Danny Hodge Daniel Allen " Danny " Hodge ( May 13 , 1932 ) is a retired American wrestler and boxer . He is renowned for his wrestling career , both amateur and professional , and has also been a boxer . Hodge was born , grew up , and still lives in Perry , Oklahoma . Hodge is famous for the ability to crush apples with one hand , a feat which he demonstrated live on ESPN during the 2006 NCAA Wrestling Championships . He said his strength was due to having double tendons in his hands . Amateur wrestling career . At Perry High School in Oklahoma , Hodge won the 165 - pound title at the state tournament in 1951 . As a collegiate wrestler for the University of Oklahoma , Hodge was undefeated at 46 - 0 , with 36 pins . He was a three - time Big Seven conference champ at 177 pounds ( 1955 - 1957 ) , and won the 177 - pound title at the NCAA championships those same three years , pinning all three of his finals opponents . ( Hodge is only one of two three - time NCAA Division I champs to have done that , the other being Oklahoma State Earl McCready in 1928 - 1930 . ) Hodge never taken down from a standing position while in college . He is the only amateur wrestler to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated as an amateur wrestler . He worked as a professional wrestler for eighteen years , and was a 5 - time USA Tag Team Champion , with Skandor Akbar , among others . His reputation as a high school wrestler preceded him when he joined the US Navy in 1951 . At Ames , Iowa , in April 1952 , Hodge survived the US Olympic Trials , and was coached by Naval Academy Instructor Ray Swartz in the 174 - pound division . At the Helsinki Olympics , Hodge was defeated by USSR ' s David Cimakuridze . Going into May 1956 wrestling trials for US Olympic team , Hodge was middleweight favourite . He was eliminated on May 2 by William Smith . Smith was embroiled in controversy with the Central AAU and Hodge was his substitute . After two Olympics appearances , Hodge placed 5th in 1952 , and won the Silver Medal in 1956 , in Melbourne , Australia . The Dan Hodge Trophy , named after him , is the amateur wrestling equivalent of the Heisman Trophy . Professional wrestling career . Trained by Leroy McGuirk and " Strangler " Ed Lewis , Hodge made his debut as a professional wrestler in October 1959 . Hodge ' s first major feud was with National Wrestling Alliance Junior Heavyweight Champion Angelo Savoldi . Hodge ' s rivalry with Savoldi led to a bizarre event . Hodge ' s father entered the ring during a boxing match on May 27 , 1960 , between Hodge and Savoldi , and stabbed Savoldi with a penknife . Savoldi required seventy stitches at a local hospital , while Hodge ' s father was arrested . On July 22 , 1960 , Hodge defeated Savoldi for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship at the Stockyards Coliseum in Oklahoma City . Hodge became McGuirk ' s principal headliner , and by 1962 , Hodge was making upwards of $ 80 , 000 a year . Hodge was a perennial NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion , holding the title eight times for a total of over ten years . This was longer than anyone , including Nelson Royal . In 2007 , Hodge was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame . Hodge has made appearances in WWE on " Raw " in 2005 and 2012 in which he honored fellow Oklahoma wrestling native Jim Ross . Boxing career . Danny won the 1958 Chicago Golden Gloves at Heavyweight , then won a Chicago - NY Intercity bout in October , beating Charley Hood . He finished his amateur career with 17 wins , no losses and 12 KO ' s . Convinced by boxing manager Art Freeman that he was a better prospect than Rocky Marciano , Hodge decided to become a professional boxer rather than pursue the opportunity to compete as a boxer and a wrestler at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome , Italy . In his professional boxing debut , he scored a first - round knockout victory over Norm Jackson . As a professional , he had a reported record of 8 - 2 , although only 7 wins have been documented . He retired on July 9 , 1959 . Personal . On March 29 , 2005 , Danny Hodge was honored by Oklahoma state lawmakers as an ' Oklahoma Sports Hero ' . He also serves as chairman of the Oklahoma Professional Boxing Commission , which regulates professional boxing , wrestling and mixed martial arts in Oklahoma .