| Joe Pazandak | |
|---|---|
 Pazandak, circa 1951 | |
| Birth name | Joseph Eugene Pazandak |
| Born | October 23, 1914
[1] Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. [2] |
| Died | December 2, 1982 (aged 68)
[1]
[2] Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. [1] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Joe Pazandak
[1]
[2] The Dark Secret [1] |
| Billed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) [1] |
| Billed weight | 230 lb (100 kg) [1] |
| Debut | 1937 [1] |
| Retired | 1960 [1] |
Joseph Eugene Pazandak (October 23, 1914 – December 2, 1982) was an American amateur wrestler and a professional wrestler, best known for his ring name Joe Pazandak. [1] [2] Pazandak received the nickname "The Champ" as he ruled the “Beat the Champ” segment on televised wrestling from Los Angeles. [2]
Pazandak made his professional wrestling debut in his hometown in Minneapolis at the age of 22, where he faced Al Loset which ended in a 20-minute time limit draw. As an amateur heavyweight, he won two AAU championships in the Northwest and went on to wrestle at the University of Minnesota before turning professional. Within a year, Pazandak was traveling around the country from Massachusetts to North Carolina to Maryland, mostly as a semi-main event performer. [2] Pazandak served in the United States Army as a sergeant in Africa and Italy during World War II. [2] Pazandak returned to the United States in 1944, after seeing 624 days of active combat. [2] His first match since returning from the war took place in October 1945, where he defeated the highly skilled Ray Steele. [2]
Pazandak's popularity rose in the beginning of June 1951 in Los Angeles. [1] As the inaugural NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship, Pazandak defended the title for nine months against top challengers. [1] [2] Press-Telegram once named Pazandak "the most feared man in the wrestling ranks", in reference to his undefeated record on the West Coast. [2]
With Pazandak's amateur wrestling background, in 1948, he was hired to coach amateur wrestlers in New Zealand, which saw him working alongside Karl Pojello. [2] Pazandak also trained Verne Gagne.
Pazandak died on December 2, 1983. He was 68 years old. [1] [2]
-
Amateur Athletic Union
- Northwest AAU Championship (1935–1936) [1]
- NWA Los Angeles
-
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2016 [2]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Tim Hornbaker (2017). Legends of Pro Wrestling: 150 Years of Headlocks, Body Slams, and Piledrivers. Skyhorse Publishing. p. 145. ISBN 978-1-61321-875-4.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Johnson, Steve (May 20, 2016). "Celebrating Hall of Famer Joe Pazandak". Slam Wrestling. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
- ^ "International Television Tag Team Title (Los Angeles)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003.
- Joe Pazandak's profile at Cagematch.net, Wrestlingdata.com
| Joe Pazandak | |
|---|---|
|
Pazandak, circa 1951 | |
| Birth name | Joseph Eugene Pazandak |
| Born | October 23, 1914
[1] Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. [2] |
| Died | December 2, 1982 (aged 68)
[1]
[2] Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. [1] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Joe Pazandak
[1]
[2] The Dark Secret [1] |
| Billed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) [1] |
| Billed weight | 230 lb (100 kg) [1] |
| Debut | 1937 [1] |
| Retired | 1960 [1] |
Joseph Eugene Pazandak (October 23, 1914 – December 2, 1982) was an American amateur wrestler and a professional wrestler, best known for his ring name Joe Pazandak. [1] [2] Pazandak received the nickname "The Champ" as he ruled the “Beat the Champ” segment on televised wrestling from Los Angeles. [2]
Pazandak made his professional wrestling debut in his hometown in Minneapolis at the age of 22, where he faced Al Loset which ended in a 20-minute time limit draw. As an amateur heavyweight, he won two AAU championships in the Northwest and went on to wrestle at the University of Minnesota before turning professional. Within a year, Pazandak was traveling around the country from Massachusetts to North Carolina to Maryland, mostly as a semi-main event performer. [2] Pazandak served in the United States Army as a sergeant in Africa and Italy during World War II. [2] Pazandak returned to the United States in 1944, after seeing 624 days of active combat. [2] His first match since returning from the war took place in October 1945, where he defeated the highly skilled Ray Steele. [2]
Pazandak's popularity rose in the beginning of June 1951 in Los Angeles. [1] As the inaugural NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship, Pazandak defended the title for nine months against top challengers. [1] [2] Press-Telegram once named Pazandak "the most feared man in the wrestling ranks", in reference to his undefeated record on the West Coast. [2]
With Pazandak's amateur wrestling background, in 1948, he was hired to coach amateur wrestlers in New Zealand, which saw him working alongside Karl Pojello. [2] Pazandak also trained Verne Gagne.
Pazandak died on December 2, 1983. He was 68 years old. [1] [2]
-
Amateur Athletic Union
- Northwest AAU Championship (1935–1936) [1]
- NWA Los Angeles
-
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2016 [2]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Tim Hornbaker (2017). Legends of Pro Wrestling: 150 Years of Headlocks, Body Slams, and Piledrivers. Skyhorse Publishing. p. 145. ISBN 978-1-61321-875-4.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Johnson, Steve (May 20, 2016). "Celebrating Hall of Famer Joe Pazandak". Slam Wrestling. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
- ^ "International Television Tag Team Title (Los Angeles)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003.
- Joe Pazandak's profile at Cagematch.net, Wrestlingdata.com