Wilbur Snyder

Wilbur Snyder (September 15, 1929 – December 15, 1991) was an American professional wrestler. Snyder was known as a football player and champion wrestler. He married Shirlee Ann Snyder in 1948. He played football at the University of Utah and followed it up by playing for the Edmonton Eskimos of the then Western Interprovincial Football Union.
== Professional Wrestling Career ==
Snyder's wrestling debut occurred during the 1953 off-season. He was trained by Sandor Szabo and Warren Bockwinkel in Southern California. In 1954, Snyder retired from football completely to pursue a full-time career in wrestling. Part of his in-ring persona included the use of many football tactics, and it garnered Snyder a lot of national attention. He had already been a regional champion in Montreal, Canada when he made a name for himself by defeating Verne Gagne and winning the United States Championship at Marigold Arena in Chicago on April 7, 1956.
Snyder was a regional champion in a myriad of territories that were affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). One of those championships was an offshoot of the world title that he won from Verne Gagne on November 15, 1958 in Omaha, Nebraska.
After the departure of Jim Barnett, Snyder bought into the Indianapolis territory with Dick the Bruiser. The enterprise was known as Championship Wrestling Inc. on April 27, 1965. Snyder's wife Shirlee was listed as the registered agent. Snyder and Dick's mother, M.A. (Margaret) Johnston were listed as directors of the company, to keep the wrestler's ownership of the territory private.
The defeat of Mitsu Arakawa in September 1967 added the WWA title to Snyder's list of accomplishments. The victory resulted in a two-year run as WWA Champion for Snyder. Between 1956 and 1962, he was a ten time United States Champion. Snyder was also involved in long in-ring feuds with Dick the Bruiser and Hans Schmidt. Another accomplishment of Snyder's was his reign as 13-time WWA Tag Team Champion. During a tour of Japan in 1969, Snyder teamed with Danny Hodge to claim the Japan Pro-Wrestling Alliance's NWA International Tag Team Championship.
Snyder was often billed as "The World's Most Scientific Wrestler". On the Bret Hart's greatest hits video Wilbur Snyder also gets a mention by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Heenan claiming Snyder basically invented the abdominal stretch.
Snyder's legacy was cemented by WWE announcer Jim Ross who would refer to "shades of the late Wilbur Snyder" anytime somebody used the abdominal stretch for most of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
==Finishing and signature moves==
*Cobra Twist (Abdominal stretch)
*Airplane spin
==Championships and accomplishments==
*American Wrestling Alliance
**AWA World Tag Team Championship (Indiana version) (2 times) - with Dick the Bruiser
*American Wrestling Association
**AWA United States Heavyweight Champion (2 time])
**AWA World Tag Team Champion (2 times) - with Leo Nomellini (1) and Pat O'Connor (1)
*Japan Wrestling Association
**NWA International Tag Team Champion (1 time) - with Danny Hodge
*Midwest Wrestling Association
**NWA Eastern States Heavyweight Champion (1 time)
**NWA United States Tag Team Champion (1 time) - with Dick the Bruiser
*NWA Chicago
**NWA United States Heavyweight Champion (Chicago version) (2 times)
*NWA Detroit
**NWA United States Heavyweight Champion (Detroit version) (2 times)
*NWA Los Angeles
**NWA "Beat the Champ" International Television Championship (2 times)
**NWA International Television Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Sandor Szabo (2) and Bobo Brazil (2)
*NWA San Francisco
**NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version) (1 time)
*NWA Western States Sports
**NWA World Tag Team Championship (Texas version) (2 times) - with Verne Gagne (1) (First) and Pepper Gomez (1)
*World Wrestling Association
**WWA World Tag Team Championship (13 times) - with Dick the Bruiser (3) (First), Moose Cholak (2), Luis Martinez (1), Pat O'Connor (1), Paul Christy (1), Pepper Gomez (2), Dominic Denucci (1), and Spike Huber (2)
*Worldwide Wrestling Associates
**WWA International Television Tag Team Championship (4 times) - Sandor Szabo (2) and Bobo Brazil (2)
*Other Titles
**World Heavyweight Championship (Omaha version) (2 times)
==External links==
* Profile
* Profile
Category:1929 births
Category:1955 debuts
Category:1991 deaths
Snyder, Wilbur
Category:California wrestlers
Category:Alex Turk Promotions alumni
Category:All Japan Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:American Wrestling Association alumni
Category:Georgia Championship Wrestling alumni
Category:International Wrestling Association alumni
Category:Japan Wrestling Association alumni
Category:National Wrestling Alliance alumni
Category:NWA Big Time Wrestling alumni
Category:NWA Detroit alumni
Category:NWA Los Angeles alumni
Category:NWA San Francisco alumni
Category:NWA Western States Sports alumni
Category:St. Louis Wrestling Club alumni
Category:World Wrestling Association alumni
Category:World Wrestling Entertainment alumni
Category:Wrestlers who have died
Category:AWA World Tag Team Champions
Category:Former football players
Category:Male wrestlers