Ilio DiPaolo Memorial Show
The Ilio DiPaolo Memorial Show was an annual professional wrestling event held between 1996 and 1999 as a tribute to wrestler Ilio DiPaolo and featured talent from World Championship Wrestling as well as appearances from older wrestling stars of the "television era". Several of these wrestlers came out of retirement to face their former rivals on the first three shows. The show was organized by Dennis DiPaolo, along with family and friends of the late Ilio DiPaolo, and the proceeds were generally donated to charitable organizations. The second show, held at the Marine Midland Arena in 1997, was attended by over 16,000 people and raised $70,000 each for the Sick Children's Hospital and the Ilio DiPaulo Scholarship Fund. Jim Kelly, a former quarterback for Buffalo Bills, also received a plaque in recognition for his charity work and was one of several guest celebrities to appear on the show. Although many celebrities were paid for their appearances, wrestlers such as Johnny Barend di ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Professional Wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or—as in televised wrestling shows—in backstage areas of the venue, in similar form to reality television. Professional wrestling as a form of theater evolved out of the widespread practice of match fixing among wrestlers in the early 20th century. Rather than sanction the wrestlers for their deceit as was done with boxers, the public instead came to see professional wrestling as a performance art rather than a sport. Professional wrestlers responded to the public's attitude by dispensing with verisimilitude in favor of entertainment, adding melodrama and outlandish stuntwork to their performances. Although the mock combat they performed ceased to resemble any authentic wrestling form, the wrestlers nevertheless continued to pr ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Angelo Mosca
Angelo Valentino Mosca (February 13, 1937 – November 6, 2021) was an American professional football player and professional wrestler. He was a defensive lineman in the Canadian Football League (CFL). As a wrestler, Mosca was known by the nicknames King Kong Mosca and The Mighty Hercules. He had a son, Angelo Jr., who also wrestled. Mosca was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1987, the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. Early life The second oldest boy in a family of four boys and seven girls, Mosca was born on February 13, 1937 in Waltham, Massachusetts to Agnes and Angelo Mosca. His father Angelo was an immigrant from Panni in southern Italy, and his mother's mother was an African-American (and also half-Italian and half-Black), which was kept a secret from neighbours in their segregated, working-class neighbourhood in Waltham since New England wasn't known for its racial tolerance at the time. Mosca's parents ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Big Boss Man (wrestler)
Ray Washington Traylor Jr. (May 2, 1963 – September 22, 2004) was an American professional wrestler best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring name Big Boss Man, as well as for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as The Boss, The Man, The Guardian Angel, and Big Bubba Rogers. During his appearances with the WWF, Big Boss Man held the WWF World Tag Team Championship once and the WWF Hardcore Championship four times. On March 7, 2016, Traylor was confirmed to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2016. He was inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame 2016 by Slick, and the award was accepted by his wife Angela and his daughters Lacy and Megan. Professional wrestling career Jim Crockett Promotions (1985–1987) A former corrections officer in Cobb County, Georgia, Traylor debuted in 1985. He then began working as a jobber for Jim Crockett Promotions, under his real name. During this time, he faced the likes of T ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Konnan
Charles Ashenoff (born Carlos Santiago Espada Moises; January 6, 1964),''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'', Dave Meltzer, ed., May 10, 2010, issue.Sims, Steve"Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame/Founded by Dave Meltzer - Konnan". Accessed August 1, 2016. Online copy of May 10, 2010 ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter''. better known by his ring name, Konnan, is a professional wrestling personality, manager, and former professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Major League Wrestling (MLW) and Impact Wrestling. In Impact, he was the manager of The Latin American Xchange (LAX) and currently serves as a member of the creative team. During a career spanning almost three decades, he has wrestled for independent and national promotions in the United States and Mexico, and held fifteen title belts in nine promotions. He has also worked as a manager, color commentator, booker, and creative consultant, primarily for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). He was also involved in the creation of Lucha ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Alex Wright
Alexander Wright (born May 17, 1975) is a German former professional wrestler and professional wrestling promoter. He wrestled professionally in Germany and Japan before signing with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1994. He remained a prominent mid-card performer during his seven-year tenure with WCW, including reigns as a one time Cruiserweight Champion, a one time World Television Champion and a one time World Tag Team Champion (with Disco Inferno). He was the owner, founder and CEO of New Sport Entertainment GmbH which is the company that owns New European Championship Wrestling. Professional wrestling career Early career (1991 - 1994) Alex was trained by his father Steve Wright, a British professional wrestler. He wrestled his first match in 1991 in Germany when he was sixteen years old. He wrestled in his hometown during his early career and also worked in Japan. World Championship Wrestling (1994 - 2001) Das Wunderkind (1994–1996) Wright was discovered ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Diamond Dallas Page
Dallas Page (born Page Joseph Falkinburg Jr., April 5, 1956), better known by his ring name Diamond Dallas Page (often stylized as DDP), is an American actor and retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. In the course of his wrestling career Page has wrestled for mainstream wrestling promotions World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE), Impact Wrestling, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), and All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Page first broke into the wrestling business in 1988, as a manager in the American Wrestling Association, where he worked for nine months before signing with WCW in 1991. There, he continued as a manager until late 1991, when he became a wrestler. Over a decade in WCW, Falkinburg became a three-time WCW World Heavyweight Championship, WCW World Heavyweight Champion, two-time WWE United States Championship, WCW United States Heavyweight Champion, four-time WCW World Tag Team Championship, WCW World Tag Team C ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bruiser Bedlam
Ion William Croitoru (December 7, 1963 – February 21, 2017) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. To wrestling fans, he is better known by his ring names, Johnny K-9, Taras Bulba, and Bruiser Bedlam. He worked in several Canadian wrestling promotions, including Stampede Wrestling, and later wrestled for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Smoky Mountain Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He wrestled as a jobber in the WWF, but he was booked to win titles in several other promotions. Croitoru was also known for his history of legal problems. He was a member of Satan's Choice, a biker gang. He was convicted of assault, trafficking cocaine, and bombing a police station. In 2005, he was arrested for the murder of lawyer Lynn Gilbank and her husband Fred. After a lengthy investigation, the charges were dropped in June 2006 because of insufficient evidence. He worked as a security guard in Vancouver, British Columbia until b ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Missing Link (wrestler)
Byron James John "Dewey" Robertson (February 28, 1939 - August 16, 2007) was a professional wrestler, known best by his ring name The Missing Link. As The Missing Link, Robertson wore blue and green face paint and shaved portions of his head while letting the hair grow in other areas. His gimmick was similar to that of George Steele and Kamala, a crazy out-of-control wild man who needed a trainer or manager to lead him to the ring. During his matches, Robertson would often ram his own head repeatedly into the turnbuckle or wooden chair, headbutt and dive head first onto an opponent. He achieved his greatest fame late in his career, wrestling in WCCW, managed by Skandor Akbar and in the WWF, managed by Bobby Heenan and Jimmy Hart in the mid-1980s. Professional wrestling career Early career Robertson started wrestling in his native Canada in the 1961 as Dewey Robertson. He was a very popular babyface in the Toronto area. It was long believed that he was a protege of former NWA wo ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Gino Brito
Louis Gino Acocella (born May 18, 1941), better known by his ring name Gino Brito, is a retired Canadian professional wrestler and promoter. He was most popular in Montreal. As Louis Cerdan, he was a WWWF Tag Team Champion with fellow Italian-Canadian wrestler Tony Parisi. He trained another Italian-Canadian wrestler, Dino Bravo. Professional wrestling career Active wrestler Brito was the son of wrestler Jack Britton. Born Gabriel Acocella, he and his brother Luigi were renamed ''Jack Britton'' and ''Lou Kelly'', respectively, by promoter Paul Bowser, who wanted to attract Boston's Irish population to his events by featuring "Irish" wrestlers. He began working with Detroit promoters Bert Ruby and Harry Light over a year later., who organized a central booking office for midget wrestlers in the 1950s. Brito had a job for the promotion shuttling the wrestlers from city to city. Before becoming a professional wrestler at the age of seventeen, Brito was an amateur wrestler. At ag ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kurt Von Hess
William Terry (April 10, 1942 – March 13, 1999) was a Canadian professional wrestler, known by his ring name Kurt Von Hess, who competed in North American and international promotions during the 1970s and 1980s, including International Wrestling Enterprise, Maple Leaf Wrestling and Stampede Wrestling. A regular tag team partner of Karl Von Schotz, the two were one of the most hated ''"heels"'' in the Detroit-area while competing in the National Wrestling Alliance during the early 1970s. Professional wrestling career Making his debut in 1966, Terry began wrestling in Pittsburgh for Studio Wrestling and later the World Wide Wrestling Federation. In September 1968, he made his debut in Toronto for promoter Frank Tunney's Maple Leaf Wrestling as "Big" Bill Terry. After a brief stint in World Class Championship Wrestling in late 1968, he later won the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship defeating Bob Lueck in 1971. After losing the title to Tor Kamata in February 1972 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Waldo Von Erich
Walter Paul Sieber (October 2, 1933 – July 5, 2009) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for performing under the ring name Waldo Von Erich, playing the character of a villainous Prussian Nazi. He was billed as the brother of Fritz Von Erich, making him a kayfabe member of the Von Erich family. Early life Sieber was born in Toronto, Ontario. His parents divorced when he was seven. As a youth, he participated in weightlifting at the YMCA in Weston along other future professional wrestlers including Dave McKigney, Geeto Mongol, and Mikel Scicluna. At the age of 16, he began training as a professional wrestler under Red Garner in a garage in Richmond Hill. Professional wrestling career Sieber debuted at the age of 17 under the ring name "Waldo Von Sieber". He began his career in Calgary, wrestling for Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling promotion using the character of an evil German. In the late-1950s, Hart paired Sieber with Fritz Von Erich, who also portrayed a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino (October 6, 1935 – April 18, 2018) was an Italian-born American professional wrestler, best known for his work with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, now WWE). There, he held the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship (WWWF Heavyweight Championship during his second reign) for more than 11 years (4,040 days) across two reigns, the first of which is the longest single reign in the promotion's history at 2,803 days. He is overall a two-time world champion in professional wrestling. Dubbed "The Italian Strongman" and "The Strongest Man in the World" early in his career, Sammartino later earned the title "The Living Legend". Known for his powerful bearhug finishing move, he is widely regarded as the greatest professional wrestler of all time. Sammartino became a vocal critic of the drug use and raunchier storylines that became prevalent in the professional wrestling industry after his retirement but he reconciled with WWE in 2013 and headl ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |