Lou Thesz

Aloysius Martin Thesz (April 24, 1916 – April 28, 2002), better known under the ring name Lou Thesz, was an American professional wrestler. He holds legendary status in pro wrestling for his innovative wrestling techniques, as well as for his unification of numerous versions of the World Heavyweight Championship into one title.
== Career ==
At an early age Thesz's father would give him vigorous lessons in Greco-Roman wrestling style, which would help him once he joined the wrestling team in his high school. He would make his professional wrestling debut at the age of 16 in 1932
By 1937 Thesz would become one of the biggest stars in the American Wrestling Association and would defeat Everett Marshall and win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, making him the youngest world champion at the age of 21
In 1948 Thesz, had fully run his own wrestling promotion until it was absorbed by the National Wrestling Alliance. However part of the deal between Thesz and promoter Sam Muchnick was a title unification match between him and Midwest World Heavyweight Champion Orville Brown. Brown would get into a car accident before the match, thus ending his career. Thesz would be awarded the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
In 1957 Thesz would suffer a back injury in a title defense against Edouard Carpentier. Even though he would lose the match the title changed wouldn't be recognized. Later that year he would have a successful title defense in Japan. Thesz wanted to continue to defend his championship in Japan which was refused and instead Thesz would drop the title to Dick Hutton. 
Thesz would come out of semi-retirement in 1963 to defeat real life rival Buddy Rogers winning his sixth World Championship at the age of 46. He would drop the title in 1966 to Gene Kiniski and would wrestle on a part-time basis. His last notable title run was in 1977 becoming the UWA World Heavyweight Champion at the age of 62.
He would have his final match against protege Masahiro Chono on December 26, 1990 at the age of 74.
=== Later Life and Death ===
Thesz would spend the rest of his years as a Color Commentator, manager, promoter, and trainer. In 1992 he would become president of the Cauliflower Alley Club, an organization recognizing and supporting retired wrestlers and actors who enjoyed an association with wrestling.
He lived in Norfolk, Virginia for the rest of his life and started his own wrestling school called the Virginia Wrestling Academy in 1988. He wrote and Autobiography titled Hooker. On April 9, 2002 he would have triple bypass surgery for an aortic valve replacement. He would pass away weeks later in Orlando, Florida after complications from that surgery.
== In wrestling ==
* Finishing moves
** Lou Thesz press
** STF
* Signature moves
** Backdrop Suplex
** Belly to Belly Suplex
** Powerbomb (Innovated)
* Wrestlers Trained
** Antonio Inoki
** Giant Baba
** Masahiro Chono
** Jumbo Tsuruta
** Wladek Kowalski
==Championships and accomplishments==
*American Wrestling Association
**AWA World Heavyweight Championship (Boston version) (1 time)
**AWA World Heavyweight Championship (Ohio version) (1 time)
*Cauliflower Alley Club
**Iron Mike Mazurki Award (1998)
*International Wrestling Enterprise
**TWWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*Midwest Wrestling Association (Ohio)
**MWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) 
*Missouri Sports Hall of Fame (Class of 2002)
*Montreal Athletic Commission
**World Heavyweight Championship (Montreal version) (4 times)
*National Wrestling Alliance
**NWA World Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
**NWA International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
**NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) – with The Outlaw
**NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Nashville version) (1 time)
**NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
**NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
**NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Mississippi version) (1 time)
**NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Championship (Mid-America version) (1 time)
**NWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2005)
*National Wrestling Association
**NWA World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
*Pro Wrestling Illustrated
**PWI Stanley Weston Award (1982)
*Southwest Sports Inc.
**Texas Heavyweight Championship (3 Times)
*St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)
*Universal Wrestling Association
**UWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*World Wrestling Association (Los Angeles)
**WWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (1999)
*Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 2002)
*World Championship Wrestling
**WCW Hall of Fame (Class of 1993)
*Worldwide Wrestling Associates
**WWA International Television Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Sailor Art Thomas
**WWA World Heavyweight Championship
*Wrestling Observer Newsletter
**Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
*World Wrestling Entertainment
**WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2016)
**Legends Battle Royal Winner (1997)
==External links==
* Profile
* Lou Thesz profile at Online World of Wrestling
* Profile
* WWE.com Profile
Category:American wrestlers
Category:Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
Category:George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
Category:Commentators
Category:Wrestling executives
Category:Managers and valets
Category:NWA International Heavyweight Champions
Category:NWA World Heavyweight Champions
Category:Wrestlers who have died
Category:1916 births
Category:1932 debuts
Category:1979 retirements
Category:2002 deaths
Category:Alex Turk Promotions alumni
Category:All Japan Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:American Wrestling Association alumni
Category:Central States Wrestling alumni
Category:Championship Wrestling From Florida alumni
Category:Continental Wrestling Association alumni
Category:Eastern Sports Association alumni
Category:Georgia Championship Wrestling alumni
Category:Japan Wrestling Association alumni
Category:Jim Crockett Promotions alumni
Category:Maple Leaf Wrestling alumni
Category:National Wrestling Alliance alumni
Category:New Japan Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:Stampede Wrestling alumni
Category:St. Louis Wrestling Club alumni
Category:Superstars Of Wrestling alumni
Category:Universal Wrestling Association alumni
Category:World Championship Wrestling alumni
Category:World Wrestling Entertainment alumni
Category:Missouri wrestlers
Category:Male wrestlers
Category:WWE Hall of Fame Legacy Inductee