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THIS WEEK IN WESTERN CANADA WRESTLING HISTORY

This week in western Canadian wrestling history ...
Compiled by Vance Nevada
 
 

March 22, 1952 – Edmonton, Alberta

Stu Hart wrestles to a draw with Earl McCready in this Edmonton bout.  Both Hart and McCready are acknowledged for their achievements on the amateur mat before turning pro.  Interestingly, both of these ring pros are recognized beyond the wrestling realm.  Hart is an inductee in the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, while McCready is the one of the few pro wrestlers in the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame.

 

March 23, 1912 – Vancouver, British Columbia

Fred Beel, recognized as the inventor of wrestling’s Beel toss, defeated Ottawa’s Chester McIntyre in a match which lasted one hundred and eleven minutes.

 

March 24, 1958 – Edmonton, Alberta

The Kalmikoff brothers defeated the Brunetti brothers to win the Western Canadian tag team titles.  While this bout was billed as a “family feud” of sorts, neither pairing was actually related by blood.  The Kalmikoffs were actually Ed Bruce and Karol Piwoworczyk while Guy Brunetti was paired with Joe Tangaro to comprise their brother duo.

 

March 25, 1933 – Victoria, British Columbia

In what may be the second ever match in western Canada to feature women wrestlers, Babe La Tuer drew with May O’Reilly.  Promoters had ventured to put gals in the ring as early as 1904 but had been blocked by various interests, including the Catholic church.

 

March 26, 2004 – Calgary, Alberta

Current WWE superstar David Hart Smith pairs up with Apocalypse to defeat Johnny Devine and Dave Swift, capturing the vacant Stampede International tag team titles.

 

March 27, 1959 – Calgary, Alberta

Terrible Ted, the wrestling bear won a Battle royal on a Calgary card.  Ted and his handler, Dave McKigney made frequent tours across North America for several years as bears were a popular attraction with wrestling fans.

 

March 28, 1967 – Winnipeg, Manitoba

Don Leo Jonathan partners with Verne Gagne to defeat Larry Hennig & Harley Race for the AWA World tag team titles.  As would happen on many occasions with Winnipeg title changes, the decision was later reversed and the title claim was never acknowledged.

 

Want to know more?  Western Canada has been a hotbed of professional wrestling for more than a century and that legacy has been documented in a new book WRESTLING IN THE CANADIAN WEST, available from Crowbar Press.  For more information, visit www.vancenevada.ca

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