| Time to highlight a man often referred to as the greatest pure wrestler of all time: Lou Thesz. Born in 1916, Thesz would begin a very long and illustrious career at the age of 21. He won his first World Title that year, when he won the AWA Boston World Heavyweight Title, making Thesz the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in wrestling history, a record that he still holds. That would be only the beginning. Two years later, he would win the NWA Texas World Heavyweight Title, as well as the MAC International Heavyweight Title out of Montreal. He would travel the world over to defend these belts, from Europe to Japan. In 1948, he became the first recognized Undisputed Heavyweight Champion in pro wrestling since the era of the legendary George Hackenschmidt and Frank Gotch, and for the next eight years, he would defeat all challengers, remaining undefeated until 1956. In 1957, he traveled to Japan to compete against Rikidozan, and defended the NWA World Heavyweight Title in both a sixty minute draw, and a rematch a week later that also ended in a DQ victory for Rikidozan. Thesz' selflessness in these matches really gave Rikidozan the recognition that would help JWA survive over the years. Thesz would eventually compete for the NWA World Heavyweight Title many more times, eventually billing himself as the NWA International Champion, a title that still exists today as part of All Japan Pro Wrestling's Triple Crown Championship. He would defeat the legendary Buddy Rogers for ... |
