The Hall of Fame was created to honor the role St. Louis played in helping to establish professional wrestling in North America.[1][4] Matysik also wanted to create a hall of fame that recognized wrestlers for their contributions to wrestling rather than their relationships with the owner of the promotion.[1] To be inducted into the Hall of Fame, inductees must have held a title belt or played an important role in or around the Missouri area between 1959 and 1983, when the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) promotion had a strong presence in St. Louis.[3]
When the Hall of Fame opened in 2007, it was located in The Pro Wrestling Shirt Shop, a business in St. Louis' South County Mall.[6] It contained plaques and memorabilia from the St. Louis Wrestling Club.[8] In 2008, the Hall was moved to the South Broadway Athletic Club.[9] Each induction plaque is personalized with a description of the individual's contributions. For example, Thesz' plaque states that he is "the finest example of a true world champion".[6] Six more people were inducted in 2008, bringing the total to twenty-one. The Hall's directors plan to add six more inductees each year.[3] Fourteen men and one woman have been honored for their performance in the ring as wrestlers. The remaining six people have been inducted for their other contributions, including owning and promoting the St. Louis Wrestling Club, as well as performing duties as referees, ring announcers, and commentators.
# |
Year |
Ring name
(Birth name) |
Inducted for |
Notes |
01 !1 |
2007 |
Banner, PennyPenny Banner
(Mary Ann Kostecki)[10] |
Women's wrestling |
Born in St. Louis and began wrestling career working for Muchnick's NWA; won the NWA Women's World Tag Team Championship (1 time)[11] |
02 !2 |
2007 |
Brody, King KongKing Kong Brody
(Frank Goodish)[12] |
Wrestling |
Posthumous inductee; inducted September 14.[7] Won the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and NWA Central States Tag Team Championship (1 time)[13] |
03 !3 |
2007 |
Dick the Bruiser !Dick the Bruiser
(William Richard Afflis)[14] |
Wrestling |
Posthumous inductee; won the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship (3 times)[15] |
04 !4 |
2007 |
Flair, RicRic Flair
(Richard Morgan Fliehr)[16][a] |
Wrestling |
Won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (10 times) and NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[15][17] |
05 !5 |
2007 |
Garagiola, MickeyMickey Garagiola |
Ring announcing and commentating |
Longtime ring announcer and commentator for St. Louis Wrestling Club[6][18] |
06 !6 |
2007 |
Kiniski, GeneGene Kiniski |
Wrestling |
Held NWA World Heavyweight Championship for three years; won the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[15][17] |
07 !7 |
2007 |
Longson, BillBill Longson
(Willard Rowe Longson)[19] |
Wrestling |
Posthumous inductee; won the National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship (3 times) and NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[19] |
08 !8 |
2007 |
Matysik, LarryLarry Matysik |
Commentating and Promoting |
Owner, office worker, booker, announcer, and commentator for St. Louis Wrestling Club; wrote biography of Sam Muchnick[6][20] |
09 !9 |
2007 |
Muchnick, SamSam Muchnick |
Promoting |
Posthumous inductee; founded the NWA and served as president from 1950 to 1960 and 1963 to 1975; owner of St. Louis Wrestling Club[21][22] |
10 !10 |
2007 |
O'Connor, PatPat O'Connor |
Wrestling |
Posthumous inductee; won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), and NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship (2 times); co-owner and booker of St. Louis Wrestling Club[17][22][23] |
11 !11 |
2007 |
Race, HarleyHarley Race |
Wrestling |
Won the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship (7 times) and NWA World Heavyweight Championship (8 times); co-owner of St. Louis Wrestling Club[15][17][22] |
12 !12 |
2007 |
Schoenberger, JoeJoe Schoenberger |
Refereeing |
Posthumous inductee; longtime referee for St. Louis Wrestling Club and community youth sports advocate[6] |
13 !13 |
2007 |
Thesz, LouLou Thesz
(Aloysius Martiz Thesz)[24] |
Wrestling |
Posthumous inductee; won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (6 times)[24] |
14 !14 |
2007 |
Valentine, JohnnyJohnny Valentine
(Jonathan Wisniski)[25] |
Wrestling |
Posthumous inductee; won NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[15] |
15 !15 |
2007 |
Von Erich, FritzFritz Von Erich
(Jack Barton Adkisson)[26] |
Wrestling |
Posthumous inductee; won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[27] |
16 !16 |
2008 |
Brisco, JackJack Brisco
(Fred Joe Brisco)[28] |
Wrestling |
Won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times), NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship (2 times), and NWA Missouri Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[15][17][29] |
17 !17 |
2008 |
Funk, Jr., DoryDory Funk, Jr. |
Wrestling |
Won NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[15][17] |
18 !18 |
2008 |
Garagiola, JoeJoe Garagiola |
Commentating |
First commentator for St. Louis Wrestling Club's Wrestling at the Chase television program[30] |
19 !19 |
2008 |
Johnson, RockyRocky Johnson
(Wayde Bowles)[31] |
Wrestling |
Competed in St. Louis from 1975 to 1986 and challenged for NWA World Heavyweight Championship on several occasions[32] |
20 !20 |
2008 |
Rogers, BuddyBuddy Rogers
(Herman Rohde)[33] |
Wrestling |
Posthumous inductee; won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[17] |
21 !21 |
2008 |
Warren, LeeLee Warren |
Refereeing |
Longtime referee for St. Louis Wrestling Club[34] |
22 !22 |
2009[35] |
von Rashke, BaronBaron von Rashke |
Wrestling |
Won numerous tag team titles, including NWA World Tag Team Championship (Central States version) (1 time) – with Maurice Vachon and NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Central States version) (1 Time) – with Harley Race |
23 !23 |
2010 |
Heenan, BobbyBobby Heenan |
manager |
Managed various Tag Team Champions in AWA and WWE with The Heenan Family |
24 !24 |
2010 |
Funk, TerryTerry Funk |
Wrestling |
Won numerous titles, including NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) |
25 !25 |
2010 |
Mudoch, DickDick Mudoch |
Wrestling |
Posthumous inductee; won various titles, includingNWA Central States Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[36], NWA Central States Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bob Brown[37] and NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Central States version) (3 times) – with Dusty Rhodes (1) and Bob Sweetan (2)[38] |
26 !26 |
2010 |
Ellis, "Cowboy" Bob"Cowboy" Bob Ellis |
Wrestling |