Nickname(s): The Iron
Man
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 225 lbs.
From: St. Louis, MO
Birthday: Apr 26
Feds worked for: NWA,
AWA, Canada, Los Angeles, World Wrestling Association, Trans World Wrestling Alliance, Tennessee, Universal Wrestling Association (Mexico)
Finisher: The Thesz Press
Signature Moves: The Stepover Toehold Facelock (STF)
Career Highlights: -AWA (Boston) World Champion
-AWA (Midwest) World Champion
-International Television Tag Team Champion (w/ Art Thomas)
-Missouri Champion
-Montreal International Champion (4x)
-NWA International Champion
-NWA (Mid-America) Southern Tag Team Champion (w/ Jackie Fargo)
-NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Champion (w/ The
Outlaw)
-NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion (3x)
-NWA Southern Champion
-NWA
Texas Champion (2x)
-NWA World Champion (3x)
-National Wrestling Association World Champion (3x)
-Rocky Mountain Champion
-TSW United States Tag Team Champion (w/
Jack Brisco)
-UWA Champion
-WWA Champion
Notable Feuds: Hans Scabnel, Jack Washburbn, Red McIntyre, Billy Watson, Wild Bill Longson, Ernie Dusek, Bobby Managoff, Buddy Rogers, Fred Curry, Sr.
Official Website: www.louthesz.com
Other Facts: -Full name was Alouysius Martin Thesz. Some sources list it as Lajos Tiza.
-Born in Banat, MI. When he was 2, his family moved to St. Louis, MO. He later moved to Norfolk, VA
-Sometimes billed from
Phoenix, A
Z
-Considered by many the greatest technical wrestler ever.
-Was introduced to Greco-Roman wrestling at age 8. His father was a Greco-Roman wrestler in Hungary.
-Began wrestling at the age of 17 in and around the St. Louis area.
-Won the NWA World Title in 1949. He was National Wrestling Association World Champion at the time and unified these titles. Over the next 3 years, he would unify his title with the AWA (Boston) World Title and the NWA (Los Angeles) World Titles, creating a Unified World Title which he would hold for almost 8 years!
-Held the NWA world title from November 27, 1949, to March 15, 1956. This is the longest NWA World Title reign of anyone.
-With all title reigns combined, he held the NWA Championship for 10 years, three months and nine days (3,749 days total), longer than anyone else in history.
-He &
Mae Young are the only wrestlers to have competed in seven different decades.
-Was Nick Bockwinkel's first opponent.
-Wrestled his final match on December 26, 1990. He lost to Masahiro Chono. At the time of this bout, Thesz had an artificial hip, but was still able to compete.
-Worked as commissioner for the Korean-based WWA.
-Inducted into the
WCW Hall of Fame in 1993.
-His biography, "Hooker", was written by Kit Bauman with his assistance.
-Until the time of his death, Thesz remained active in a handful of charities and was president of the influential oldtimers' Cauliflower Alley Club..
-He made appearances at serious projects and/or promotions with regard to what he prefered to call "the truer forms of wrestling."
-Passed away April 28, 2002. His body was cremated and most of the ashes were spread on a riverbank in Missouri. Some were spread among the empty wine bottles and trash alonside the Sportatorium in Dallas, TX. Other portions were spread in Miami, Houston & Hawaii.
-Posthumously inducted in the NWA Hall of Fame in 2005
