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National Sputnik Monroe Day

Posted: Mar 24th 2015 By: Memphis Wrestling News

Today is NATIONAL SPUTNIK MONROE DAY! "I'm rough, tough, and hard to bluff. 235 pounds of twisted steel and sex appeal. The heavenly body that women love but men fear."

Today we celebrate the life of one of the roughest, toughest, meanest, and most colorful wrestlers to pack out Southern arenas, Sputnik Monroe!

Monroe was a noteworthy figure in Memphis cultural history. During a period where segregation was the norm at public events, he, as the biggest wrestling draw at the time, refused to perform unless black patrons were allowed to sit in any seat at the Ellis Auditorium. At the time, at wrestling matches, as well as any public events, African-Americans were being limited to sit in what was at the time known as the "colored" section.

Sputnik Monroe didn't mind taking credit for integrating wrestling in the South. Working in Memphis for Buddy Fuller, Monroe would go down to Beale Street and give away coupons for discounted wrestling tickets. After a few days, his crowd grew from a hundred to a thousand. He threatened to walk out if they turned his black friends away.