12/20/05
Hey, it’s Christmas time! The best of holiday wishes to all of the wonderful fans who have checked in to our web site, which Mitch Hartsey has done an incredible job of making interesting and easy to navigate while good buddy Herb Simmons urges Mitch on.
Here is, I hope, a special treat for those folks into the history of wrestling and particularly in St. Louis. Let’s look back…way back…really way back!…into St. Louis mat annals for the time when Sam Muchnick actually promoted a card during the period between Christmas and New Years.
Of headline value is the main event….Lou Thesz versus Karl Gotch.
It was Gotch, of course, who helped start the "shoot" craze by training many young Japanese wrestlers in the 1980s. Karl was also the gentleman, who along with "Big Bill" Miller, worked over Buddy Rogers in a Columbus, Ohio, dressing room and led to Sam luring Thesz out of retirement to get the National Wrestling Alliance title back from Buddy.
In addition, Gotch had a reputation as one tough, mean, customer who had the goods inside the squared circle.
By Dec. 27, 1963, Thesz had control of the NWA title and he defended the crown against Gotch at Kiel Auditorium. That’s 42 years ago, folks! I also remember it because that was the evening I met Lou’s dad, Martin Thesz.
Here is the card..plus the lineup that followed only one week later to kick off 1964.
A crowd of 6868 were on hand to see Thesz capture two of three falls from Gotch. Lou took the opening stanza with a reverse rolling cradle in 8:50. Gotch evened the fracas with what was then called the atomic suplex (now the German suplex) followed by a bridge to hold Thesz’ shoulders down in 5:50. In the deciding fall, Gotch went for the suplex again. But Thesz grabbed the top rope. Referee Joe Schoeneberger kicked Thesz’ hands loose, throwing Gotch off-balance and sending Karl crashing underneath Thesz where he was pinned after 3:18.
I recall, with a teenagers eyes, that the bout was not spectacular but very stiff and rigid. I do not remember Lou really doing anything in the subtle heel mode; in fact, he was likely the favorite as the hometown boy. With experience now, I’m guessing this was not an easy bout for either to work because both had so much pride and were so stubborn. In addition, the relatively short times of the falls makes me think tempers could have flared very easily, turning it into a "shoot."
The rest of the lineup…
"Cowboy" Bob Ellis beat Rip Hawk with a series of bulldog headlocks 8:08.
John Paul Henning beat the masked "Hercules" (Bobby Graham) by disqualification for using a knee drop to JP’s throat 11:38.
Wilbur Snyder and "Big Bill" Miller went to a 20-minute draw I describe in my notes as "blazing."
Lorenzo Parente and Joe Tangaro took two straight falls from Mark Starr (Ricky’s brother) and Stan Stasiak. 1st fall-Tangaro won when Stasiak was disqualified for breaking up a potential pin 14:48. 2nd fall-Parente beat Starr with the Olympic stretch 8:26.
Ray Gordon versus Ray Stern was declared no contest when Stern injured his kene and could not continue. Gordon, however, refused to accept the victory 5:12.
Sam came back, for the only time I am aware of after "Wrestling at the Chase" started in 1959, with a show one week later – Jan. 3, 1964. It was billed as a "Super Spectacular" to conclude the holiday week spectacular which started with the title bout. The attendance was 9285.
In the feature, a handicap tag team bout, John Paul Henning and "Cowboy" Bob Ellis beat Fritz Von Erich – who had no partner – when Henning forced Fritz to submit with the bow and arrow hold after Ellis had delivered a bulldog headlock in 11:50.
Penny Banner, Mars Monroe and Kay Noble defeated Mae Goodson, Cora Combs and Jessica Rogers. 1st fall-Rogers beat Noble with a flying headlock 9:23. 2nd fall-Noble pinned Goodson with a back slide 4:27. 3rd fall-Banner beat Combs with a flying leg scissors (Thesz press) 7:26.
Ronnie Etchison and Rip Hawk battled to a draw 15:00.
Lorenzo Parente and Joe Tangaro upset Dick "the Bruiser" and the masked "Hercules." 1st fall-Tangaro won when Dick was disqualified for jumping off the top rope to hit Joe while Hercules had Tangaro in the hangman hold 9:18. 2nd fall-Dick and Hercules kept arguing until finally they got into a slugfest with each other. When Dick dropped Hercules, Parente flopped on him for the pin 7:25. Hercules did not have to unmask because it was in a tag team bout, but it didn’t matter as Hercules went after Bruiser and such a wild scene developed that "Wild Bill" Longson, Bobby Bruns and the referees had to restrain the erstwhile tag team partners.
Pancho Lopez won a midget bout from Fuzzy Cupid with an airplane spin 9:22.
"Big Bill" Miller and Stan Stasiak were both disqualified for ignoring the referee 8:14. (Larry’s note…rough night, huh??? LOL)
Ray Gordon pinned Taro Myaki with a series of kangaroo kicks 11:15.
And there’s my Christmas present from way, way, wayyyy back to all of you. Happy holidays!
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