Grand Olympic Auditorium
The Grand Olympic Auditorium is a former sports venue in southern Downtown Los Angeles, California. The venue was built in 1924 at 1801 South Grand Avenue, now just south of the Santa Monica Freeway. The grand opening of the Olympic Auditorium was on August 5, 1925, and was a major media event, attended by such celebrities as Jack Dempsey and Rudolph Valentino. One of the last major boxing and wrestling arenas still in existence, the venue now serves as a worship space for the Korean-American evangelical church, "Glory Church of Jesus Christ". History Throughout the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s it was home to some of the biggest boxing, wrestling, and roller derby events. 1932 Olympics The Auditorium was leased by the 1932 Summer Olympics Organizing Committee for a very nominal sum sufficient to cover expenses, for the purpose of conducting the training and competitions of the Boxing at the 1932 Summer Olympics, boxing (1932), Wrestling at the 1932 Summer Olympics, wrestling (1932) a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Exterior View Of The Olympic Auditorium In Los Angeles, Ca
In mathematics, specifically in topology, the interior of a subset of a topological space is the union of all subsets of that are open in . A point that is in the interior of is an interior point of . The interior of is the complement of the closure of the complement of . In this sense interior and closure are dual notions. The exterior of a set is the complement of the closure of ; it consists of the points that are in neither the set nor its boundary. The interior, boundary, and exterior of a subset together partition the whole space into three blocks (or fewer when one or more of these is empty). Definitions Interior point If is a subset of a Euclidean space, then is an interior point of if there exists an open ball centered at which is completely contained in . (This is illustrated in the introductory section to this article.) This definition generalizes to any subset of a metric space with metric : is an interior point of if there exists r > 0, such that ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Rave
A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance music scene when DJs played at illegal events in musical styles dominated by electronic dance music from a wide range of sub-genres, including techno, hardcore, house, and alternative dance. Occasionally live musicians have been known to perform at raves, in addition to other types of performance artists such as go-go dancers and fire dancers. The music is amplified with a large, powerful sound reinforcement system, typically with large subwoofers to produce a deep bass sound. The music is often accompanied by laser light shows, projected coloured images, visual effects and fog machines. While some raves may be small parties held at nightclubs or private homes, some raves have grown to immense size, such as the large festivals and events ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ed Farhat
Edward George Farhat (June 7, 1926 – January 18, 2003) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name The Sheik (often called The Original Sheik to distinguish him from The Iron Sheik, who debuted in 1972). Farhat is credited as one of the originators of the hardcore wrestling style. He was also the promoter of Big Time Wrestling, and the uncle of ECW wrestler Sabu. Farhat promoted his shows at Cobo Hall in Detroit and was the booker for Frank Tunney's shows at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto from 1971 to 1977. Early life Edward George Farhat was born one of ten children in Lansing, Michigan, on June 7, 1926, to Lebanese immigrants. Unlike most of his older brothers, he did not attend college as myth says. His older brother Edmund did, which is where the confusion usually takes place. Edward quit school in the eighth grade and worked during the depression. He falsified his birth certificate in order to join the Army (possibly using his older brother Edmu ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Buddy Roberts
Dale Hey (June 16, 1947 – November 26, 2012) was a Canadian-American professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Buddy Roberts. Primarily a tag team wrestler, Roberts is known for his appearances as one of The Hollywood Blonds in the 1970s and as one of The Fabulous Freebirds in the 1980s. He was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2015 and the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016 as part of The Fabulous Freebirds . Early life Hey was raised in Newton, Surrey and went to Princess Margaret High School, in BC Canada graduating in 1965. After school, he worked in local lumber mills as well as being a bouncer at nightclubs including the Grooveyard in New Westminster. He became an American citizen in 1974. Professional wrestling career Early career (1965–1970) Hey was trained as a professional wrestler by Ivan Koloff. He debuted in 1965 under the ring name "Dale Valentine", billed as being ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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John Tolos
John Tolos, nicknamed "The Golden Greek", (September 18, 1930 – May 28, 2009) was a Canadian professional wrestler, and professional wrestling manager. Professional wrestling career Tolos was born on September 18, 1930, in Hamilton, Ontario to Greek parents, Nicolaos and Evangelia (Evangeline) Tolos. During the 1950s and 60s, he was part of The Canadian Wrecking Crew with his brother Chris Tolos. On December 28, 1963, they captured the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship in Teaneck, New Jersey in two straight falls from Gorilla Monsoon and Killer Kowalski. While both teams were heels at the time, the Tolos Brothers did a television interview prior to the title match, "looking forward" to seeing all of their fans in Teaneck. That night, they were cheered throughout. As a vicious heel known as the "Golden Greek", Tolos also engaged in a long time rivalry with "Classy" Freddie Blassie in the LeBell family's World Wrestling Association, often feuding over the Americas Cha ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Freddie Blassie
Frederick Kenneth Blassman (February 8, 1918 – June 2, 2003) was an American professional wrestler and manager, known by the ring name "Classy" Freddie Blassie. Renowned as "The Hollywood Fashion Plate","Classy" Freddie Blassie with Keith Elliot Greenberg, ''Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks'', (WWE Books, 2003). he was a one-time NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion, and was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1994. He is regarded as one of the greatest wrestling heels, or villains, of all time. Early life Blassie was born Frederick Kenneth Blassman in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1918. His parents, Anna (née Sind) and Jacob Blassman, were German immigrants who arrived in the United States prior to World War I. Frederick was an only child, which he claimed was because he weighed 15 pounds when he was born and his mother didn't want to go through childbirth again. His father was abusive and an alcoholic, and Frederick often had to take refuge with his grandparents whenever Jacob w ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Vic Grimes
Victor Grimes (born January 3, 1963) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), Xtreme Pro Wrestling (XPW), and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Grimes began his wrestling career in California's All Pro Wrestling, before working for the WWF. In the WWF, Grimes portrayed the character Key, a drug dealer. After a short tenure, Grimes debuted in ECW and joined the stable Da Baldies. He subsequently worked for XPW, where he continued his feud with New Jack that had begun in ECW. He also appeared in MTV's short-lived wrestling promotion Wrestling Society X. Professional wrestling career All Pro Wrestling (1996–1998) Grimes began his career in California's All Pro Wrestling (APW) promotion, where he had a series of matches against Erin O'Grady. This "little man vs. big man" feud between the two even escalated to the point of O'Grady running into Grimes with a car. World Wrestling Federation (1998â ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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New Jack
Jerome Young (January 3, 1963 – May 14, 2021) was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name New Jack. He was best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), where he became notorious for his willingness to take dangerous bumps and his stiff hardcore wrestling style, often taking high risks and known for shooting on opponents, including the 1996 Mass Transit incident and an altercation with Gypsy Joe in 2003. He is also known for being the only wrestler to have had his entrance music ("Natural Born Killaz" by Ice Cube and Dr. Dre) play throughout his matches in ECW. After the promotion closed in 2001, Young spent the rest of his career on the independent circuit until his death in May 2021. Early life Jerome Young was born on January 3, 1963, in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 1968, when he was five years old, he and his siblings witnessed his father stab his mother multiple times after he found out she had been cheating on him with o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Francine (wrestling)
Francine Meeks (née Francine Fournier; born February 19, 1972), known by the mononym Francine, is an American semi-retired professional wrestling valet and professional wrestler. She is best known for her appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling from 1995 to 2001 and with World Wrestling Entertainment in 2005 and 2006. During her tenure with ECW, Francine managed several of the promotion's top wrestlers. Early life Francine was born on February 19, 1972. She grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she attended West Catholic Preparatory High School in West Philadelphia. She became a fan of professional wrestling as a teenager, attending events at the Spectrum. While working for a life insurance company in 1993, Francine saw a television commercial for the "House of Hardcore", the professional wrestling school run by Extreme Championship Wrestling, on SportsChannel Philadelphia and decided to enroll as she "didn't want to be stuck behind a desk". Professional wrestli ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971), is an American professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Impact Wrestling and is the owner and promoter of the House of Hardcore (HOH) promotion. Dreamer is best known for his tenures with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in the 1990s and early 2000s and with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) (previously the World Wrestling Federation (WWF)), primarily from 2001 to 2010. During this time, he held numerous championships including, the ECW World Heavyweight Championship (which he held twice, being the only man to capture the title in both the original ECW and WWE's ECW brand). He has also held the ECW World Tag Team Championship and WWF/E Hardcore Championship. Dubbed the "heart and soul" of ECW, Dreamer regularly featured in prominent storylines for the promotion as well as holding a number of back office roles. Dreamer has also appeared for notable promotions such a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Rob Zicari
Robert D. Zicari (born August 5, 1974), also known as Rob Black, is an American pornographer, entrepreneur, podcaster and professional wrestling promoter. Together with his then-wife Janet "Lizzy Borden" Romano, he owned the porn company ''Extreme Associates''. Zicari was prosecuted for distribution of obscenity by the United States Department of Justice in 2004. The case was dismissed but was reinstated upon appeal in 2005. Zicari entered into a plea agreement with the government in 2009, ending the case. Career Zicari became a porn director in the mid-1990s. His former porn company ''Extreme Video'' was started in 1993/1994. In 1998, he founded the porn company, Extreme Associates, together with fellow porn directors Tom Byron and Van Damage and porn star Tiffany Mynx (who have since left the company). Janet Romano started to work for him in the same year, first as an actress and then as a director. His work often involved scenes considered egregious and extreme even by ot ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Xtreme Pro Wrestling
Xtreme Pro Wrestling (XPW) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion owned by Rob Zicari. Zicari originally ran the promotion out of Los Angeles from 1999 to 2003. He appeared on shows as the on-camera owner under the name Rob Black alongside his wife Lizzy Borden. The promotion focused on hardcore wrestling and had connections to the Los Angeles porn industry, as Zicari was the real life owner of ''Extreme Associates.'' From 2000 to 2002, XPW held an annual deathmatch tournament called ''Baptized in Blood''. In 2002, Shane Douglas returned to XPW, and the "All-New XPW" was relocated to Pennsylvania. Thanks to promotional efforts on the part of Shane Douglas and Cody Michaels, the East Coast invasion featured XPW garnering some success in cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh before closing in 2003. Big Vision Entertainment held two XPW reunion shows, ''Cold Day In Hell'' in May 2008 and ''XPW X'' in August 2009. Zicari relaunched the promotion out of Roch ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |