| Bill Longson | |
|---|---|
| Ring name(s) | "Wild Bill" Longson Purple Shadow |
| Billed weight | 240 lbs |
| Born | June 8, 1906 |
| Died | December 12, 1982 (aged 76) |
| Debut | 1931 |
William Longson (June 8, 1906 - December 12, 1982) was a professional wrestler, who spent most of his career in St. Louis, Missouri under the ring name "Wild Bill" Longson. He perfected the role of the arrogant heel, and is credited with inventing and popularizing the piledriver.
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Longson was a 3-time National Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Champion during the 1940s. He was also the last National Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Champion, losing his title to Lou Thesz on July 20, 1948, when Thesz elevated onto Longson's shoulders from the piledriver position and fell into a Thesz Press. As a result of this victory, Thesz unified the venerable National Wrestling Association Championship with his own new National Wrestling Alliance World Championship, beginning the process of consolidating all American world championships into one.
Longson is a member of both the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.