PWTorch Flashback - Lou Thesz death 10 years ago today
PWTorch Newsletter #703 Cover Story

Headline: Lou Thesz, all-time wrestling great, dead at 86
Subheadline: Greatest, most respected wrestler of middle 20th century, also wrote best wrestling history book
By Wade Keller, Torch editor

Lou Thesz, the most influential and respected wrestler of the middle 20th century, died of heart failure on Apr. 28 in a hospital in Orlando, Fla. He had open heart surgery on Apr. 6 and never fully recovered. Thesz held versions of the NWA World Heavyweight Title on six occasions for a span totalling over ten years. He remained actively involved in wrestling decades later, travelling in the '80s to Japan where he was recognized as a legend, then writing a great wrestling history book "Hooker" and heading up the Cauleyflower Alley Wrestling Club in the '90s (he was voted president in 1991), and eventually writing Internet articles in the last couple of years for long-time fans.

Thesz won his first National Wrestling Association World Title in 1937 at age 20 about three years after turning pro, defeating Everett Marshall in St. Louis, Mo. He lost the title to Bronko Nagurski. He held the title two other times, with his third reign ending in 1948 after a merger with the National Wrestling Alliance. He would hold the Alliance version of the World Heavyweight Title three times, defeating Orville Brown in 1948 and losing it to "Whipper" Billy Watson in 1956. He regained the title later that year, and lost to Dick Hutton on Nov. 14, 1957. He regained the title from Buddy Rogers on June 30, 1961, then lost it for the final time to Gene Kiniski on Jan. 7, 1966.

He was champion so often and for so long because he was a respected wrestler by his peers and because he was a top draw with fans. He headlined the first-ever $100,000 gate in the U.S.

He turned professional shortly before his 17th birthday. He had learned Greco-Roman style wrestling from his father when he was very young. He wrestled in the Midwest area of the U.S. in his early years. "In the Midwest, there were a lot of old wrestlers who could really teach you the basics of the game," Thesz said in a 1991 "Torch Talk" interview. "I was trying very, very hard to succeed as a pro wrestler. I trained constantly seven days a week and enjoyed what I was doing. And later I was lucky to do something I loved so much and make a livelihood doing something I loved."

He credited Ray Steele and Ed Lewis, two successful pro wrestlers, with helping show him the ropes - literally. "They were successfully financially, and were generous and magnanimous with their time. Later, after I became a big success, they were my biggest boosters. They introduced me to sports editors and radio people - there was no TV at that time, of course. And it was a wonderful life. My cup runneth over because we had people like that in wrestling." He described Lewis, perhaps the greatest wrestler of the early 20th century, as a "wonderful, bright guy... a mentor."

He was only 20 when he first won the NWA World Title. "I was ready and I knew that because I had some great, great coaching. For a 20 years old kid, that's quite a happening." Thesz bragged that he was smart with his money, having learned from his father's wisdom during the depression. "I didn't change my lifestyle," he said. "I drove the same car. If I had a big take somewhere, I just put it away like I never had it, that way the well never runs dry, you always have something to run back to."

During Thesz's peak years wrestling, it took years and years of touring to become truly well-known nationally. Besides infrequent live matches, there were short newsreel clips before movies at theaters and newspaper and radio publicity. There was no national television.

Like many wrestlers of the mid-20th century, he wasn't thrilled with the changes in the sport in the '80s. "I give them a 9 or a 10 for hype music and marketing, but for content of wrestling I give them a 1 or maybe a zero." Wrestling during Thesz's days in the ring was just as "worked" or "fixed" as today, although the fan perception was that it was mostly real. Thesz wrestled a style in the ring that didn't appear to be showy and could have been real. Wrestlers during his era took pride in being legitimately tough. Thesz was. But that style of wrestling had its flaws. Thesz was around first-hand for the evolution of wrestling as television began to enter homes in the '50s.

"Unless you were a wrestling student, it was like taking an uninformed person to an art studio. And we all switched (our style) somewhat. At one time, I had more TV coverage than any sports person in this country. I was doing one hour a day every day for public workouts in Los Angeles for the Leone match... When you were on television when the television industry was in its infancy, you were like a legendary movie star. Nothing could be further from the truth, but that's how people interpreted it. TV is what really changed the whole thing. It's like taking a camera into the courtroom."

He said the best era to be a professional wrestler was from 1948 to 1970. "We had television that was being used to a pretty decent advantage, but we still had a vestige of ability there. We didn't have a lot of jets to fly in, but the propeller travelling was okay. We were getting a fair count at the box office." Thesz, when he had great power as the top draw in the country, says he weeded out the promoters who cheated him. "We even went to the point of putting clickers on doors. We stopped a lot of foolishness."

Thesz remains to this day the longest reigning NWA Champion ever, the youngest to ever hold the title, and the only wrestler to wrestle at least one professional match in each of seven decades. Thesz was a legend internationally, especially in Japan.

He was a critic of Vince McMahon and the changes in wrestling since the '70s. The WWF did not acknowledge Thesz's death on Raw this week or on its website.

His wife, Charlie, posted a message to his fans at the WrestlingClassics.com website:

"Lou died this a.m. about 7:35. He had spent the night periodically stroking my head as I attempted sleep with my head on a pillow on his bed. He had struggled to breathe for too long. He knew this match was over and wanted us all to go home and resume our lives. He just stopped breathing. All the bells and whistles went off and dozens of people came in to bring him back to life. His doctor was called, and we agreed to let him go. With a full heart and clear head, I can tell all of you Lou died content and with no regrets! We had some wonderful times together in the hospital and shared loving moments and laughs...

"Lou will be cremated here in Florida, I will take his ashes to St. Louis, we will have a simple memorial service and I will let his ashes go into the Merrimac River where his happy memories of life started. Don't mourn - just love what he gave you. He loved and appreciated what you all gave him. Have a glass of wine, or a beer for Lou.. .and pray you have a life as full or as happy! Love to you all, (Lou and) Charlie."

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