Les Thatcher
Encyclopedia
Leslie Alan Malady better known by the name Les Thatcher is a former professional wrestler
who achievied many accolades over his career. He now has a hand in running "Elite Pro Wrestling Training" in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, with other professional wrestlers, Harley Race
and Ricky Steamboat
.
father and a French/English mother. He first watched wrestling when he was eight years old while at a friend's house. He said, "The action on that little ten-inch black & white screen just reached out and grabbed me". In his youth, he played basketball
, baseball
, and football
. He started wrestling at his local YMCA
as a twelve-year-old. He attended Central High School in Cincinnati.
Thatcher heard about Tony Santos
, a promoter and owner of a wrestling school in Boston, Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter, he began training in February 1960.
.
In 1966, Thatcher started to work as part of a "cousins" faction. He was a member of the team with Roger Kirby and Dennis Hall. They used this gimmick in various southern territories until 1969.
He won several regional tag team championships with various partners, including Nelson Royal and Roger Kirby. He turned his hand to singles competition and excelled as a junior heavyweight
. He was noted for his high-flying dropkick
s and sound technical ability.
In 1974, Thatcher started to host and produce Southeastern Championship Wrestling. Throughout his broadcasting career, he has worked with Gordon Solie
, Bob Caudle
, Lance Russell
and Jim Ross
. During his announcing/hosting tenure, he worked for such companies as Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and Georgia Championship Wrestling
. He helped to introduce concepts that are still common on wrestling programming today.
He also wrote for many notable wrestling publications of the time and helped to produce the World Wide Wrestling Federation's first color magazine in 1978.
Thatcher had a hand in the gym and bodybuilding business between 1987 and 1994. He was involved in the designing, building, and managing of two Cincinnati area gyms during that time. It was around this time he became a professional bodybuilder. He competed in 14 contests over a seven year stretch, winning first place in 5 contests, second on 3 outings, and third 3 times, only placing out of the money in three shows.
In 1995, Thatcher opened his training school. "Les Thatcher's Main Event Pro Wrestling Camp". He also promoted the Heartland Wrestling Association
. With the Heartland Wrestling Association he helped produce the Brian Pillman Memorial Show
s.
Notable graduates of the school include; Matt Stryker
, Shark Boy
, B.J. Whitmer
, Chad Collyer
, Charlie Haas
, Shannon Moore
, Johnny “The Bull” Stamboli
, Jon Moxley
, Jimmy Yang
, Nigel McGuinness
, Jamie Noble
, Elix Skipper
, Rosey & Umaga
.
Now, after making appearances on various radio programs, being elected onto the board of the Cauliflower Alley Club and receiving various awards, Thatcher is part of "Elite Pro Wrestling Training". As mentioned before, he is part of this project with Harley Race and Ricky Steamboat.
Thatcher co-hosts a weekly wrestling radio program with Doc Young called "Wrestling Weekly" on www.f4wonline.com. The complete audio archives for this show are now available to download at The Wrestling Weekly Audio Archive. He also does routine website audio shows for PWInsider.com. Thatcher also appeared in an episode of To Tell The Truth
.
In 1999 Thatcher appeared in the MTV series True Life
called "I am a pro wrestler".
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...
who achievied many accolades over his career. He now has a hand in running "Elite Pro Wrestling Training" in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, with other professional wrestlers, Harley Race
Harley Race
Harley Leland Race is a retired American professional wrestler and current promoter and trainer. During his career as a wrestler, he held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship 7 times...
and Ricky Steamboat
Ricky Steamboat
Richard Henry Blood , better known by his ring name Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, is a retired American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE working as a road agent. He was one of the few wrestlers who stayed a babyface throughout his career...
.
Early life
Thatcher was born in Cincinnati, Ohio with an IrishIrish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
father and a French/English mother. He first watched wrestling when he was eight years old while at a friend's house. He said, "The action on that little ten-inch black & white screen just reached out and grabbed me". In his youth, he played basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. He started wrestling at his local YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
as a twelve-year-old. He attended Central High School in Cincinnati.
Thatcher heard about Tony Santos
Tony Santos
Tony Santos is a Spanish funk/R&B singer. His debut album in Spain sold over 200,000 copies, and the first three singles off the album hit number one in the Spanish charts. He was a contestant on Operación Triunfo.His first single 'Actitud' was written by Alan Glass, a US writer based in the UK...
, a promoter and owner of a wrestling school in Boston, Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter, he began training in February 1960.
Career
On July 4, 1960, Les Thatcher made his professional wrestling debut against “Cowboy” Ronnie Hill in Blue Hill, MaineBlue Hill, Maine
Blue Hill is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,390 at the 2000 census. It is home to Blue Hill Memorial Hospital, George Stevens Academy, the now-closed Liberty School, New Surry Theatre, Kneisel Hall, Bagaduce Music Lending Library, the Kollegewidgwok Yacht Club...
.
In 1966, Thatcher started to work as part of a "cousins" faction. He was a member of the team with Roger Kirby and Dennis Hall. They used this gimmick in various southern territories until 1969.
He won several regional tag team championships with various partners, including Nelson Royal and Roger Kirby. He turned his hand to singles competition and excelled as a junior heavyweight
Cruiserweight (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a cruiserweight is a wrestler weighing 220 lb and less, sometimes 215. The older term junior heavyweight, which was used to describe the division, is more favored in Japan, where many titles for lighter-weight competitors are called junior heavyweight titles...
. He was noted for his high-flying dropkick
Dropkick
A dropkick is an attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as he or she jumps so that when the feet connect with the opponent one foot is raised higher than...
s and sound technical ability.
In 1974, Thatcher started to host and produce Southeastern Championship Wrestling. Throughout his broadcasting career, he has worked with Gordon Solie
Gordon Solie
Jonard Frank Labiak , better known as Gordon Solie, was a Florida-based professional wrestling play-by-play announcer working for World Championship Wrestling...
, Bob Caudle
Bob Caudle
Bob Caudle is an American professional wrestling announcer most notable for his time with The National Wrestling Alliance-NWA. He started working with Jim Crockett Promotions in the late 1950s for promoter Jim Crockett, Sr...
, Lance Russell
Lance Russell
Lance Russell is a former professional wrestling announcer in the Memphis region from 1959 to 1997, particularly in NWA Mid-America and its descendant as the dominant promotion in Memphis, the Continental Wrestling Association...
and Jim Ross
Jim Ross
James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand...
. During his announcing/hosting tenure, he worked for such companies as Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...
. He helped to introduce concepts that are still common on wrestling programming today.
He also wrote for many notable wrestling publications of the time and helped to produce the World Wide Wrestling Federation's first color magazine in 1978.
Thatcher had a hand in the gym and bodybuilding business between 1987 and 1994. He was involved in the designing, building, and managing of two Cincinnati area gyms during that time. It was around this time he became a professional bodybuilder. He competed in 14 contests over a seven year stretch, winning first place in 5 contests, second on 3 outings, and third 3 times, only placing out of the money in three shows.
In 1995, Thatcher opened his training school. "Les Thatcher's Main Event Pro Wrestling Camp". He also promoted the Heartland Wrestling Association
Heartland Wrestling Association
The Heartland Wrestling Association is a Midwestern independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cincinnati, Ohio. A former developmental territory for both World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation during the 1990s, it was listed as one of the top independent...
. With the Heartland Wrestling Association he helped produce the Brian Pillman Memorial Show
Brian Pillman Memorial Show
The Brian Pillman Memorial Show was an annual professional wrestling event held between 1998 and 2001 benefiting the children of Brian Pillman and featuring talent from World Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and Extreme Championship Wrestling, as well as local and indy...
s.
Notable graduates of the school include; Matt Stryker
Brian Woermann
Brian Woermann is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Matt Stryker.-Career:Brian Woermann attended Milford High School, where he played basketball and Diving...
, Shark Boy
Shark Boy
Dean Mathew Roll is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Shark Boy and his experience in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling .-Early career:...
, B.J. Whitmer
B.J. Whitmer
Benjamin Whitmer is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, B.J. Whitmer. He is best known for his appearances with Ring of Honor between January 2003 and March 2008...
, Chad Collyer
Chad Collyer
Chad Collyer is an American professional wrestler. A Heartland Wrestling Association mainstay, Collyer is perhaps best known for his appearances with Ring of Honor and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.-Career:...
, Charlie Haas
Charlie Haas
Charles "Charlie" Doyle Haas II is an American professional wrestler and former collegiate amateur wrestler. He competes on the independent circuit, and is signed to Ring of Honor , where he is one-half of the reigning ROH World Tag Team Champions with Shelton Benjamin...
, Shannon Moore
Shannon Moore
Shannon Moore is an American professional wrestler, who is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . He is best known for his work with World Championship Wrestling between 1999 and 2001 and with World Wrestling Entertainment for several years in the 2000s.Moore befriended Matt and Jeff Hardy...
, Johnny “The Bull” Stamboli
John Hugger
John Hugger is an American professional wrestler. He is perhaps best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling as Johnny the Bull, World Wrestling Entertainment as Johnny "The Bull" Stamboli...
, Jon Moxley
Jon Moxley
Jonathan Good is an American professional wrestler known by his ring name Jon Moxley. He is signed to WWE, wrestling in their developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling , under the ring name Dean Ambrose...
, Jimmy Yang
James Yun
James Carson Yun is an American professional wrestler and actor, best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Jimmy Wang Yang, in World Championship Wrestling as one-third of the Jung Dragons as Yang, and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and the independent circuit...
, Nigel McGuinness
Nigel McGuinness
Steven Haworth is an English professional wrestler, better known by the ring names Desmond Wolfe and Nigel McGuinness. As McGuinness he first gained notoriety working for Ring of Honor in the United States and Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan...
, Jamie Noble
Jamie Noble
James Howard Gibson better known by his WWE ring name Jamie Noble, is an American former professional wrestler currently working for WWE as a trainer. He is best known for his work from 2002 to 2009 when a severe back injury forced him to retire from competition...
, Elix Skipper
Elix Skipper
Elix Skipper is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling, where he was a one-time Cruiserweight Champion and a one-time Cruiserweight Tag Team Champion, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a four-time NWA World Tag Team...
, Rosey & Umaga
Eddie Fatu
Edward Smith "Eki" Fatu was a Samoan-American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Umaga...
.
Now, after making appearances on various radio programs, being elected onto the board of the Cauliflower Alley Club and receiving various awards, Thatcher is part of "Elite Pro Wrestling Training". As mentioned before, he is part of this project with Harley Race and Ricky Steamboat.
Thatcher co-hosts a weekly wrestling radio program with Doc Young called "Wrestling Weekly" on www.f4wonline.com. The complete audio archives for this show are now available to download at The Wrestling Weekly Audio Archive. He also does routine website audio shows for PWInsider.com. Thatcher also appeared in an episode of To Tell The Truth
To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...
.
In 1999 Thatcher appeared in the MTV series True Life
True Life
True Life is a documentary series running on MTV since 1998. Each episode follows a particular topic, such as heroin addiction as in the first episode, "Fatal Dose." The show is created by following a series of subjects by a camera crew through a certain part of their lives.-Topics covered:True...
called "I am a pro wrestler".
Championships and accomplishments
- Cauliflower Alley ClubCauliflower Alley ClubThe Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America....
- Art Abrams Lifetime Achievement Award (2005)
- Member of Board Of Directors
- National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling AllianceThe 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...
- World
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version)NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version)The Mid-America version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1957 until 1977. It was defended primarily in Tennessee and Alabama.-Title history:...
(1 time) – with Dennis Hall
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version)
- National
- NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version) (3 times) – with Roger Kirby, Bearcat Brown and Dennis Hall
- Regional
- NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version) (1 time) – with Bearcat Brown
- NWA Tennessee Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Tennessee Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Tennessee Tag Team Championship was a secondary tag team title promoted as the name indeicates mainly in the Tennessee region from 1967 until 1977, first by Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling from 1967 to 1974 then by its successor Southeast Championship Wrestling from 1974 to 1977 when it...
(4 times) – with Dennis Hall, Whitey Caldwell and Nelson Royal (2)
- World
- Smoky Mountain WrestlingSmoky Mountain WrestlingSmoky Mountain Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Appalachian area of the United States from October 1991 to December 1995, when it was run by Jim Cornette...
- First-ever inductee to the SMW Hall of Fame in 1994