Leroy McGuirk
Encyclopedia
Leroy Michael McGuirk was an American
wrestler and professional wrestling
promoter
. He was involved in professional wrestling for more than fifty years. As one of the longest surviving members of the National Wrestling Alliance
(NWA), he was affiliated with the promotion from 1949 to 1982.
. He suffered the loss of his father before he was twelve and had to endure the loss of sight in one of his eyes due to a swimming mishap. McGuirk overcame many adversities to persevere in wrestling. He started wrestling at Tulsa Central High School
and competed at Oklahoma A&M
from 1928 to 1932 under Edward Gallagher.
Despite losing in the quarterfinals of the 1930 NCAA Tournament, McGuirk claimed the 155-pound title at the 1931 NCAA Tournament on March 28 in Providence. A year later, McGuirk competed in the 1932 NCAA Tournament at 174 pounds.
. On March 5, 1934, he beat Hugh Nichols in Tulsa for the World Light Heavyweight championship. He was also endorsed by the National Wrestling Association
.
to capture his second world light heavyweight title. The National Wrestling Association
had a 190-pound title (later raised to 200) that was known as the World Junior Heavyweight Championship
. McGuirk won this title on June 19, 1939 from John Swenski.
Between Tulsa and Hollywood, McGuirk dominated the Junior Heavyweight division, but at least three other Junior Heavyweight Champions were recognized at the time. On December 28, 1949, McGuirk unified the National Wrestling Association World Junior Heavyweight Championship with the National Wrestling Alliance’s version
by defeating Billy Goelz in Des Moines.
, McGuirk was being driven to a restaurant by his wrestling pupil, Robert “Bob” Clay. In an attempt to prevent a collision, Clay locked the car’s brakes, and McGuirk was thrown against the front windshield. McGuirk’s tinted glasses were shattered and the side of the glasses covering his good eye were fractured, blinding McGuirk permanently. It was another Oklahoman, Daniel Allen "Danny" Hodge, who rose to prominence in the Junior Heavyweight field. By 1960, Hodge became the principal headliner for McGuirk.
and his ex-wife Mildred Burke
. McGuirk aligned himself with Burke and hoped to resolve the dispute at the September 1953 NWA meeting in Chicago.
By 1953, McGuirk was the primary booker for the junior heavyweight champion, while coordinating talent from southwestern Missouri to Little Rock, across Oklahoma, and into parts of Texas. Despite being the booker, McGuirk also took on the opportunity to train promising wrestlers. One of his most promising was eventual NWA World Heavyweight Champion Dick Hutton
. In the ay 10],] 1953 edition of the Tulsa Daily World, McGuirk said "He has a fine chance to get into the big money brackets. He has a lot to learn, but has the natural qualifications, and I won’t be surprised at anything he may accomplish." Hutton did not disappoint, as he beat Lou Thesz
on November 14, 1957 at Maple Leaf Gardens
in Toronto.
Avey and McGuirk’s actual territory covered most of Oklahoma and Arkansas. Said territory also included Joplin
and Springfield, Missouri
, Shreveport, Louisiana
, plus Wichita Falls
, and Tyler, Texas
. On January 4, 1958, McGuirk took over the entire business after Avey retired. Avey left wrestling to concentrate on his role as senior vice president of the Farmers and Merchants State Bank. One of the biggest issues McGuirk faced was the tension that occurred due to sporadic visits by world champion Buddy Rogers in the early 1960s. Many felt that the bigger promoters were locked in for visits by Rogers while territories such as McGuirk’s, Jim Crockett
in Charlotte, Karl Sarpolis in Amarillo, and Cowboy Luttrall in Tampa, to name a few, were perceived as the non-essential territories.
. Of all those people, Cowboy Bill Watts played a big part in McGuirk’s promotion, both positively and negatively. His first real connection to McGuirk was in 1968, when McGuirk submitted the only vote in favor of passing the NWA Championship to him. McGuirk and Watts worked together to promote Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana in the late 1970s. On July 22, 1978, their joint promotion of a wrestling show at the Louisiana Superdome
drew an estimated 31,000 fans and a gate of $140,000. A dispute between the two in August 1979 strained their friendship. While Watts incorporated Mid-South Sports Inc. and had agreements Jim Barnett, Eddie Graham
, Fritz Von Erich
, and Vincent J. McMahon
that made the promotion thrive. McGuirk became desperate and hoped that George Scott would help keep the territory afloat.
On February 23, 1981, Watts filed documents to bring Mid-South to Tulsa. Matters worsened as seven wrestlers went on strike on August 21. Their grievance was that McGuirk had not paid them for the previous weeks work. Despite turning to Amarillo for wrestling talent, McGuirk saw the writing on the wall.
In 1982, McGuirk ceased operations and left the city open for Bill Watts and Mid-South Wrestling to take over. One of McGuirk’s daughters, Michelle, better known in wrestling as Mike McGuirk
, married B. Brian Blair, a wrestler for Mid-South. Both eventually worked for the World Wrestling Federation: Blair as one half of the tag team The Killer Bees
, and Mike McGuirk as an in-ring announcer.
. Of his charitable work, McGuirk is best known for working with Ed Lewis
. They were responsible for instituting the NWA "Leader Dogs for the Blind" annual charity function.
He died on September 9, 1988 in Claremore
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
wrestler and professional wrestling
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...
promoter
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...
. He was involved in professional wrestling for more than fifty years. As one of the longest surviving members of 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...
(NWA), he was affiliated with the promotion from 1949 to 1982.
Early life
He was born in Garvin, OklahomaGarvin, Oklahoma
Garvin is a town in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 143 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Garvin is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, this town has a total area of , all of it land....
. He suffered the loss of his father before he was twelve and had to endure the loss of sight in one of his eyes due to a swimming mishap. McGuirk overcame many adversities to persevere in wrestling. He started wrestling at Tulsa Central High School
Central High School (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Central High School is the oldest high school in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was founded in 1906 as Tulsa High School, and located in downtown Tulsa until 1976. The school now has a campus in northwest Tulsa. Tulsa Central is part of the Tulsa Public Schools, Oklahoma's largest school district, and is a...
and competed at Oklahoma A&M
Oklahoma State University–Stillwater
Oklahoma State University–Stillwater is a land-grant, sun-grant, coeducational public research university located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. OSU was founded in 1890 under the Morrill Act...
from 1928 to 1932 under Edward Gallagher.
Despite losing in the quarterfinals of the 1930 NCAA Tournament, McGuirk claimed the 155-pound title at the 1931 NCAA Tournament on March 28 in Providence. A year later, McGuirk competed in the 1932 NCAA Tournament at 174 pounds.
Professional career
After graduation from college, McGuirk went to work for Sam AveySam Avey
Sam Avey was an American businessman and sports promoter. Best known as the wrestling promoter of little big men, he is also credited for helping to create the Tulsa wrestling territory later used by the National Wrestling Alliance.-Early life:Sam Avey was born in Kingfisher, Oklahoma on February...
. On March 5, 1934, he beat Hugh Nichols in Tulsa for the World Light Heavyweight championship. He was also endorsed 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....
.
Championship runs
McGuirk enjoyed several runs as champion. On May 16, 1938, McGuirk beat Danny McShainDanny McShain
Danny McShain was an American professional wrestler who competed in the Southern United States from the 1930s to the 1960s.-Early life:...
to capture his second world light heavyweight title. 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....
had a 190-pound title (later raised to 200) that was known as the World Junior Heavyweight Championship
World Junior Heavyweight Championship (National Wrestling Association)
The National Wrestling Association World Junior Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Association, an offshoot of the National Boxing Association, and was contested for by wrestlers weighing between 175 lb and 190 lb...
. McGuirk won this title on June 19, 1939 from John Swenski.
Between Tulsa and Hollywood, McGuirk dominated the Junior Heavyweight division, but at least three other Junior Heavyweight Champions were recognized at the time. On December 28, 1949, McGuirk unified the National Wrestling Association World Junior Heavyweight Championship with the National Wrestling Alliance’s version
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
The NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world championship and secondary title in the National Wrestling Alliance that was for the lighter wrestlers. It started in 1945 and still exists today. The title was unified with the National Boxing/Wrestling Association's...
by defeating Billy Goelz in Des Moines.
Automobile accident
On February 7, 1950, McGuirk’s career came to an end. In Little Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, McGuirk was being driven to a restaurant by his wrestling pupil, Robert “Bob” Clay. In an attempt to prevent a collision, Clay locked the car’s brakes, and McGuirk was thrown against the front windshield. McGuirk’s tinted glasses were shattered and the side of the glasses covering his good eye were fractured, blinding McGuirk permanently. It was another Oklahoman, Daniel Allen "Danny" Hodge, who rose to prominence in the Junior Heavyweight field. By 1960, Hodge became the principal headliner for McGuirk.
Booking and promoting
After the accident, Avey kept McGuirk as a partner. McGuirk became second vice-president of the NWA from September 1950 to August 1956, and from August 1959 to August 1960. Between 1957 and 1958, McGuirk was made an honorary vice-president. One of McGuirk’s first challenges as vice-president was to reconcile the promotional war that occurred between women’s wrestling promoters Billy WolfeBilly Wolfe
William Harrison “Billy” Wolfe was a professional wrestling promoter who was active from the 1930s to the 1950s. Wolfe was the husband and manager of Mildred Burke and ran a traveling troupe of women wrestlers alongside her.-Early life:...
and his ex-wife Mildred Burke
Mildred Burke
Mildred Bliss was an American professional wrestler, who wrestled under the name Mildred Burke. She is a member of the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame as well as the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame. Her heyday lasted from the mid-1930s to the mid-1950s, when she held the World Women's...
. McGuirk aligned himself with Burke and hoped to resolve the dispute at the September 1953 NWA meeting in Chicago.
By 1953, McGuirk was the primary booker for the junior heavyweight champion, while coordinating talent from southwestern Missouri to Little Rock, across Oklahoma, and into parts of Texas. Despite being the booker, McGuirk also took on the opportunity to train promising wrestlers. One of his most promising was eventual NWA World Heavyweight Champion 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:...
. In the ay 10],] 1953 edition of the Tulsa Daily World, McGuirk said "He has a fine chance to get into the big money brackets. He has a lot to learn, but has the natural qualifications, and I won’t be surprised at anything he may accomplish." Hutton did not disappoint, as he beat 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...
on November 14, 1957 at Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
in Toronto.
Avey and McGuirk’s actual territory covered most of Oklahoma and Arkansas. Said territory also included Joplin
Joplin, Missouri
Joplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the US state of Missouri. Joplin is the largest city in Jasper County, though it is not the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 50,150...
and Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
, Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, plus Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
, and Tyler, Texas
Tyler, Texas
Tyler is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, in the United States. It takes its name from President John Tyler . The city had a population of 109,000 in 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau...
. On January 4, 1958, McGuirk took over the entire business after Avey retired. Avey left wrestling to concentrate on his role as senior vice president of the Farmers and Merchants State Bank. One of the biggest issues McGuirk faced was the tension that occurred due to sporadic visits by world champion Buddy Rogers in the early 1960s. Many felt that the bigger promoters were locked in for visits by Rogers while territories such as McGuirk’s, Jim Crockett
Jim Crockett
James Allen Crockett was a professional wrestling promoter sometimes known as Jim Crockett, Sr. or to people within the business simply as "Big Jim".-Early life:...
in Charlotte, Karl Sarpolis in Amarillo, and Cowboy Luttrall in Tampa, to name a few, were perceived as the non-essential territories.
Bill Watts
McGuirk had many people who worked for him as matchmaker: Leo Voss, Sam Menacker, Rip Tyler, Wayne Martin, and George ScottGeorge Scott (wrestler)
George Scott was a Canadian professional wrestler, booker and promoter. From the 1950s until the 1970s, he and his younger brother Sandy competed as The Flying Scotts in North American regional promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance, particularly the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic...
. Of all those people, Cowboy Bill Watts played a big part in McGuirk’s promotion, both positively and negatively. His first real connection to McGuirk was in 1968, when McGuirk submitted the only vote in favor of passing the NWA Championship to him. McGuirk and Watts worked together to promote Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana in the late 1970s. On July 22, 1978, their joint promotion of a wrestling show at the Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
drew an estimated 31,000 fans and a gate of $140,000. A dispute between the two in August 1979 strained their friendship. While Watts incorporated Mid-South Sports Inc. and had agreements Jim Barnett, Eddie Graham
Eddie Graham
Edward Gossett was a professional wrestler. He was also the promoter and booker for Championship Wrestling from Florida and President of the NWA in the 1970s. His son, Mike Graham, was also a professional wrestler.-Career:Edward F...
, Fritz Von Erich
Fritz Von Erich
Jack Barton Adkisson was an American professional wrestler under the ring name Fritz Von Erich, better known today as a wrestling promoter and the patriarch of the Von Erich family...
, and Vincent J. McMahon
Vincent J. McMahon
Vincent James "Vince" McMahon, better known as Vince McMahon, Sr. was an American professional wrestling promoter. He is best known for founding the American promotion, World Wide Wrestling Federation, which is now known as WWE.-Early life:Vincent James McMahon was born on July 6, 1914 in Harlem,...
that made the promotion thrive. McGuirk became desperate and hoped that George Scott would help keep the territory afloat.
On February 23, 1981, Watts filed documents to bring Mid-South to Tulsa. Matters worsened as seven wrestlers went on strike on August 21. Their grievance was that McGuirk had not paid them for the previous weeks work. Despite turning to Amarillo for wrestling talent, McGuirk saw the writing on the wall.
In 1982, McGuirk ceased operations and left the city open for Bill Watts and Mid-South Wrestling to take over. One of McGuirk’s daughters, Michelle, better known in wrestling as Mike McGuirk
Mike McGuirk
Michelle McGuirk is an American professional wrestling personality, best known as a ring announcer for the World Wrestling Federation from 1987–1994. She is the daughter of Leroy McGuirk.-Professional wrestling career:...
, married B. Brian Blair, a wrestler for Mid-South. Both eventually worked for the World Wrestling Federation: Blair as one half of the tag team The Killer Bees
The Killer Bees (professional wrestling)
The Killer Bees was a tag team composed of "Jumpin" Jim Brunzell and B. Brian Blair in the World Wrestling Federation from 1985 to 1988 and later on in the independent circuit...
, and Mike McGuirk as an in-ring announcer.
Honors
McGuirk was inducted into the Oklahoma Athletic Hall of Fame in 1977. He is also a member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
. Of his charitable work, McGuirk is best known for working with Ed 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:...
. They were responsible for instituting the NWA "Leader Dogs for the Blind" annual charity function.
He died on September 9, 1988 in Claremore
Claremore, Oklahoma
Claremore is a city and the county seat of Rogers County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 18,581 at the 2010 census, a 17.1 percent increase from 15,873 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area and home to Rogers State University...
.
Championships and accomplishments
- Central States Wrestling
- NWA World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world championship and secondary title in the National Wrestling Alliance that was for the lighter wrestlers. It started in 1945 and still exists today. The title was unified with the National Boxing/Wrestling Association's...
(1 time)
- NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
- National Wrestling AssociationNational Wrestling AssociationThe 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....
- NWA World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipWorld Junior Heavyweight Championship (National Wrestling Association)The National Wrestling Association World Junior Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Association, an offshoot of the National Boxing Association, and was contested for by wrestlers weighing between 175 lb and 190 lb...
(1 time) - NWA World Light Heavyweight ChampionshipWorld Light Heavyweight Championship (National Wrestling Association)The National Wrestling Association World Light Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Association, an offshoot of the National Boxing Association , and was contested for with a weight limit of 175 lb...
(3 times)
- NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameThe Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
(Class of 1996)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame