Stan Stasiak

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Stan "The Man" Stasiak
Toronto, Ontario
, Canada
Spouse(s)
Jill Stipitch
​
​
(m. 1955; died 1984)​
ChildrenTwo, including Shawn Stasiak
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Crusher Stasiak
Emile Koverly
Stan Stasiak
Billed height6 ft 4 in (193 cm)[2]
Billed weight270 lb (122 kg)[2]
Billed from"Beaver Creek, Oregon, United States"[3]
"Buzzard Creek, Oregon, United States"[2]
Debut1958[2][1]
Retired1984

George Emile Stipich (April 13, 1937 – June 19, 1997) was a Canadian

WWWF Heavyweight Championship in 1973. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame
in 2018.

Early life

George Stipich was born in the village of

Quebec Amateur Hockey Association but became known for his lack of discipline, with his final coach encouraging him to switch to professional wrestling.[1][4][5]

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1958–1965)

Stipich trained in

Calgary, Alberta-based Big Time Wrestling promotion. He also wrestled at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto which included a match with Gino Morella, who was later known as Gorilla Monsoon. in October 1960, he wrestled in the United States for the St. Louis Wrestling Club, where he adopted the ring name "Stan Stasiak", taking it from another wrestler named Stanley Stasiak (real name Ignacy Josef Stasiak) who had died in 1931 from sepsis.[5][6]

By 1961, Stasiak was dividing his time between Canada and the St. Louis Wrestling Club. In June 1961, he won his first

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz
.

Stampede Wrestling (1964–1968)

From 1964 to 1968, Stasiak appeared regularly with the

Calgary, Alberta, Canada-based Stampede Wrestling promotion. He held the NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship on four occasions between 1965 and 1967 and the Stampede Wrestling North American Heavyweight Championship on three occasions in 1968.[3][5][7]

Pacific Northwest Wrestling (1965–1971)

In 1965, Stasiak began appearing regularly with Pacific Northwest Wrestling, where he adopted the fictional "Buzzard Creek, Oregon" as his hometown.[5] He won the promotion's flagship title, the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship, five times in 1965, 1966, 1968, and 1971. He also won the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship four times between 1965 and 1969, teaming with Haru Sasak, the Mad Russian, Mighty Ursus, and Tony Marino.[3][4][5][8]

International Wrestling Enterprise (1969)

In April and May 1969, Stasiak toured Japan with the

Thunder Sugiyama and Toyonobori for the Trans-World Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Championship ended in a controversial manner, resulting in the titles being vacated; on April 20, Sugiyama and Rusher Kimura defeated Morgan and Stasiak to win the vacant titles. On April 22, Stasiak unsuccessfully challenged Billy Robinson for the IWA World Heavyweight Championship. Stasiak wrestled his final match with IWE on May 5, 1969, teaming with Dixon and Morgan in a loss to Sugiyama, Toyonobori, and the Great Kusatsu.[9][10]

San Francisco (1969–1970)

In November 1969, Stasiak began wrestling for the

Pat Patterson. Stasiak left San Francisco in September 1970.[11][12]

World Championship Wrestling (1970)

In October 1970, Stasiak wrestled in Australia for the

world heavyweight championship. He lost the title back to Iaukea the following month.[1][3][13]

World Wide Wrestling Federation (1971–1972)

In August 1971, Stasiak debuted in the

Víctor Rivera, and Chief Jay Strongbow throughout the northeastern United States. In September 1971, he unsuccessfully challenged Bobo Brazil for the WWWF United States Heavyweight Championship. He went on to unsuccessfully challenge Morales for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship on a number of further occasions. In February 1972, he formed a short-lived alliance with Jimmy Valiant. Valiant left the WWWF later that month.[14]

Texas (1972)

In March 1972, Stasiak began appearing with the Texas-based

cage match in the Dallas Sportatorium on Boxing Day.[15]

All Japan Pro Wrestling (1973)

In February 1973, Stasiak appeared in Japan with the recently founded

two-out-of-three-falls match.[16]

World Wide Wrestling Federation (1973–1974)

Stasiak returned to the WWF in August 1973, adopting the

six-man tag team matches
.

On December 1, 1973, in the

transitional champion, holding the WWWF Heavyweight Championship for just nine days before losing it to Sammartino on December 10, 1973, in Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, United States. Stasiak described his title reign as "the happiest nine days of [my] life".[1][14][17][18] During his brief reign, Stasiak had a single successful title defense, wrestling Chief Jay Strongbow to a no contest on December 7, 1973.[14]

Stasiak faced Sammartino in a rematch in January 1974, but failed to regain the title. In March 1974, Stasiak teamed with

WWWF Tag Team Championship. Stasiak continued regularly appearing with the WWF until October 1974.[14]

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (1974)

In April and May 1974, Stasiak toured Japan with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, competing in its inaugural World League round-robin tournament. On the first day of the tournament, he wrestled Antonio Inoki to a time limit draw in an exhibition match held in Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. Stasiak scored 5.5 points in the first round of the tournament, but did not progress past the second round. The tournament was ultimately won by Inoki.[19]

St. Louis Wrestling Club (1975)

In February 1975, Stasiak began wrestling for the

WWWF Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino. Stasiak left St. Louis in December 1975, with his final match being a loss to Terry Funk in the Kiel Auditorium.[20][21][22]

Maple Leaf Wrestling (1974–1978)

In July 1974 he began to wrestle for

Superstar Billy Graham WWWF Heavyweight Championship in 1977 and Nick Bockwinkel for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship
in 1978.

Georgia Championship Wrestling (1976)

In January 1976, Stasiak began wrestling for the

Killer Brooks unsuccessfully challenged The Black Bombers for the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship. Stasiak left Georgia Championship Wrestling in October 1976.[23]

World Wide Wrestling Federation (1975–1979)

On September 13, 1975, Stasiak wrestled Bruno Sammartino who was WWWF Heavyweight Champion to a double disqualification in Steubenville, Ohio.

In November 1976, Stasiak began regularly wrestling for the WWWF once more. In his first match back, he challenged WWWF Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino in Madison Square Garden, winning by count-out. The following month, he lost to Sammartino in a

Butcher Vachon, George Steele, and Johnny Rodz to challenge WWWF Tag Team Champions Dino Bravo and Dominic DeNucci, but was unable to defeat them. Beginning in December 1978, he again teamed with a series of partners to challenge new WWWF Tag Team Champions Larry Zbyszko and Tony Garea. Stasiak left the WWWF in March 1979.[14]

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (1979)

Stasiak once again toured Japan with New Japan Pro-Wrestling from February to April 1979 as part of its "Big Fight Series". His first match, a loss to Riki Choshu, was broadcast on TV Asahi. During the tour, Stasiak faced opponents such as Antonio Inoki, Riki Choshu, Seiji Sakaguchi, and Tatsumi Fujinami. On several occasions, he teamed with fellow Canadian wrestler Tiger Jeet Singh and with the Japanese wrestler Masa Saito.[19]

Late career (1979–1984)

In spring 1979, Stasiak returned to Pacific Northwest Wrestling, where he became a mainstay. He won the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship twice more in 1979 and the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship four more times. In the early 1980s, he did commentary there and also worked as a photographer.[1][3][24][25] In mid-1980, Stasiak appeared with the Louisiana, United States-based Mid-South Wrestling promotion. In the latter half of 1980, Stasiak competed in Texas once more, appearing with Big Time Wrestling and Western States Sports. During this time, he won the NWA Texas Tag Team Championship and the NWA Brass Knuckles Championship. Stasiak retired from professional wrestling in 1984.[4]

Retirement

After retiring in 1984, Stasiak worked for Kellum Datsun in Gladstone, Oregon, as a car salesman. After a short time at the Datsun dealership, he moved to Toronto, where he worked as a security guard. When his health began to decline, he relocated back to Oregon in 1994.[1][5] He was inducted into the Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1995,[26][27] and (posthumously) into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018.[28]

Professional wrestling style and persona

For most of his career, Stasiak portrayed a "menacing"

heart punch - "a stiff shot to his opponent's chest, sold as if it could stop the organ from pumping were Stasiak to land his fist just right" - as his finishing move.[1][4][5][7][28] He was a "large, powerful, bruising" wrestler.[3] Although hailing from Canada, for most of his career Stasiak was billed from the (fictitious) towns of "Beaver Creek" or "Buzzard Creek" in Oregon in the United States.[2][3]

Death

Stipich died of

heart transplant. Fellow wrestler Tony Borne gave the eulogy at his funeral, describing him as "a very good natured-individual" and "a real trooper" [sic].[5][29]

Personal life

Stipich had two children: a daughter, Brittany, and a son, Shawn, who also wrestled professionally as Shawn Stasiak. He was survived by his widow Kimberly Stasiak. Stipich was of Croatian descent.[5]

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-1-77090-296-1
    .
  2. ^
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  3. ^
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  6. ^ "15 notable of MLW". Maple Leaf Wrestling. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  7. ^
    ISBN 978-1-55490-299-6
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  8. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Stan Stasiak - Career - Pacific Northwest Wrestling". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  9. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Stan Stasiak - Career - International Wrestling Enterprise". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  10. ^ "Trans-World Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  11. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Stan Stasiak - Career - National Wrestling Alliance - 1969". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  12. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Stan Stasiak - Career - National Wrestling Alliance - 1970". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  13. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Stan Stasiak - Career - World Championship Wrestling". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  14. ^ a b c d e f Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Stan Stasiak - Career - World Wrestling Entertainment". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  15. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Stan Stasiak - Career - National Wrestling Alliance - 1972". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  16. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Stan Stasiak - Career - All Japan Pro Wrestling". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  17. ^ Dusek, Frank (1999). "The night Stan Stasiak became World Champ". WrestlingClassics.com. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  18. ISBN 978-1-55490-328-3
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  19. ^ a b Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Stan Stasiak - Career - New Japan Pro Wrestling". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  20. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Stan Stasiak - Career - St Louis Wrestling Club". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  21. ISBN 978-1-55022-684-3
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  22. ISBN 978-1-77090-269-5
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  23. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Stan Stasiak - Career - Georgia Championship Wrestling". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  24. ISBN 978-1-4766-7483-4
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  25. ISBN 978-1-4406-7329-0
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  26. ^ a b Whalen, Ed (December 15, 1995). "Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame: 1948-1990". Showdown at the Corral: A Tribute to Stu Hart. Event occurs at 15:38. Shaw Cable. Calgary 7.
  27. ^ a b "Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (1948-1990)". Wrestling-Titles.com. 2003.
  28. ^ a b c d e "Stan Stasiak". WWE.com. WWE. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  29. ISBN 978-0-7864-0460-5
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  30. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4
    .
  31. ^ "Texas Brass Knucks Title [East Texas]". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  32. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4
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  33. ^ "NWA Texas Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  34. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4
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  35. ^ "NWA Texas Tag Team Title [E. Texas]". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  36. ^ Rodgers, Mike (2004). "Regional Territories: PNW #16". KayfabeMemories.com.
  37. ^ "WWWF/WWF/WWE World Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved August 24, 2012.

External links

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