Dominion Wrestling Union
Encyclopedia
The Dominion Wrestling Union (DWU) was the first professional wrestling
promotion
in New Zealand
. It was one of two organisations first active in the Australasian region
, along with Australia's Stadium Limited, and served as the country's single major promotion for 30 years until being succeeded by All Star Pro-Wrestling in 1962. The DWU was initially under the control of the New Zealand Wrestling Union, a sort of governing body which promoted both amateur and professional bouts, until American promoter Walter Miller largely took over the running of professional events in 1935 and which remained under Miller's control until his death in 1959.
Miller eventually established New Zealand as one of the first international territories of the National Wrestling Association
, and later the National Wrestling Alliance
, from which many of the stars of the era were brought to face the country's top wrestlers. From its earliest days, New Zealand professional wrestlers were recruited from the amateur ranks including Lofty Blomfield
in the 1930s and later Pat O'Connor
, Dick Hrstich
, Abe Jacobs
, John da Silva
and Steve Rickard
during the 1940s and 50s. Many others would leave New Zealand in the years following the Second World War, such as Eddie "Kiwi" Kingston
, to pursue a career in Europe and North America.
When Miller died in 1959, wrestler Steve Rickard continued running the DWU for two years until founding his own promotion, All Star Pro-Wrestling, in 1962. This new organisation took the DWU's spot as the country's main professional wrestling promotion for the next 30 years, and as an overseas NWA territory, until its close in the early 1990s.
, and were generally held by private and local athletic associations. Gisborne Katene defeated Frank Findlay for the NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship
in 1919 but subsequently became vacant. The first champion officially recognized by the National Wrestling Association
was Maori wrestler Ike Robin who won the title in Auckland
on 17 March 1925, and retired as champion the following year. Shortly before his retirement, Robin faced one-time World Heavyweight Champion Stanislaus Zbyszko
in a three-match series at the Auckland Town Hall
in 1926. According to one account by the New Zealand Railways Magazine, one of their matches ended in a time-limit draw after having "gone on for many weary hours and when midnight Saturday chimed and Sunday commenced the match had to cease". Though separated by thousands of miles, professional wrestling as practiced in the South Pacific region
would continue to follow along the same lines as in Canada and the United States
.
. Its purpose was to unite the various amateur and professional wrestling associations under a governing body in order to promote events on a national scale, establish a level of professionalism and to keeping the game clean of so-called "rough-house wrestling". The sport flourished while under the control of the union and, on 22 June 1931, the New Zealand School of Wrestling was officially opened at Wellington with one-time Australian heavyweight champion “Smiler” Clark as its head instructor and operated by sportsman Pat Allen. It was the first facility to provide "ideal gymnasium conditions" for developing top level amateur talent. The first national amateur championships were held with Lofty Blomfield
becoming the first heavyweight amateur champion; he entered professional wrestling shortly afterwards and became the first undisputed New Zealand Heavyweight Champion seven years later. In 1933, NZWU President H.D. Bennett travelled to Australia seeking to improve the quality of its imported talent. A year later, Gus Sonnenberg
, Wong Buk Cheung and Dan Koloff agreed to tour the country.
stars of the time, the majority from Canada and the United States, to face some of the country's leading wrestlers.
Miller's organisation would sign wrestlers on a seasonal basis, usually from May to November, and required wrestlers to have licensing for that period. Canadians were especially important draws as they were then subjects of the British Empire and not subject to the same taxation as were required by American wrestlers. The same year that Miller took over, Canadian wrestler George Walker, then holder of the NWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship
, left to compete for a rival promotion. The title was subsequently awarded to another Canadian, former Olympian Earl McCready
, who legitimised his claim to the title by defeating Walker on 9 November 1937; his second and final reign lasted from 1940 to 1953. Other foreigners to become major stars for the DWU included Dean Detton, Ken Kenneth, John Kattan and African-American wrestler Jack Claybourne.
Within a few years, Miller had successfully established the promotion as one of the NWA's first international territories. In 1937, the promotion hosted a tour which included Dr. Gordon McKenzie, Tom Meade, Don Mclntyre, Hal Rumberg, Ray Richards, Sam Stein, Jack Forsgren, John Spellman, Matros Kirilenko, King Kong Cox, Chief Little Wolf, Frank Marshall, Rusty Westcoatt, Glen Wade, Joe Woods, Frank Judson, Don Noland, Vie Christy, Francis Fouche and Ed "Strangler" Lewis
.
Lofty Blomfield was arguably New Zealand's most popular wrestler of the period. He had turned pro shortly after becoming the first national heavyweight amateur champion in 1931, and within a few short years captured the NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship
. One of the first international title defences to take place in New Zealand was to have been a "champion vs. champion" match between Blomfield and NWA World Heavyweight Champion
Bronko Nagurski
during the late-1930s. It was primarily arrainged by Miller, working in partnership with NWA promoters Toots Mondt
, Lou Daro and Tony Stecher, and included Nagurski being offered the largest guarantee ever offered a boxer or wrestler in the Southern Hemisphere. The event was expected to have over 40,000 fans in attendance. Nagurski cancelled the trip at the last minute, however, Blomfield followed the world champion to Canada where the two wrestled to a time limit draw in Vancouver
on 17 March 1938. Blomfield was the first New Zealander to challenge for the NWA World title. Seven months later, he won a tournament to become the undisputed New Zealand Heavyweight Champion. Blomfield held the title for over a decade until his retirement on 7 June 1949. Throughout his career, Blomfield vigorously defended professional wrestling and denied frequent charges that matches were rigged.
. Much of this popularity was due in part to radio broadcasts from live events in the interwar and post-WWII years; the Wellington Town Hall Concert Chamber
was one of the more popular postwar venues for wrestling events. New Zealand champions also began traveling oversees, as far as Western Canada
, during the decade.
Although its older stars such as Blomfield or McCready retired in the years following World War II
, a new generation of wrestlers emerged during the 1950s including Pat O'Connor
, Dick Hrstich
, Abe Jacobs
, John da Silva
and Steve Rickard
. Discovered by visiting American wrestlers Joe Pazandak and Butch Levy, O'Connor was taken to the United States where he eventually became a top star for the National Wrestling Alliance
and the American Wrestling Association
, and later won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
from Dick Hutton
. O'Connor was the first New Zealander to win the NWA World title and his success encouraged others to follow him to North America. A year after his world title victory, O'Connor was challenged by fellow DWU veteran Abe Jacobs in New York marking the first time two New Zealanders fought for a world heavyweight championship, and on foreign soil.
Miller also continued to bring in major names such as Al Costello
, Don Beitleman, The Great Zorro and Johnny Kostas. A 1956 bout between Samoan wrestler Alo Leilani and Pat O'Connor, in his first appearance since going to the US, was in front of a sellout crowd at Rotorua
. O'Connor also defeated Australia's Al Costello at Carlaw Park
in Auckland before a "tremendous outdoor crowd". It was the first outdoor event staged in New Zealand since Lofty Blomfield defeated Brother Jonathan prior to the Second World War. Lou Thesz
was scheduled to headline an American tour of the country while visiting Australia in late-1957. He was originally promoted as the NWA World Champion by then American booking agent Ted Thye, though the title was disputed between Thesz and Edouard Carpentier
, and set to defend the title against Ricky Waldo and Ski Hi Lee
in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch. Though an agreement had been made between Thye and Miller, Melbourne promoter Dick Lean refused to allow them to compete for the DWU while they were still under contract in Australia. The promotion made a late bid to prevent the late cancellation, including a last minute phone conversation between Lean and then Dominion Wrestling Union secretary Bert Steele, but were unsuccessful. The promotion suffered a significant financial loss, as attendance for these events had been very high, and were forced to offer a refund to all ticket holders.
In February 1959, 61-year-old Jim Londos
wrestled New Zealander Fred Wright at Auckland's Western Springs Stadium
in front of 6,000 fans. The match ended in controversy as Londos' opponent hit the referee with a haymaker and disqualified and received some attention by the Auckland media.
and, with "gimmick characters" and less focus on athleticism becoming popular in the US, believed that "American gimmickry" would drive away fans in New Zealand. Miller died in 1959 and was succeeded by Steve Rickard
who ran the Dominion Wrestling Union for next three years. In 1961, the amateur side of the sport decided to break away from the New Zealand Wrestling Union and was accepted into the International Amateur Wrestling Federation, followed by the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Associations. Rickard established the All Star Pro-Wrestling in 1962 which succeeded the DWU as the single major promotion in the country.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It was one of two organisations first active in the Australasian region
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
, along with Australia's Stadium Limited, and served as the country's single major promotion for 30 years until being succeeded by All Star Pro-Wrestling in 1962. The DWU was initially under the control of the New Zealand Wrestling Union, a sort of governing body which promoted both amateur and professional bouts, until American promoter Walter Miller largely took over the running of professional events in 1935 and which remained under Miller's control until his death in 1959.
Miller eventually established New Zealand as one of the first international territories of the National Wrestling Association
National Wrestling Association
The National Wrestling Association was an off-shoot of the National Boxing Association, formed to sanction professional wrestling. This NWA is not the same organization as the National Wrestling Alliance, which was formed in 1948....
, and later the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
, from which many of the stars of the era were brought to face the country's top wrestlers. From its earliest days, New Zealand professional wrestlers were recruited from the amateur ranks including Lofty Blomfield
Lofty Blomfield
Meynell Strathmore Blomfield was a New Zealand professional wrestler, known by his ringname Lofty Blomfield, who was arguably the country's most popular wrestler during the 1930s and 40s...
in the 1930s and later Pat O'Connor
Pat O'Connor (wrestler)
Patrick John "Pat" O'Connor , was a professional wrestler from New Zealand. O'Connor was regarded as one of the premier workers of his era...
, Dick Hrstich
Ray Hrstich
Dick Hrstich was a New Zealand professional wrestler, known by his ring names Ray Hrstich and Ray Gordon, who competed throughout his native country and in Canada and the United States during the late 1950s and 60s. He was among the first New Zealanders to travel to the U.S...
, Abe Jacobs
Abe Jacobs
Abe Jacobs is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler. He was one of the first men to follow fellow New Zealander Pat O'Connor to the United States where, like O'Connor, Jacobs became a major star in the National Wrestling Alliance during the "Golden Age of Wrestling"...
, John da Silva
John da Silva
John da Silva or John Silva is a former New Zealand wrestler and boxer. He represented New Zealand in wrestling at the 1956 Olympics and at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games...
and Steve Rickard
Steve Rickard
Sydney Mervin "Merv" Batt , best known by his ring name Steve Rickard, is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter...
during the 1940s and 50s. Many others would leave New Zealand in the years following the Second World War, such as Eddie "Kiwi" Kingston
Kiwi Kingston
Ernie "Kiwi" Kingston was a wrestler and film actor from New Zealand, relatively unknown, but still remembered for his role as the Karloff-like Frankenstein Monster in Hammer's The Evil of Frankenstein . He also appeared in the film Hysteria .-External links:*...
, to pursue a career in Europe and North America.
When Miller died in 1959, wrestler Steve Rickard continued running the DWU for two years until founding his own promotion, All Star Pro-Wrestling, in 1962. This new organisation took the DWU's spot as the country's main professional wrestling promotion for the next 30 years, and as an overseas NWA territory, until its close in the early 1990s.
Background
Professional wrestling bouts had been held in New Zealand as early as the 1860s, with modern professional wrestling taking shape around the turn of the 20th centuryTurn of the century
Turn of the century, in its broadest sense, refers to the transition from one century to another. The term is most often used to indicate a non-specific time period either before or after the beginning of a century....
, and were generally held by private and local athletic associations. Gisborne Katene defeated Frank Findlay for the NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship
NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship
The NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship is the primary singles title in the NWA-affiliated wrestling promotion NWA New Zealand. It is the first heavyweight championship in New Zealand and one of the oldest in the world. It was first won by Gisborne Katene who defeated Frank Findlay in 1919...
in 1919 but subsequently became vacant. The first champion officially recognized by the National Wrestling Association
National Wrestling Association
The National Wrestling Association was an off-shoot of the National Boxing Association, formed to sanction professional wrestling. This NWA is not the same organization as the National Wrestling Alliance, which was formed in 1948....
was Maori wrestler Ike Robin who won the title in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
on 17 March 1925, and retired as champion the following year. Shortly before his retirement, Robin faced one-time World Heavyweight Champion Stanislaus Zbyszko
Stanislaus Zbyszko
Stanislaus Zbyszko was a Polish strongman and professional wrestler popular in the United States during the 1920s. He was one of the most influential European grapplers of all-time, he was also among the sport’s great pioneer champions...
in a three-match series at the Auckland Town Hall
Auckland Town Hall
The Auckland Town Hall is a historic building on Queen Street in downtown Auckland, New Zealand, known both for its original and ongoing use for administrative functions , as well as for its famed Great Hall and its separate Concert Chamber...
in 1926. According to one account by the New Zealand Railways Magazine, one of their matches ended in a time-limit draw after having "gone on for many weary hours and when midnight Saturday chimed and Sunday commenced the match had to cease". Though separated by thousands of miles, professional wrestling as practiced in the South Pacific region
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
would continue to follow along the same lines as in Canada and the United States
History of professional wrestling
Professional wrestling in the United States, up until the late 1920s, was viewed as a legitimate sport. Across the country there were "iron men" who would stand in the center of the ring, usually at state fairs, and literally shout out a challenge to anyone with the nerve to enter the ring...
.
Early years
The New Zealand Wrestling Union was officially founded on 22 July 1930, at the Central Fire Station in WellingtonWellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
. Its purpose was to unite the various amateur and professional wrestling associations under a governing body in order to promote events on a national scale, establish a level of professionalism and to keeping the game clean of so-called "rough-house wrestling". The sport flourished while under the control of the union and, on 22 June 1931, the New Zealand School of Wrestling was officially opened at Wellington with one-time Australian heavyweight champion “Smiler” Clark as its head instructor and operated by sportsman Pat Allen. It was the first facility to provide "ideal gymnasium conditions" for developing top level amateur talent. The first national amateur championships were held with Lofty Blomfield
Lofty Blomfield
Meynell Strathmore Blomfield was a New Zealand professional wrestler, known by his ringname Lofty Blomfield, who was arguably the country's most popular wrestler during the 1930s and 40s...
becoming the first heavyweight amateur champion; he entered professional wrestling shortly afterwards and became the first undisputed New Zealand Heavyweight Champion seven years later. In 1933, NZWU President H.D. Bennett travelled to Australia seeking to improve the quality of its imported talent. A year later, Gus Sonnenberg
Gus Sonnenberg
Gustave Adolph Sonnenberg was an American football player and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he was National Wrestling Association world heavyweight champion...
, Wong Buk Cheung and Dan Koloff agreed to tour the country.
Takeover by Walter Miller
By 1935, however, it had become difficult to find enough professionals, and American promoter Walter Miller was hired as a booking agent. He was eventually granted control of the professional wrestling groups, under the Dominion Wrestling Union, and was able to bring in many National Wrestling AssociationNational Wrestling Association
The National Wrestling Association was an off-shoot of the National Boxing Association, formed to sanction professional wrestling. This NWA is not the same organization as the National Wrestling Alliance, which was formed in 1948....
stars of the time, the majority from Canada and the United States, to face some of the country's leading wrestlers.
Miller's organisation would sign wrestlers on a seasonal basis, usually from May to November, and required wrestlers to have licensing for that period. Canadians were especially important draws as they were then subjects of the British Empire and not subject to the same taxation as were required by American wrestlers. The same year that Miller took over, Canadian wrestler George Walker, then holder of the NWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship
NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship (New Zealand version)
The New Zealand version of the NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship was a professional wrestling heavyweight championship defended in the National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated Dominion Wrestling Union from 1929 to 1953 and in All Star Pro Wrestling from 1968 to 1990...
, left to compete for a rival promotion. The title was subsequently awarded to another Canadian, former Olympian Earl McCready
Earl McCready
Earl Gray McCready was an amateur wrestler who competed in the U.S. for Oklahoma State University in folkstyle, and as a Canadian freestyle sport wrestler who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics....
, who legitimised his claim to the title by defeating Walker on 9 November 1937; his second and final reign lasted from 1940 to 1953. Other foreigners to become major stars for the DWU included Dean Detton, Ken Kenneth, John Kattan and African-American wrestler Jack Claybourne.
Within a few years, Miller had successfully established the promotion as one of the NWA's first international territories. In 1937, the promotion hosted a tour which included Dr. Gordon McKenzie, Tom Meade, Don Mclntyre, Hal Rumberg, Ray Richards, Sam Stein, Jack Forsgren, John Spellman, Matros Kirilenko, King Kong Cox, Chief Little Wolf, Frank Marshall, Rusty Westcoatt, Glen Wade, Joe Woods, Frank Judson, Don Noland, Vie Christy, Francis Fouche and Ed "Strangler" Lewis
Ed Lewis (wrestler)
Robert Herman Julius Friedrich , was a professional wrestler best known by his ring name Ed "Strangler" Lewis, whose career spanned four decades.-Wrestling career:...
.
Lofty Blomfield was arguably New Zealand's most popular wrestler of the period. He had turned pro shortly after becoming the first national heavyweight amateur champion in 1931, and within a few short years captured the NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship
NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship
The NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship is the primary singles title in the NWA-affiliated wrestling promotion NWA New Zealand. It is the first heavyweight championship in New Zealand and one of the oldest in the world. It was first won by Gisborne Katene who defeated Frank Findlay in 1919...
. One of the first international title defences to take place in New Zealand was to have been a "champion vs. champion" match between Blomfield and NWA World Heavyweight Champion
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
Bronko Nagurski
Bronko Nagurski
Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski was a Canadian-born American football player. He was also a successful professional wrestler, recognized as a multiple-time world heavyweight champion.-Youth and collegiate career:...
during the late-1930s. It was primarily arrainged by Miller, working in partnership with NWA promoters Toots Mondt
Toots Mondt
Joseph Raymond "Toots" Mondt was a former wrestling promoter who revolutionized the wrestling industry in the early to mid 1920s and co-promoted the World Wide Wrestling Federation...
, Lou Daro and Tony Stecher, and included Nagurski being offered the largest guarantee ever offered a boxer or wrestler in the Southern Hemisphere. The event was expected to have over 40,000 fans in attendance. Nagurski cancelled the trip at the last minute, however, Blomfield followed the world champion to Canada where the two wrestled to a time limit draw in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
on 17 March 1938. Blomfield was the first New Zealander to challenge for the NWA World title. Seven months later, he won a tournament to become the undisputed New Zealand Heavyweight Champion. Blomfield held the title for over a decade until his retirement on 7 June 1949. Throughout his career, Blomfield vigorously defended professional wrestling and denied frequent charges that matches were rigged.
Golden Age
Both amateur and professional wrestling were at the height of popularity during the 1950s, and by 1956, it was regarded as the most popular spectator sport in New Zealand along with horse racingHorse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
. Much of this popularity was due in part to radio broadcasts from live events in the interwar and post-WWII years; the Wellington Town Hall Concert Chamber
Wellington Town Hall
The Wellington Town Hall is a concert hall and part of the municipal complex in Wellington, New Zealand. The foundation stone for the building was laid in 1901 and construction began the following year. It was officially opened on 7 December 1904....
was one of the more popular postwar venues for wrestling events. New Zealand champions also began traveling oversees, as far as Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
, during the decade.
Although its older stars such as Blomfield or McCready retired in the years following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a new generation of wrestlers emerged during the 1950s including Pat O'Connor
Pat O'Connor (wrestler)
Patrick John "Pat" O'Connor , was a professional wrestler from New Zealand. O'Connor was regarded as one of the premier workers of his era...
, Dick Hrstich
Ray Hrstich
Dick Hrstich was a New Zealand professional wrestler, known by his ring names Ray Hrstich and Ray Gordon, who competed throughout his native country and in Canada and the United States during the late 1950s and 60s. He was among the first New Zealanders to travel to the U.S...
, Abe Jacobs
Abe Jacobs
Abe Jacobs is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler. He was one of the first men to follow fellow New Zealander Pat O'Connor to the United States where, like O'Connor, Jacobs became a major star in the National Wrestling Alliance during the "Golden Age of Wrestling"...
, John da Silva
John da Silva
John da Silva or John Silva is a former New Zealand wrestler and boxer. He represented New Zealand in wrestling at the 1956 Olympics and at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games...
and Steve Rickard
Steve Rickard
Sydney Mervin "Merv" Batt , best known by his ring name Steve Rickard, is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter...
. Discovered by visiting American wrestlers Joe Pazandak and Butch Levy, O'Connor was taken to the United States where he eventually became a top star for the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
and the American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
, and later won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
from Dick Hutton
Dick Hutton
Richard "Dick" Hutton was an American amateur and professional wrestler. He was a three-time NCAA champion and, as a professional, held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.-Early life:...
. O'Connor was the first New Zealander to win the NWA World title and his success encouraged others to follow him to North America. A year after his world title victory, O'Connor was challenged by fellow DWU veteran Abe Jacobs in New York marking the first time two New Zealanders fought for a world heavyweight championship, and on foreign soil.
Miller also continued to bring in major names such as Al Costello
Al Costello
Giacomo Costa was an Italian Australian professional wrestler best known by his ring name, Al Costello. Costello was the first professional wrestler to be nicknamed "The Man of a Thousand Holds" because of his innovative and very technical style.Costello was the creator and original member of the...
, Don Beitleman, The Great Zorro and Johnny Kostas. A 1956 bout between Samoan wrestler Alo Leilani and Pat O'Connor, in his first appearance since going to the US, was in front of a sellout crowd at Rotorua
Rotorua
Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...
. O'Connor also defeated Australia's Al Costello at Carlaw Park
Carlaw Park
Carlaw Park was a multi-purpose stadium in Parnell, a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand.-History:The stadium's grandstands and terraces were built in 1916, and it became the home of rugby league in Auckland from 1921...
in Auckland before a "tremendous outdoor crowd". It was the first outdoor event staged in New Zealand since Lofty Blomfield defeated Brother Jonathan prior to the Second World War. Lou Thesz
Lou Thesz
Aloysius Martin "Lou" Thesz was a United States professional wrestler and 18-time world heavyweight champion, most notably holding the NWA World Heavyweight Championship three times. Combined, he held the NWA Championship for 10 years, three months and nine days , longer than anyone else in history...
was scheduled to headline an American tour of the country while visiting Australia in late-1957. He was originally promoted as the NWA World Champion by then American booking agent Ted Thye, though the title was disputed between Thesz and Edouard Carpentier
Édouard Carpentier
Édouard Ignacz Weiczorkiewicz was a Québécois professional wrestler better known by his ring name Édouard Carpentier. In a career that spanned from the 1950s into the 1970s, he garnered several world championships.-Early life:...
, and set to defend the title against Ricky Waldo and Ski Hi Lee
Ski Hi Lee
Robert E. Leedy was a heavyweight professional wrestler who began his career around the end of the Second World War and was active for some twenty years. He is best known as Ski Hi Lee. His name is sometimes written as Ski-Hi Lee, Sky Hi Lee, Sky-Hi Lee or Sky High Lee and there may be other...
in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch. Though an agreement had been made between Thye and Miller, Melbourne promoter Dick Lean refused to allow them to compete for the DWU while they were still under contract in Australia. The promotion made a late bid to prevent the late cancellation, including a last minute phone conversation between Lean and then Dominion Wrestling Union secretary Bert Steele, but were unsuccessful. The promotion suffered a significant financial loss, as attendance for these events had been very high, and were forced to offer a refund to all ticket holders.
In February 1959, 61-year-old Jim Londos
Jim Londos
Christos Theofilou or Christopher Theophelus better known as "The Golden Greek" Jim Londos, was a professional wrestler who was one of the most popular stars wrestling offered during the Great Depression.-Career:Jim Londos was born Christos Theofilou in 1897 in Argos, Greece. as the youngest of...
wrestled New Zealander Fred Wright at Auckland's Western Springs Stadium
Western Springs Stadium
Western Springs Stadium is an entertainment venue in Auckland, New Zealand, that consists of a natural amphitheatre. During the winter it is used for club rugby union matches and over summer it is used for speedway. It is also occasionally used for large music concerts and festivals.Western Springs...
in front of 6,000 fans. The match ended in controversy as Londos' opponent hit the referee with a haymaker and disqualified and received some attention by the Auckland media.
Final years
Although he relented slightly in his later years, Miller had maintained a strict control over the sport and talent throughout his 30-year involement with the promotion. He was specifically dedicated to the older-style popularised by the Gold Dust TrioGold Dust Trio
The Gold Dust Trio was a group of promoters who controlled the world of professional wrestling during the 1920s while also making several fundamental changes to the industry's business model and operations that would ultimately change the direction of the sport towards a more pseudo-competitive...
and, with "gimmick characters" and less focus on athleticism becoming popular in the US, believed that "American gimmickry" would drive away fans in New Zealand. Miller died in 1959 and was succeeded by Steve Rickard
Steve Rickard
Sydney Mervin "Merv" Batt , best known by his ring name Steve Rickard, is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter...
who ran the Dominion Wrestling Union for next three years. In 1961, the amateur side of the sport decided to break away from the New Zealand Wrestling Union and was accepted into the International Amateur Wrestling Federation, followed by the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Associations. Rickard established the All Star Pro-Wrestling in 1962 which succeeded the DWU as the single major promotion in the country.
Championships based at DWU
- NWA New Zealand Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA New Zealand Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship is the primary singles title in the NWA-affiliated wrestling promotion NWA New Zealand. It is the first heavyweight championship in New Zealand and one of the oldest in the world. It was first won by Gisborne Katene who defeated Frank Findlay in 1919...
later continued by All Star Pro-Wrestling - NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship (New Zealand version)NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship (New Zealand version)The New Zealand version of the NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship was a professional wrestling heavyweight championship defended in the National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated Dominion Wrestling Union from 1929 to 1953 and in All Star Pro Wrestling from 1968 to 1990...
later continued by All Star Pro-Wrestling - NWA Australasian Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Australasian Heavyweight ChampionshipThe New Zealand version of the NWA Australasian Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling regional heavyweight championship recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance and competed for by wrestlers in the Australasian region. It was largely defended in New Zealand's Dominion Wrestling...
later continued by All Star Pro-Wrestling
Alumni
This is not an exhaustive list, as DWU was the only national promotion in New Zealand until 1962 and many wrestlers, both New Zealanders who competed for a brief time and then retired, or foreigners who came for a single tour, were booked.New Zealanders
- Lofty BlomfieldLofty BlomfieldMeynell Strathmore Blomfield was a New Zealand professional wrestler, known by his ringname Lofty Blomfield, who was arguably the country's most popular wrestler during the 1930s and 40s...
- Ray Clarke
- John da SilvaJohn da SilvaJohn da Silva or John Silva is a former New Zealand wrestler and boxer. He represented New Zealand in wrestling at the 1956 Olympics and at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games...
- Al HobmanAl HobmanAllan "Al" Hobman was a New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter. Hobman was one of the first homegrown stars to emerge from the Dominion Wrestling Union, and later Steve Rickard's All Star-Pro Wrestling, during the 1960s and 70s such as Tony Garea, Peter Maivia and The Sheepherders...
- Dick HrstichRay HrstichDick Hrstich was a New Zealand professional wrestler, known by his ring names Ray Hrstich and Ray Gordon, who competed throughout his native country and in Canada and the United States during the late 1950s and 60s. He was among the first New Zealanders to travel to the U.S...
- Anton KoolmannAnton KoolmannAnton Koolmann was a wrestler and coach from Kuusalu Parish, Estonia who took part at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.-Career:...
- Pat O'ConnorPat O'Connor (wrestler)Patrick John "Pat" O'Connor , was a professional wrestler from New Zealand. O'Connor was regarded as one of the premier workers of his era...
- Steve RickardSteve RickardSydney Mervin "Merv" Batt , best known by his ring name Steve Rickard, is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter...
- Fred Wright
Foreigners
- Ali Bey
- Paul BoeschPaul BoeschPaul Max Boesch was a professional wrestling promoter most famous for his work as an announcer and promoter for Houston Wrestling. He also spent several stints working with the Universal Wrestling Federation, World Class Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation.-Biography:Paul...
- "Hangman" Howard Cantonwine
- Wong Buck Cheung
- Vie Christy
- Al CostelloAl CostelloGiacomo Costa was an Italian Australian professional wrestler best known by his ring name, Al Costello. Costello was the first professional wrestler to be nicknamed "The Man of a Thousand Holds" because of his innovative and very technical style.Costello was the creator and original member of the...
- Wee Willie DavisWee Willie DavisWilliam "Wee Willie" Davis was an American film actor.He had previously been a wrestler. He worked in the Jefferson County Jail in Louisville in 1972-75 as the gym guard....
- Dean Detton
- Jack Forsgren
- Francis Fouche
- Ed Don GeorgeEd Don GeorgeEdward Nicholas "Ed Don" George was an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter.-Career:George was born in North Java, New York. He wrestled for both St. Bonaventure University and for the University of Michigan...
- Gorgeous GeorgeGeorge WagnerGeorge Raymond Wagner was an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Gorgeous George...
- Eric HolmbackEric HolmbackEric Holmback was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Yukon Eric.Holmback spent the majority of his career in Southern Ontario, Canada, where he won the NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship on two occasions with Whipper Billy Watson in 1955 and 1961 and the Montreal...
(Yukon Eric) - Leo Jenson
- Brother Jonathan
- Paul JonesPaul Jones (wrestler)Paul Jones is a retired professional wrestler and manager. He had success in the National Wrestling Alliance 's Mid-Atlantic region, including an NWA World Tag Team title reign with Ricky Steamboat.-Career:...
- Frank Judson
- John Katan
- John Keatos
- Matros Kirilenko
- Bob Kruse
- Dan Koloff
- King Kong Cox
- Ed "Strangler" LewisEd Lewis (wrestler)Robert Herman Julius Friedrich , was a professional wrestler best known by his ring name Ed "Strangler" Lewis, whose career spanned four decades.-Wrestling career:...
- Alo Leilani
- Chief Little Wolf
- Jim LondosJim LondosChristos Theofilou or Christopher Theophelus better known as "The Golden Greek" Jim Londos, was a professional wrestler who was one of the most popular stars wrestling offered during the Great Depression.-Career:Jim Londos was born Christos Theofilou in 1897 in Argos, Greece. as the youngest of...
- Floyd Marshall
- Frank Marshall
- Roy McClarty
- Earl McCreadyEarl McCreadyEarl Gray McCready was an amateur wrestler who competed in the U.S. for Oklahoma State University in folkstyle, and as a Canadian freestyle sport wrestler who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics....
- Don Mclntyre
- Dr. Gordon McKenzie
- Tom Meade
- Freddie Meyer
- Rene Michot
- Andy Moen
- Don Noland
- George Pencheff
- Martin Plestina
- Ray Richards
- Hal Rumberg
- Steve Savage
- "Jumping" Joe SavoldiJoe SavoldiJoseph Anthony Savoldi Jr., more commonly known as Jumping Joe Savoldi was an Italian-born, American football player and professional wrestler....
- Oki Shikina
- Gus SonnenbergGus SonnenbergGustave Adolph Sonnenberg was an American football player and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he was National Wrestling Association world heavyweight champion...
- John SpellmanJohn Spellman (wrestler)John Spellman was an American wrestler and olympic champion. He competed at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, where he won a gold medal in freestyle light heavyweight.- References :...
- Joe StecherJoe StecherJoe Stecher , sometimes spelled Joe Stetcher, was a professional wrestler and three-time World Heavyweight Champion. Stecher is the first wrestler to regain the original version of the World Heavyweight Championship....
- Ray SteelePeter SauerPeter Sauer , known by the ring name Ray Steele, was an American professional wrestler born and raised in Norka, a German colony in Russia, in 1900 before immigrating to Lincoln, Nebraska in 1906....
- Sam Stein
- Glen Wade
- George Walker
- Rusty Westcoatt
- Joe Woods
- Jim Wright
- Abe Yourist
- Zebra Kid