Greek-American professional wrestling promoter (1894-1964)
Thomas Nicholas Packs (born Anthanasios Pakiotis; August 15, 1894 – October 22, 1964) was a Greek-American professional wrestling promoter. He was one of the top promoters over the first half of the 20th century and was responsible for building one of the nation's most prestigious wrestling territories in St. Louis.
Youth
Anthanasios Pakiotis was born in
during the early 1920s, and Packs subsequently joined him in 1922 as a partner at age 28.
Wrestling career
Though just starting out in the business, Tom Packs quickly distinguished himself as a crafty promoter and a shrewd businessman. After the rise of the
National Boxing Association
that maintained control over various state athletic commissions.
By the early 1930s, the professional wrestling industry was in transition following the break-up of the
Strangler Lewis
as his primary talent. Consequently, the New York territory was crippled following Londos' exit, and Curley was eventually forced to broker an agreement with Packs that established a working "Trust" between the country's various wrestling territories.
By the time of
Fred Blassie. However, it was Packs who was responsible for nurturing maybe the greatest champion ever when he recruited a young grappler named
Lou Thesz to his territory in 1936. The top student of renowned "hooker"
George Tragos, Thesz was just 20 years old when he first arrived in St. Louis, yet Packs immediately recognized his superstar potential; and he subsequently protected his investment by keeping him away from the region's most dangerous opponents while he honed his ring skills. As a result, Thesz eventually became the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in history when he defeated
Everett Marshall on December 29, 1937; and for the next quarter century, he would reign as the industry's undeniable premier grappler.
Power Struggle
In 1932, Tom Packs would also hire a young sportswriter named
St. Louis Star, Muchnick rejected a management position when one of his close friends was bumped from the staff; and he instead agreed to join Packs' promotion handling the company's finances and public relations. For nine years, Muchnick served alongside Packs as his right-hand man and chief apprentice; however, their relationship took a sour turn after Packs promoted a heavyweight boxing bout between
Joe Louis and
Tony Musto on April 8, 1941. The fight was a huge success, selling out the
Kiel Auditorium as Packs collected $67,000 in revenues while earning $14,000 in profits. However, Muchnick took exception when Packs issued him a paltry $200 bonus for the event (as opposed to the standard 10% commission); and he consequently left Packs to start a competing promotion. Nevertheless, Packs used his vast industry connections to prevent Muchnick from securing any of the sport's big names; and with Packs controlling all of the premier superstars, Muchnick was thus forced to enlist aging veterans for his shows. As a result, it was Packs who continued to maintain his dominance over Muchnick at the box office throughout the decade.
Later years
Following World War II, Packs was eventually forced to relinquish his promotion after losing $350,000 in the stock market. And so, in 1947, he sold Tom Packs Sport Enterprises, Inc. to the Mississippi Valley Sports Club, which was headed by Lou Thesz, Bill Longson and Frank Tunney. In subsequent years, Thesz would eventually merge the operation with Sam Muchnick's group after the formation of the National Wrestling Alliance; and the two Packs protégés would eventually go on to rule the sport for the next three decades while establishing St. Louis as the capital of the wrestling world. Meanwhile, Packs continued to stay involved in event promotions as he ran the Thrill Circus throughout the 1950s before he died on October 22, 1964. Though his name is not well known amongst today's fans, his place in history remains secure as the foremost pioneer of wrestling's celebrated St. Louis territory.
Championships and accomplishments
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
See also
References
General
Specific
External links
