50th State Big Time Wrestling
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50th State Big Time Wrestling
50th State Big Time Wrestling (sometimes referred to as NWA Hawaii or Mid-Pacific Promotions) was a professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii in the United States that promoted professional wrestling matches throughout Hawaii. The promotion was founded by Al Karasick in 1936 and became a member of the National Wrestling Alliance in 1949. In 1961, Karasick sold the promotion to "Gentleman" Ed Francis. Along with his business partner Lord James Blears, Francis created a "golden age" of professional wrestling in Hawaii that lasted throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, with ''50th State Big Time Wrestling'' becoming one of Hawaii's most-watched programs. The promotion came to an end in 1979 when Francis sold his interest to Steve Rickard. History Mid-Pacific Promotions was founded in 1936 by Russian emigrant Al Karasick. Assisted by booker Bobby Bruns, Karasick staged weekly shows in Honolulu's Civic Auditorium, which he managed. Thanks to Hawaii's tropical ...
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Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island of Oahu, and is the westernmost and southernmost major U.S. city. Honolulu is Hawaii's main gateway to the world. It is also a major hub for business, finance, hospitality, and military defense in both the state and Oceania. The city is characterized by a mix of various Asian, Western, and Pacific cultures, reflected in its diverse demography, cuisine, and traditions. ''Honolulu'' means "sheltered harbor" or "calm port" in Hawaiian; its old name, ''Kou'', roughly encompasses the area from Nuuanu Avenue to Alakea Street and from Hotel Street to Queen Street, which is the heart of the present downtown district. The city's desirability as a port accounts for its historical growth and importance in the Hawaiian archipelago and the broader P ...
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Honolulu Star-Advertiser
The ''Honolulu Star-Advertiser'' is the largest daily newspaper in Hawaii, formed in 2010 with the merger of ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' and the ''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'' after the acquisition of the former by Black Press, which already owned the latter. History On February 25, 2010, Canada, Canadian publisher Black Press, Black Press Ltd., which owned the ''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'', purchased ''The Honolulu Advertiser'', then owned by Gannett Corporation for $125 million. As part of the deal to acquire the ''Advertiser'', Black Press agreed to place the ''Star-Bulletin'' on the selling block. If no buyer came forward by March 29, 2010, Black Press would start making preparations to operate both papers through a transitional management team and then combine the two dailies into one. On March 30, 2010, three parties came forward with offers to buy the ''Star-Bulletin'', but a month later on April 27, 2010, the bids were rejected because their bids for the ''Star-Bulletin'' was b ...
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Postmedia Network
Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (also known as Postmedia Network, Postmedia News or Postmedia) is a Canadian media conglomerate consisting of the publishing properties of the former Canwest, with primary operations in newspaper publishing, news gathering and Internet operations. It is best known for being the owner of the ''National Post'' and the ''Financial Post''. The company is headquartered at Postmedia Place, located on Bloor Street of Toronto. The company's strategy has seen its publications invest greater resources in digital news gathering and distribution, including expanded websites and digital news apps for smartphones and tablets."Postmedia revamps Ottawa Citizen's digital service"


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Canoe
A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the term ''canoe'' can also refer to a kayak, while canoes are called Canadian or open canoes to distinguish them from kayaks. Canoes were developed by cultures all over the world, including some designed for use with sails or outriggers. Until the mid-19th century, the canoe was an important means of transport for exploration and trade, and in some places is still used as such, sometimes with the addition of an outboard motor. Where the canoe played a key role in history, such as the Northern United States, Canada, and New Zealand, it remains an important theme in popular culture. Canoes are now widely used for competition and pleasure, such as racing, whitewater, touring and camping, freestyle and general recreation. Canoeing has been part ...
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Wrestling Ring
A wrestling ring is the stage on which a professional wrestling match usually occurs. It is similarly constructed to a boxing ring and is traditionally square-shaped. Configuration and construction The configuration and construction of the traditional wrestling ring closely resembles that of a boxing ring. Like boxing rings, wrestling rings are also known by the poetic name of the "squared circle", which derives from how combative exhibitions would often be held in a roughly drawn circle on the ground. Wrestling rings are generally composed of an elevated steel beam and wood plank stage topped by foam padding and a canvas cover. Around the ring are three ''ring ropes'', one fewer than modern boxing rings, which have had four ropes since the 1970s. The materials used for the ropes differ depending on the ring builder or promotion. Some, like WWE, use natural fiber ropes wrapped in tape, while others use steel cables that are encased in rubber hose. Unlike a boxing ring, the ring ...
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Professional Wrestling Match Types
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. Throughout professional wrestling's decades long history, some gimmick matches have spawned many variations of the core concept. Singles match The singles match is the most common of all professional wrestling matches, which involves only two competitors competing for one fall. A victory is obtained by pinfall, submission, knockout, countout, or disqualification. Some of the most common variations on the singles match is to restrict the possible means for victory. Duchess of Queensbury Rules match A Duchess of Queensbury Rules match is a singles match contested under specific, often disclosed rules is replaced by a title usually meant to sound traditional for one combatant. A wrestler challenging another wrestler to a ma ...
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Sammy Steamboat
Samuel K. Mokuahi (May 4, 1934 – May 2, 2006) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Sammy Steamboat. Early life Mokuahi grew up in Honolulu, attending President Theodore Roosevelt High School, where he played multiple different sports. Professional wrestling career Mokuahi was trained to wrestle by Lord James Blears and Lou Thesz. He debuted in the 1950s, adopting the ring name "Sam Steamboat", the English translation of his birth name. Steamboat began his career with the Honolulu-based promotion 50th State Big Time Wrestling. He won his first championship on August 5, 1956, teaming with Billy Varga to defeat Great Togo and Tosh Togo for the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship. On January 25, 1961, Steamboat defeated Dick Hutton to win the NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship. He lost the championship to Luigi Macera on April 15, 1961. In the early 1960s, Steamboat relocated to the contiguous United States, where he competed for the Los Ange ...
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Peter Maivia
Fanene Leifi Pita Maivia (born Fanene Pita Anderson; April 6, 1937 – June 13, 1982) better known as Peter Maivia was a Samoan-American professional wrestler. Maivia was the maternal grandfather of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and was also part of the famous Anoa'i family. He was also a promoter for the National Wrestling Alliance in Hawaii. Professional wrestling career Early career (1960-1964) Maivia made his debut in 1962 at the age of 24. He worked for NWA Hawaii, and in other places including France, and the United Kingdom. New Zealand and Australia (1964–1968) After spending his first twenty years in American Samoa, Maivia moved to New Zealand. He began his wrestling career, wrestling not as The High Chief, but as Prince Peter Maivia. Athletic, naturally talented and a quick study, Maivia received his original ring training in New Zealand, under the watchful eye of local wrestler/promoter Steve Rickard. Both in and out of the ring, Rickard taught the young Samoan a gre ...
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Don Muraco
Don Muraco (born September 10, 1949) is an American retired professional wrestler and podcaster. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation from 1981 to 1988, where he held the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship on two occasions and was crowned the inaugural winner of the King of the Ring tournament in 1985. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2004 and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2014. Professional wrestling career Early career (1970–1981) Muraco was born at Sunset Beach, Oahu, Hawaii in 1949 and is of Native Hawaiian heritage. A Hawaii state amateur wrestling champion for Punahou School in 1967, Muraco chose professional wrestling over football. He spent the first year of his career learning the ropes in Vancouver, Portland, Florida and Los Angeles before getting his first big break, for Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association (AWA).Don's actual height was 6 feet tall and he weighed in around 255 ...
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Johnny Barend
John R. Barend (March 27, 1929 – September 20, 2011), better known as "Handsome" Johnny Barend, was an American professional wrestler. Early life Born in 1929 in Rochester, New York, Barend started wrestling as an amateur at the age of eight. After graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School in Rochester in 1944, he served in the United States Navy during World War II and wrestled while in the service. Professional wrestling career Early career (1949–1962) He was trained to wrestle professionally by Ed Don George and made his professional debut on November 1, 1949, defeating Faro Rinaldi. In 1956, he started teaming with Gene Dubuque, who was wrestling under the name, Magnificent Maurice. Barend's original manager was Ernie Roth, then using the name Mr. Kleen. Roth would gain fame in the WWWF as the Grand Wizard of Wrestling during the 1970s. Barend and Maurice went on to win many tag-team championships. Barend first appeared in Hawaii with 50th State Big Time Wrestli ...
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The Honolulu Advertiser
''The Honolulu Advertiser'' was a daily newspaper published in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the largest daily newspaper in the American state of Hawaii. It published daily with special Sunday and Internet editions. ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' was the parent publisher of ''Island Weekly'', ''Navy News'', ''Army Weekly'', ''Ka Nupepa People'', ''West Oahu People'', ''Leeward People'', ''East Oahu People'', ''Windward People'', ''Metro Honolulu People'', and ''Honolulu People'' small, community-based newspapers for the public. ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' has had a succession of owners since it began publishing in 1856 under the name the ''Pacific Commercial Advertiser''. On February 25, 2010, Black Press, which owned the '' Honolulu Star-Bulletin'', purchased ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' from Gannett Pacific Corporation, which acquired the ''Advertiser'' in 1992 after it had sold the ''Star-Bulletin'' to another publisher that later sold ...
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Neff Maiava
Neff Alfred Maiava (May 1, 1924 – April 21, 2018) was an American Samoan professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the United States with the Honolulu, Hawaii-based promotion 50th State Big Time Wrestling in the late-1950s and 1960s. Early life Maiava was born in Tula in American Samoa on May 1, 1924. When he was two years old, his family relocated to Laie, Hawaii in the United States. Professional wrestling career Maiava was trained to wrestle by Al Karasik, debuting in 1952. In 1955, he wrestled for Ed Don George in Syracuse, New York as "Prince Ulu Maiava". From 1955 to 1958, he wrestled in Canada for the Calgary, Alberta-based Big Time Wrestling promotion as "Prince Maiava". In 1956, he briefly held the NWA Texas Tag Team Championship with Ray Gunkel while working for the Dallas Wrestling Club in Dallas, Texas. In 1958, Maiava began wrestling for the Salt Lake City, Utah-based Salt Lake Wrestling Club, where he and Oni Wiki Wiki briefly held the NW ...
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