Warren Bockwinkel
| Warren Bockwinkel | |
|---|---|
|
A promotional photograph of Bockwinkel from the 1950s. | |
| Birth name | Warren Bockwinkel |
| Born | May 21, 1911 |
| Died |
March 25, 1986 (aged 74) St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Children |
Nicholas Warren Francis Bockwinkel (born December 6, 1934) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Warren Bockwinkel[1] |
| Billed weight | 220 lb (100 kg)[2] |
| Billed from | St. Louis, Missouri, United States[3] |
| Debut | c. 1935 |
| Retired | c. 1955 |
Warren Bockwinkel (May 21, 1911 – March 25, 1986), often misspelled Bockwinkle, was an American professional wrestler who competed in the National Wrestling Alliance and North American regional promotions during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. One of the earliest wrestlers to appear on television, he teamed with many of the top wrestlers of the day including Ray Vilmer, Killer Kowalski and "Classy" Freddie Blassie. Although never winning a world title during his career, he was involved in many high profile feuds including Ernie Dusek, Paul Boesch,[4] Sandor Szabo, George Zaharias[5][6] and NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz.[7]
He was also the trainer of several wrestlers of the "Golden Age of Wrestling"-era including Wilbur Snyder and, along with Lou Thesz, his son Nick Bockwinkel who would eventually become a major star in the American Wrestling Association winning the AWA World Heavyweight Championship 6 times during the 1970s and 1980s.
A personal friend of promoter Lord James Blears, he convinced Blears to allow Nick Bockwinkel to compete in his NWA Hawaii territory[8] and later teamed with his son during the early 1950s.[9]
By 1955, he had retired, only coming out of retirement for a match with Hans Schmidt on October 2, 1957.
Nick Bockwinkel later acknowledged his father in his induction speeches for the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003 and the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.
Further reading
- Conner, Floyd. Wrestlings Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Pro Wrestling's Outrageous Performers, Punishing Piledrivers and Other Oddities. Dulles, Virginia: Brassey's, 2001. ISBN 1-57488-308-9
- Thesz, Lou. Hooker: An Authentic Wrestler's Adventures Inside the Bizarre World of Professional Wrestling. Wrestling Channel Press, 2001. ISBN 0-9706516-0-0
References
- ↑ "Ernie Dusek, Bockwinkle Rassle Tonight". Washington Post. December 5, 1940
- ↑ "Bockwinkle Battles Olson On Londos-Cox Mat Card". Washington Post. April 3, 1940
- ↑ "Bockwinkle Engages Golden Terror on Mat Thursday Night". Washington Post. August 4, 1940
- ↑ Boesch, Paul (1981). "The Career of Paul Boesch – One Man, One Sport, One Lifetime – 53 Years on the Mat". The Wrestling News. Retrieved April 5, 2007.
- ↑ "'Glamour Boy' Wrestles Tonight". Washington Post. October 24, 1940
- ↑ "Torrid Mat Foes to Meet In Rematch". Washington Post. October 27, 1940
- ↑ Bowden, Scott (December 7, 2006). "Kentucky Fried Rasslin': The Beverly Hills Blonde Bomber". Comics101.com. Retrieved April 5, 2007.
- ↑ Ohira, Rod (July 24, 2005). "Iaukea reminisces about 50th-state wrestling". The Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved April 5, 2007.
- ↑ Zordani, Jim (2004). "Regional Territories: AWA". KayfabeMemories.com. Retrieved April 5, 2007.
External links
- SLAM! Wrestling: 2nd-gen grapplers reflect on their Dads by Greg Oliver
- Deceased Superstars – Warren Bockwinkel
- The WAWLI Papers #051-060
- Gary Will: Deceased Pro Wrestlers – A Tribute to Mat Stars of the Past
- Warren Bockwinkel at Online World of Wrestling