years, seven months, three weeks, longer than any singular championship run save only for Bruno Sammartinos record setting WWWF title reign that elapsed over nearly eight years. Notably, Thesz is also the youngest wrestler (at 21) to have held a world championship.
Longevity. Simply put, Thesz had more longevity than any active wrestler ever. He wrestled actively from 1934 until about 1966. His first world title was won in 1937. His last was lost 29 years later. Thesz remained semi-active throughout the late-60s, the 1970s and early-80s. He wrestled his final match, a defeat to Masa Chono on a New Japan card, on December 26th, 1990.
Caliber of wins. You name him, and chances are, if he was active in Theszs prime, Thesz probably beat him. Everett Marshall. Strangler Lewis. Bill Longson. Buddy Rogers. Whipper Billy Watson. Verne Gagne. Bronko Nagurski. Gorgeous George. Antonino Rocca. Eduoard Carpentier. Karl Gotch. Baron Michele Leone. Rikidozan. Hans Schmidt. Danny Hodge. Between 1937 and 1966, Thesz defeated every name star whose path crossed his at some point.
International Dominance. Thesz was the first foreigner, or gaijin, to enter Japan and break out as a huge star. This was a time just after the second World War when many Japanese hated Americans in particular, yet Thesz was respected for his ring savvy and the fact that he could go hold for hold with any wrestler on the planet. His matches with Rikidozan were always huge attractions. Thesz was the first wrestler to hold the International title, which today, comprises one-third of the All Japan Triple Crown.
Wrestling Ability. This is the category in which Thesz truly shined. No one, not Burns, Gotch, Lewis, Stecher, Flair or Angle, could boast the mat acumen of Lou Thesz. As many fighting instructors will tell you, small joint manipulation is probably the most difficult fighting technique to master. Thesz learned from the best, taking lessons from Strangler Lewis, Ray Steele, George Tragos and Ad Santel, and applied it like an art to remind an opponent of just who was in charge if that was necessary. He was a hooker, a man who could work a match or snap an opponents joints if he so desired (do a youtube search of the term double wristlock to find an example of a dangerous hook). Small joint manipulation is today considered a fighting art, and in Theszs time, it was an ideal skill for defending a wrestling championship because for all the pomp and circumstance that was beginning to permeate wrestling, many wrestlers still prided themselves on their ability to incapacitate another man through the technique of dangerous holds. Wrestling matches of the period were as often full works as they were partial works/shoots in which it was difficult for the casual observer to tell the difference. Thesz held his championship over a pack of vicious, sadistic and ambitious maulers who didnt respect anyonebut they respected Thesz.
My criteria focuses on eight points, beginning with:
Drawing Power. Thesz was notably one of the top draws of the forties and fifties. His biggest landmark was a May 21st, 1952 outing with Baron Michele Leone, won by Thesz in defense of his NWA World title, which drew a sellout crowd of 25,256 (with thousands turned away) to the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium. The live gate was a massive $103,277, breaking a record that had been established by a Jim Londos-Strangler Lewis headlined event held in Chicago in 1934. Theszs victory established him as the dominant world champion of the period. He was one of four other sure bet draws of the time (alongside Gorgeous George, Buddy Rogers and Antonino Rocca), ensuring that Thesz remained among the highest paid wrestlers in the industry from the late-40s through to the mid-60s.
Overall Impact on the Industry. His greatest contribution to wrestling was cleaning up the fragmented title picture. In post-Depression era wrestling, many promoters nationwide employed their own real world champion. Theszs July 20th, 1948 victory over Bill Longson for the Association version of the NWA World championship made him one champion among many. His November 29th forfeiture win over Orville Brown gained him recognition as the National Wrestling Alliance World champion, and unified champion of the NWA. On July 27th, 1950, he defeated Gorgeous George to merge the old Boston version of the AWA World title with the NWA belt. The 1952 Leone win cemented Theszs place in history, merging Leones claim as the world champion of California with the NWA title and positioning Thesz as the undisputed leading title claimant in the United States.
Mainstream Visibility. While not as accessible to the mainstream as Gotch, Lewis, George or Hogan, Thesz gave wrestling a great deal of mainstream credibility because he was a no-nonsense champion with legitimate credentials who didnt resort to gimmicks or endorse silly short term novelties. While wrestling in Theszs age was starting to cater to the sideshow, Thesz himself could always be counted on to deliver on the mat. This was relevant to the mainstream sporting world because there were many sportswriters who could remember wrestlings gradual decline from legitimate matches. Thesz provided wrestling with greatly needed legitimacy.
Championship Success. A 6-time world champion, Thesz held two versions of the NWA World title five times, and the old AWA World title once (contrarily, many sources that report Thesz as a 6-time NWA champion, which is untrue). His third world title reign spanning from 1948 until 1956 lasted an uninterrupted seven years, seven months, three weeks, longer than any singular championship run save only for Bruno Sammartinos record setting WWWF title reign that elapsed over nearly eight years. Notably, Thesz is also the youngest wrestler (at 21) to have held a world championship.
Longevity. Simply put, Thesz had more longevity than any active wrestler ever. He wrestled actively from 1934 until about 1966. His first world title was won in 1937. His last was lost 29 years later. Thesz remained semi-active throughout the late-60s, the 1970s and early-80s. He wrestled his final match, a defeat to Masa Chono on a New Japan card, on December 26th, 1990.
Caliber of wins. You name him, and chances are, if he was active in Theszs prime, Thesz probably beat him. Everett Marshall. Strangler Lewis. Bill Longson. Buddy Rogers. Whipper Billy Watson. Verne Gagne. Bronko Nagurski. Gorgeous George. Antonino Rocca. Eduoard Carpentier. Karl Gotch. Baron Michele Leone. Rikidozan. Hans Schmidt. Danny Hodge. Between 1937 and 1966, Thesz defeated every name star whose path crossed his at some point.
International Dominance. Thesz was the first foreigner, or gaijin, to enter Japan and break out as a huge star. This was a time just after the second World War when many Japanese hated Americans in particular, yet Thesz was respected for his ring savvy and the fact that he could go hold for hold with any wrestler on the planet. His matches with Rikidozan were always huge attractions. Thesz was the first wrestler to hold the International title, which today, comprises one-third of the All Japan Triple Crown.
Wrestling Ability. This is the category in which Thesz truly shined. No one, not Burns, Gotch, Lewis, Stecher, Flair or Angle, could boast the mat acumen of Lou Thesz. As many fighting instructors will tell you, small joint manipulation is probably the most difficult fighting technique to master. Thesz learned from the best, taking lessons from Strangler Lewis, Ray Steele, George Tragos and Ad Santel, and applied it like an art to remind an opponent of just who was in charge if that was necessary. He was a hooker, a man who could work a match or snap an opponents joints if he so desired (do a youtube search of the term double wristlock to find an example of a dangerous hook). Small joint manipulation is today considered a fighting art, and in Theszs time, it was an ideal skill for defending a wrestling championship because for all the pomp and circumstance that was beginning to permeate wrestling, many wrestlers still prided themselves on their ability to incapacitate another man through the technique of dangerous holds. Wrestling matches of the period were as often full works as they were partial works/shoots in which it was difficult for the casual observer to tell the difference. Thesz held his championship over a pack of vicious, sadistic and ambitious maulers who didnt respect anyonebut they respected Thesz.