Edward M. Wright (January 13, 1932 – August 28, 1982) was an American professional wrestler who became popular in the late 1950s and 1960s. Despite racial tension in the United States, he became wildly popular as a babyface. Wrestling in either singles competition or in tag team competition (often matched with Bobo Brazil), thousands of fans would pack arenas to see him.[3] He was the son of boxer Ed “Bearcat” Wright, and had an 8–0 record as a professional boxer himself in the early 1950s, boxing as “Bearcat Wright Jr.”
Bearcat Wright
Bearcat Wright in 1972
Birth name
Edward M. Wright
Born
January 13, 1932[1]
Omaha, Nebraska, United States[1]
Died
August 28, 1982 (aged 50)[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)
Bearcat Wright[1]
Bearcat Wright Jr.[1]
The Black Panther[1]
Billed height
6 ft 6 in (198 cm)[1]
Billed weight
260 lb (118 kg)[1]
Billed from
Kingston, Jamaica[1]
Debut
1952[2]
Retired
1975[2]
Professional wrestling career
Edit
The Arizona Wrestling Legends website says, “He was seen in Australia, in Canada, throughout the south, in the midwest, in Texas, always winning the support of the fans as he battled the likes of The Sheik, Johnny Valentine and Kinji Shibuya. A tall and lanky man, he was usually noted for flying dropkicks, spin kicks, and leaps off the rope.”[4] He adopted a “claw hold” for his finisher and was famous for desegregating wrestling.
Wright declared before an audience in Gary, Indiana, that he would no longer participate in segregated wrestling. Although suspended for a short time by the Indiana State Athletic Commission for his stand, shortly afterwards professional boxing desegregated. Bearcat Wright defeated Killer Kowalski in April 1961 to win the Big Time Pro Wrestling title and become, in effect, the world heavyweight wrestling champion.[5]Five days before Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I have a dream” speech in Washington, D.C., Wright won the WWA World Heavyweight Championship from “Classy” Freddie Blassie in Los Angeles, California.[6] Known for behemoth strength (he would rip phone books in half during promotional interviews for his matches) he also was blackballed by Worldwide Wrestling Associates for refusing to drop the WWA championship to Edouard Carpentier and then back to Fred Blassie on December 13, 1963. He is one of the few wrestlers who legitimately would not drop their title—and so WWA had Gene LeBell (a known judo champion and shooter—or one who knew how to legitimately wrestle to defend themselves if needed) to substitute for Blassie at a rematch. When Wright refused to enter the ring, WWA stripped him of his title and awarded it to Carpentier.[7]Although Wright created controversy, promoters soon forgot about his negative sides. Wright continued to draw money and wrestled even into the 1970s.
On March 31, 2017, Wright was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a part of the Legacy wing.
Death
Edit
Wright died at the age of 50 on August 28, 1982, from sickle cell anemia complications.
Championships and accomplishments
Edit
50th State Big Time Wrestling
NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Luther Lindsay and Sam Steamboat[8]
Big Time Wrestling (Boston)
BTW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[9]
Big Time Wrestling (San Francisco)
NWA United States Championship (San Francisco version) (2 times)[10]
Championship Wrestling from Florida
NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Florida version) (1 time)[11]
NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bobby Shane[12]
Midwest Wrestling Association
MWA Ohio Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[13]
NWA All-Star Wrestling
NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) – with Enrique Torres[14]
NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) – with Whipper Billy Watson[15]Pacific Northwest Wrestling
NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Shag Thomas (2) and Billy White Wolf[16]
World Championship Wrestling (Australia)
IWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[17]
IWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Mark Lewin[18]
Worldwide Wrestling Associates
WWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[19]
WWA International Television Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Mr. Moto[20]
WWE
WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2017)[21]
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2019)[22]
Other titles:
Arizona Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[23]
World Negro Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[24]
Friday, April 14th, 1961 at the Chicago International Amphitheatre.
4 Comments
FANS COMMENTS
JEK 1991 wrote on 24.01.2019:
[10.0] "Underrated. One of the pioneers of black men to step in the ring. Very fast and jumped like a cat. His moves were great as well. Big guy at 6"6 and nearly 300 lbs. He was consider the first black heavyweight champion. He was not bad as a manager and his mic skills were decent. I am glad he is in the WWE Hall of Fame."
Personal Data
Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica
Day of death: 28.08.1982 (at the age of 50)
Gender: male
Height: 6' 6" (198 cm)
Weight: 290 lbs (132 kg)
Background in sports: Boxen, Football
Career Data
Alter egos: Bearcat Wright
Roles: Singles Wrestler
Manager
Beginning of in-ring career: 01.01.1952
End of in-ring career: 1975
In-ring experience: 23 years
Wrestling style: Technician
Signature moves: The Claw
Flying Dropkic
Title Reigns
Timeframe Title Duration Details
07.09.1961 – xx.xx.xxxx NWA World Tag Team Champion (2x) (with Ilio DiPaolo) ? Matches
28.03.1972 – 15.05.1972 NWA Florida Brass Knuckles Champion 48 days Matches
09.03.1972 – 09.05.1972 NWA Florida Tag Team Champion (with Bobby Shane) 61 days Matches
21.07.1971 – 09.10.1971 NWA Hawaii Tag Team Champion (2x) (with Sam Steamboat) 80 days Matches
xx.xx.1969 – xx.xx.1969 Arizona Heavyweight Champion ? Matches
13.04.1968 – 04.07.1968 NWA San Francisco United States Heavyweight Champion (2x) 82 days Matches
02.12.1967 – 17.02.1968 NWA San Francisco United States Heavyweight Champion 77 days Matches
xx.06.1967 – xx.xx.1967 NWA World Tag Team Champion (with Thunderbolt Patterson) ? Matches
19.08.1967 – 01.09.1967 IWA World Heavyweight Champion (2x) 13 days Matches
19.08.1966 – 03.09.1966 IWA World Heavyweight Champion 15 days Matches
29.07.1966 – xx.08.1966 IWA World Tag Team Champion (with Mark Lewin) ? Matches
30.03.1966 – 18.05.1966 NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Champion (2x) (with Billy White Wolf) 49 days Matches
13.01.1966 – 30.01.1966 NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Champion (with Shag Thomas) 17 days Matches
28.07.1965 – 04.01.1966 NWA Hawaii Tag Team Champion (with Luther Lindsey) 160 days Matches
13.04.1964 – 25.05.1964 NWA Vancouver Canadian Tag Team Champion (2x) (with Enrique Torres) 42 days Matches
23.08.1963 – 16.12.1963 WWA World Heavyweight Champion 115 days Matches
21.11.1963 – 10.12.1963 WWA United States Tag Team Champion (2x) (with Red Bastien) 19 days Matches
19.07.1963 – 24.09.1963 WWA United States Tag Team Champion (with Mr. Moto) 67 days Matches
09.07.1962 – 07.08.1962 NWA Vancouver Pacific Coast Tag Team Champion (with Billy Watson) 29 days Matches
13.04.1961 – xx.xx.1961 NWA World Tag Team Champion (with Bobo Brazil) ? Matches
19.09.1957 – 17.10.1957 NWA Eastern Heavyweight Champion 28 days Matches
Titles
Title Duration
Arizona Heavyweight Championship 0 (+ ?) days
IWA World Heavyweight Championship (2x) 28 days
IWA World Tag Team Championship 0 (+ ?) days
NWA Eastern Heavyweight Championship 28 days
NWA Florida Brass Knuckles Championship 48 days
NWA Florida Tag Team Championship 61 days
NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship (2x) 240 days
NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (2x) 66 days
NWA San Francisco United States Heavyweight Championship (2x) 159 days
NWA Vancouver Canadian Tag Team Championship (2x) 71 days
NWA World Tag Team Championship (2x) 0 (+ ?) days
NWA World Tag Team Championship 0 (+ ?) days
WWA World Heavyweight Championship 115 days
WWA World Tag Team Championship (2x) 86 days
Statistics overview
Total number of matches: 1291
Total number of wins: 807 (62.5%)
Total number of losses: 314 (24.3%)
Total number of draws: 170 (13.2%)
Awards
Displaying items 1 to 2 of total 2 items that match the search parameters.
DESCENDING by Item number# ASCENDING by AwardAward ASCENDING by CategoryCategory ASCENDING by YearYear ASCENDING by PlacementPlacement
1 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall Of Fame Hall Of Fame 2019
2 WWE Hall Of Fame Hall Of Fame 2017
Edward S. Cholak (March 17, 1930 – October 31, 2002) was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Moose Cholak.[1][2][3]
Moose Cholak
Birth name
Edward S. Cholak
Born
March 17, 1930
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died
October 31, 2002 (aged 72)
Hammond, Indiana, U.S.
Spouse(s)
Arlene Miller (m. 1957)
Children
2
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)
Moose Cholak
Eddie Cholak
Golden Moose
Golden Terror
Yukon Moose
Billed height
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Billed weight
360 lb (160 kg)
Billed from
Moosehead, Maine
Trained by
Al Haft
Debut
1952
Retired
1987
Cholak competed in North American regional promotions from 1952 until 1987, primarily in the Midwest and northeast. The nearly 400-lb Cholak was known for wearing a moose head to the ring and giving a "moose call" prior to his matches.[4][5]
Career
Edit
A native of Chicago's Southeast Side, Cholak was an all-city wrestling champion and an AAU amateur champion at Chicago Vocational High School.[2] Cholak played tackle for the University of Wisconsin football team, but left after one year to join the Navy during the Korean War. In addition to boxing and wrestling in the service, he was also trained as SeaBee engineer.[1][2][3]
After leaving the Navy in 1952, Cholak was recruited into professional wrestling by former AWA World Heavyweight champion, Chief Don Eagle.[3][5] Cholak was trained by Columbus, Ohio promoter and former NWA vice president, Al Haft.[6][7]
Between 1953 and 1987, Cholak wrestled in 8,000 matches.[2] Cholak's moose gimmick and finishing move "El Squasho" as well as the big splash[5] finishing move made him a star in the early years of televised wrestling,[1] including Wrestling from Marigold and Wrestling from the International Amphitheater that both originated from Chicago. Among his many singles and tag-team championships, Cholak won the International Wrestling Association championship in Japan in 1963, defeating Rikidozan.[3]
Later life
Edit
From 1976 to 1996, Cholak supplemented his wrestling income by working as an engineer for Chicago's Streets and Sanitation Department.[1][2][3] On nights and weekends when he wasn't booked to wrestle, Cholak also worked in his family's tavern, Calumet Beach Inn. Cholak met Arlene, his wife of 45 years, at the tavern.[3]
Eventually weighing over 400 pounds, Cholak died of complications from a stroke on October 31, 2002 in a Hammond, Indiana hospital at the age of 72.[1][2][3]
Championships and accomplishments
Edit
Big Time Wrestling
NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version) (1 time) – with Ed George[5]
Buffalo Athletic Club
NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Buffalo/Cleveland version) (1 time)[5]
NWA World Tag Team Championship (Buffalo Athletic Club version) (1 time) – with Johnny Powers
International Wrestling Association
IWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[5]
World Wrestling Association (Indianapolis)
WWA World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Wilbur Snyder (2) and Paul Christy (1)
World Wrestling Association (New Mexico)
WWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[3]
Personal Data
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Day of death: 31.10.2002 (at the age of 72)
Cause of death: Lungenentzündung
Gender: male
Height: 6' 4" (193 cm)
Weight: 361 lbs (164 kg)
Background in sports: Football
Career Data
Alter egos: Golden Terror
Moose Cholak
a.k.a. Golden Moose
a.k.a. Eddie Cholak
a.k.a. Ed Cholak
a.k.a. Yukon Moose
Roles: Singles Wrestler
Beginning of in-ring career: 1953
End of in-ring career: 1987
In-ring experience: 34 years
Wrestling style: Allrounder
Trainer: Al Haft
Nicknames: "El Squasho"
"Golden"
Signature moves: Splash
Title Reigns
Timeframe Title Duration Details
xx.xx.xxxx – xx.04.1980 NWA World Tag Team Champion (with Ed George) ? Matches
12.02.1977 – 18.06.1977 WWA World Tag Team Champion (3x) (with Paul Christy) 126 days Matches
26.12.1970 – 18.06.1971 WWA World Tag Team Champion (2x) (with Wilbur Snyder) 174 days Matches
xx.10.1968 – xx.05.1969 NWA Upstate North American Heavyweight Champion ? Matches
23.01.1969 – 03.04.1969 NWA World Tag Team Champion (with Johnny Powers) 70 days Matches
25.12.1965 – 03.03.1966 WWA World Tag Team Champion (with Wilbur Snyder) 68 days Matches
Titles
Title Duration
NWA World Tag Team Championship 70 days
NWA World Tag Team Championship 0 (+ ?) days
NWF North American Heavyweight Championship 0 (+ ?) days
WWA World Tag Team Championship (3x) 368 days
Statistics overview
Total number of matches: 700
Total number of wins: 312 (44.6%)
Total number of losses: 300 (42.9%)
Total number of draws: 88 (12.6%)