Mighty Igor
| Mighty Igor | |
|---|---|
 Mighty Igor, circa 1973 | |
| Birth name | Richard Joseph Garza |
| Born | July 16, 1931 Dearborn, Michigan |
| Died | January 7, 2002 (aged 70) Detroit, Michigan |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Dick Garza Johnny Bruce Mighty Igor Mighty Igor Vodik Strong Man Igor World's Strongest Wrestler |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Billed weight | 289 lb (131 kg) |
| Billed from | Dearborn, Michigan[1] |
| Debut | 1957 |
Richard Joseph "Dick" Garza (July 16, 1931 – January 7, 2002), better known as Mighty Igor Vodik, or simply Mighty Igor, was an American professional wrestler. He is a one-time American Wrestling Association World champion. As Mighty Igor, he was frequently billed as the "World's Strongest Wrestler".[1]
Early years
Garza grew up in
Professional wrestling career
Garza wrestled in Michigan and Ohio during his early career.[3][4] He competed for a promotion named Wolverine Wrestling, where he won his first title, the Wolverine Wrestling Mid-West Heavyweight Championship, on February 14, 1957.[4] He also competed in California, where he won the Los Angeles version of the WWA International Television Tag Team Championship in 1962 while teaming with Eric Rommel.[5]
Garza later joined the
On January 7, 2002, Garza died after suffering a heart attack at a hospital in Detroit.[2]
Professional wrestling style and persona
Garza used the gimmick of a friendly, but physically strong Polish man. At times, he would wear nurse's shoes and long underwear in addition to his wrestling attire to make himself look friendly or kind but he would be superhuman strong .[9] He was also known for bringing toys and kielbasa to the ring, and he shared the kielbasa with his fans.[2]
The other component of Garza's gimmick was his strength. He performed several feats of strength for the audience, including leaning with his back against a wrestling ring and using his legs to hold back a car driving toward him. Other performances included bending iron bars or placing cement blocks on his head and having someone break them with a sledgehammer.[2] Ivan Kalmikoff ( Edward Bruce ) acted as his manager, while in PR World Wrestling Council where he was a fan favorite and was one time WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight legend Jose Miguel Perez acted as his manager.
Championships and accomplishments
- National Wrestling Federation/National Wrestling Alliance(upstate office)--
- National Wrestling Federation World Tag Team Championship(1 time) - with Johnny Powers
- NWA World Tag Team Championship(Ohio & Upstate New York Version)(1 time) - with Powers
- American Wrestling Association
- Big Time Wrestling
- International Wrestling Association
- NWA Los Angeles
- WWA International Television Tag Team Championship (1 time) — with Eric Rommel[5]
- New Independent Wrestling Association
- NIWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[10]
- World Wrestling Council
- 1 time)
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
- ^ a b c d e Mooneyham, Mike. "The Mighty Igor Dead At 70". The Wrestling Gospel According to Mike Mooneyham. Archived from the original on March 12, 2008. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
- ^ a b Friend, Percival A. "Dick Garza". The Way It Was. Archived from the original on October 22, 2009. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
- ^ a b c "Wrestler Profiles: Mighty Igor Vodik". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
- ^ a b "International Television Tag Team Title (Los Angeles)". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
- ^ a b "American Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
- ^ a b "Nebraska Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
- ^ "AWA Midwest Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
- ISBN 1-58261-762-7.
- ^ ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
External links
- Mighty Igor's profile at Cagematch.net , Internet Wrestling Database
