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Post by brodiescomics on Dec 6, 2022 17:40:30 GMT
clawmaster
1960 was the year before Roy Shire arrived to promote in North California. Ben Sharpe and Ed Sharpe were still the top tag team as they had been during most of the 1950s. The Fabulous Kangaroos Al Costello and Roy Heffernan with their manager Wild Red Berry were there for part of the year. Edouard Carpentier still claimed to be World Champion by virtue of his victory over Lou Thesz in Chicago, Illinois a few years earlier. Lou Thesz claimed the Universal or International Title. Ricky Romero was billed most of the time as Enrique Romero. Ed Miller was sometimes Mr. Kleen, sometimes Ed Mr. Kleen Miller and sometimes plain old Ed Miller. The way he was billed varied from newspaper to newspaper. I think Man Mountain Campbell was the Kentuckian Big Luke Brown. At least that's what my brain is telling me.
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Post by brodiescomics on Dec 6, 2022 17:42:33 GMT
clawmaster
Roy Shire began promoting in Northern California during March of 1961. Despite the star power the existing promoters had in Thesz, Carpentier, the Sharpe Brothers, and Blassie, Shire had television and easily won the wrestling war. Ray Stevens eventually won the United States Title by defeating Ray Stern. Mitsu Arakawa and Kinji Shibuya became the top heel tag team by beating Guy Brunetti & Joe Brunetti for the World Tag Team Title. Shire claimed affiliation with Jim Barnett's American Wrestling Alliance. Very interesting to see Verne Gagne and Bruno Sammartino on Shire's first San Francisco card.
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Post by brodiescomics on Dec 6, 2022 17:44:35 GMT
clawmaster
Ray Stevens sustained his first injury kart racing and had to vacate the United States title to Pepper Gomez. The injury to Stevens messed up Shire's plan for a huge bout between Stevens and Gomez. Stevens had injured Gomez in a very famous television angle. Nick Bockwinkel and Wilbur Snyder finally ended the World Tag title reign or Kinji Shibuya and Mitsu Arakawa.
Most of this research so far was not done by me. Credit should go to Jim Melby, JMK and Steve Yohe.
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