NWA Hollywood Wrestling (sometimes referred to as NWA Los Angeles ) was a professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Los Angeles , California in the United States that promoted professional wrestling matches throughout Southern California . It was founded in 1958 as the North American Wrestling Alliance , a member of the National Wrestling Alliance . It broke away from the NWA in 1959 and was renamed Worldwide Wrestling Associates in 1961. In 1968, it rejoined the NWA and adopted its final name, remaining a member until closing in 1982.
30-927: Professional wrestling tag team championship [REDACTED] This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "WWA International Television Tag Team Championship" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( May 2012 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this message ) WWA International Television Tag Team Championship Details Promotion Worldwide Wrestling Associates Date established 1954 Date retired 1964 Other name(s) WWA United States Tag Team Championship Statistics First champion(s) Wilbur Snyder and Sandor Szabo Most reigns (As
60-1160: A match against Enrique Romero and Luis Martinez on January 14, 1959 in Los Angeles, California. Enrique Romero and Luis Martínez 1 February 7, 1959 Los Angeles, California Defeated Frank Jares and Matt Murphy for the title. This may have been a rematch. Hans Hermann and Hardy Kruskamp 1 March 21, 1959 San Bernardino, California Enrique Romero and Luis Martinez 2 March 29, 1959 San Bernardino, California Eric Pederson and Henry Lenz 1 April 6, 1959 Los Angeles, California Still champions as of May 9, 1959. Billy Varga and Hardy Kruskamp 1 May 29, 1959 Still champions as of July 25, 1959. The Fabulous Kangaroos ( Al Costello and Roy Heffernan ) 1 August 22, 1959 Still champions as of September 17, 1959. Billy Varga and Hardy Kruskamp 2 November 19, 1959 Sandor Szabo and Edouard Carpentier 1 December 16, 1959 Los Angeles, California Defeated Art Michalik and Legs Wilson for
90-497: A tag team) Stan Holek and The Preacher ( 3 reigns ) (As individual) Lord James Blears ( 8 reigns ) Longest reign The Destroyer and Don Manoukian ( 212 days) Shortest reign Lord James Blears and Joe Pazandak , Don Leo Jonathan and Lord Leslie Carlton (7 days) The WWA International Television Tag Team Championship was the tag team title in the Los Angeles –based Worldwide Wrestling Associates from
120-723: The Los Angeles Athletic Club , hired former California State Athletic Commission inspector Alvah "Cal" Eaton as the promoter of the Grand Olympic Auditorium at the advice of his secretary, Aileen LeBell . Eaton and LeBell married in 1948, and over the following years the couple became major professional wrestling and boxing promoters in Southern California . By the early-1950s, the Eatons, along with Hugh Nichols, Johnny Doyle, and Mike Hirsch (collectively known as
150-820: The NWA Gulf Coast Tag Team Championship and the NWA Mid-America Southern Tag Team Championship , both held by Bobby and Don Fields. A week later Bolo and McCarthy lost the titles back to the Fields brothers and split up. After this Lovelock began working with Tom Renesto who had been Lovelock's manager in Los Angeles. Renesto took the name "the Mighty Bolo" and the two became a tag team known as "the Bolos". When Lovelock moved to another territory he gave Renesto permission to work as
180-794: The WWA World Tag Team Championship References [ edit ] ^ "International Television Tag Team Title (Los Angeles)" . Puroresu Dojo. 2003. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WWA_International_Television_Tag_Team_Championship&oldid=1248563437 " Categories : Tag team wrestling championships NWA Hollywood Wrestling championships Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description matches Wikidata Articles needing additional references from May 2012 All articles needing additional references Worldwide Wrestling Associates In 1942, Frank Garbutt, vice president of
210-622: The "California Combine"), dominated professional wrestling in Southern California, leading to a United States Department of Justice antitrust investigation in 1955 and 1956. On July 24, 1957, Lou Thesz defeated Édouard Carpentier under controversial circumstances to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship , the principal championship recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance . The decision
240-555: The "Mighty Bolo" name. Renesto was so popular as the Great Bolo that Al Lovelock sued promoter Jim Crockett to get a part of the profits that his creation had earned. Later on Hamilton's brother Jody Hamilton started to team with Renesto as The Assassins , but the Bolo name was so popular in JCP that the two worked as the Great Bolo and the Mighty Bolo for a while to capitalize on the popularity of
270-592: The Grand Olympic Auditorium as its base. Bookers included Jules Strongbow , Freddie Blassie , Mr. Moto , and Gory Guerrero . The promotion developed a working relationship with the Japan Wrestling Association and New Japan Pro-Wrestling , resulting in many talent exchanges. Aileen Eaton introduced a system of paying wrestlers a proportion of the gate rather than a guaranteed fee, boosting profits and encouraging wrestlers to help promote
300-546: The Great Bolo in the area since he was booked to work in Texas. In those days it was not uncommon for several people to use the same gimmick in various territories, often leading to confusing records on who wrestled where, Renesto worked as the Great Bolo in the Carolinas, mainly for Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) while Lovelock worked all over the country. Renesto made "The Missouri Mauler" Larry Hamilton his tag-team partner giving him
330-716: The Los Angeles area for a couple of years the Great Bolo moved on to Texas, returning to Dory Funk's Western States territory. Bolo would beat Dory Funk himself for the Amarillo version of the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship on February 7, 1957. A week later he defeated Funk for the NWA Southwest Junior Heavyweight Championship as well becoming a doubles champion. His double title reign only last two weeks before Dory Funk won both titles back. Bolo would go on to win
SECTION 10
#1732905579346360-1109: The United States Title. WWA United States Tag Team Championship Bearcat Wright and Mr. Moto 1 July 19, 1963 Los Angeles, California Starts being billed as the world title in Bakersfield, California in July 1963. Freddie Blassie and Don Leo Jonathan 1 September 28, 1963 Long Beach, California Bearcat Wright and Red Bastien 1 November 21, 1963 Los Angeles, California Mr. Moto and Kintarō Ōki 1 December 10, 1963 Long Beach, California The Neilson Brothers (Art Neilson and Stan Neilson Stan Holek ) 1 January 9, 1964 North Hollywood, California Repeated in San Bernardino, California on January 11, 1964. Edouard Carpentier and Ernie Ladd 1 February 1, 1964 San Bernardino, California Permanently replaced by
390-592: The United States, but had not paid dues since 1955. In October 1959, Eaton and LeBell withdrew from the NWA, recognizing Carpentier as the inaugural World Heavyweight Champion backdated to June 14, 1957, when Carpentier had originally won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The promotion was renamed Worldwide Wrestling Associates in 1961. The promotion ran events throughout Southern California, with
420-446: The events. The promotion also pioneered the use of closed-circuit television to show matches to fans who were unable to secure tickets for live events, an early precursor to the pay-per-view model that emerged in the 1980s. In 1963, WWA World Heavyweight Champion Bearcat Wright faced Freddie Blassie in a bout that Wright was scripted to lose. Instead, Wright headbutted Blassie, dazing him, and then legitimately pinned him. Wright
450-560: The late 1940s under his real name. In 1950 he worked for Dory Funk 's "NWA Western States" territory, teaming with Danny McShain. The duo reached the finals of a tournament to crown new NWA Texas Tag Team Champions but lost to Rito Romero and Miguel Guzmán . In 1953 Lovelock had travelled to Hawaii and worked for NWA Hawaii, winning the promotions main title, the NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship from Ben Sharpe on February 14, 1954. Three months later Lovelock vacated
480-526: The promotion began recognizing the NWA World Heavyweight Championship once more. In August 1971, the promotion set a national gate record for an event headed by a bout between Blassie and John Tolos that drew $ 142,158 (equivalent to $ 1,069,514 in 2023). In 1981, the promotion obtained a legacy of sorts by being the first recipient of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter award for Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic . This tactic involved
510-600: The promotion's Southwest Tag Team Championship three times, each with a different partner: Dizzy Davis, Art Nelson and Tokyo Joe. In 1958 Tokyo Joe left the promotion forcing Bolo to team up with Kurt Von Poppenheim to lose the tag team titles to Ricky Romero and Dory Funk. From Texas Bolo moved on to the Gulf region of the South Eastern United States working for the local promotions NWA Gulf Coast and NWA Mid-America. On April 20, 1960, Bolo and partner Joe McCarthy won
540-498: The push of Tony Hernandez, who had previously wrestled in the Arizona territory as "Frankenstein", a crazed man who believed himself to be Frankenstein's monster and even wore a rubber mask depicting the creature. LeBell chose instead to push him as "The Monster", who was billed as legitimately being made in a laboratory, and use him as a top heel. After being defeated by André the Giant (who
570-674: The title and left the promotion. While working in Hawaii Lovelock had also begun working for the Los Angeles NWA territory as "The Great Bolo", a masked villain . Together with Tom Rice they held the International Television Tag Team Championship, which they won from Wilbur Snyder and Sandor Szabo. Bolo and Rice would hold the International Tag Team title one more time in 1955. After working in
600-799: The title's formation in 1954 (as the NWA International Television Tag Team Championship, renamed as a North American Wrestling Alliance title with that promotion's formation in 1958 and then as a WWA title in 1961 when the promotion was renamed) until 1964, when it was replaced with the WWA World Tag Team Championship . Title history [ edit ] Wrestler: Times: Date: Location: Notes: WWA International Television Tag Team Championship Wilbur Snyder and Sandor Szabo 1 January 25, 1954 Hollywood, California Defeated Lord James Blears and John Tolos for
630-1253: The title. Lord James Blears and Lord Leslie Carlton 2 March 1957 Gene Stanlee and Sandor Szabo 1 March 9, 1957 San Bernardino, California Still champions as of April 6, 1957. Ilio DiPaolo and Tex Mckenzie 1 1957 Sky Hi Lee and Shag Thomas face Bobo Brazil and Sandor Szabo for the title on April 24, 1957 in Los Angeles, California (champions unknown). Hans Hermann and Mr. Moto 1 July 6, 1957 San Bernardino, California Seymour Koenig and Sammy Berg 1 September 1957 Hans Hermann and Hans Schmidt 1 November 2, 1957 Still champions as of December 7, 1957. Wild Red Berry and Bob Orton 1 February 15, 1958 Pepper Gomez and Charro Azteca 1 February 22, 1958 San Bernardino, California Wild Red Berry and Bob Orton 2 March 1, 1958 San Bernardino, California Lord James Blears and Henry Lenz 1 March 1958 Sometime before March 29, 1958. Seymour Koenig and Herb Freeman 1 June 11, 1958 Los Angeles, California Defeated Billy Varga and Hardy Kruskamp for
SECTION 20
#1732905579346660-966: The title. Gene Kiniski and John Tolos 1 October 13, 1954 Los Angeles, California Lord James Blears and Joe Pazandak 1 November 22, 1954 Hollywood, California Bobo Brazil and Sandor Szabo 1 November 29, 1954 Hollywood, California Great Bolo and Tom Rice 2 January 19, 1955 Los Angeles, California Bill Melby and Johnny Barend 1 February 7, 1955 Hollywood, California Tom Rice and Juan Humberto 1 March 7, 1955 Hollywood, California Still champions as of April 9, 1955. Tosh Togo and Great Togo 1 June 2, 1955 Still champions as of October 20, 1955. Lee Henning and Tom Rice 1 March 3, 1956 Hollywood, California Don Leo Jonathan and Lord Leslie Carlton 1 May 7, 1956 Hollywood, California Defeated Lee Henning and Tom Rice for
690-889: The title. Lord James Blears and Lord Athol Layton 1 March 8, 1954 Hollywood, California Wilbur Snyder and Sandor Szabo 2 c. April 1954 (NLT) Sometime after March 10, 1954. The Great Bolo and Tom Rice 1 April 5, 1954 Hollywood, California Or April 19, 1954; Snyder and Szabo may continue to be billed as champion in Bakersfield, California. Wilbur Snyder and Bobo Brazil 1 June 3, 1954 (NLT) Hollywood, California Sometime after May 27, 1954. Lord James Blears and Lord Athol Layton 2 c. August 1954 Hollywood, California Sometime before August 14, 1954. Vacant Sometime before September 6, 1954. Wilbur Snyder and Bobo Brazil 2 September 6, 1954 Hollywood, California Defeated Blears and Gene Kiniski for
720-627: The title. Lee Henning and Tom Rice 2 May 14, 1956 Hollywood, California Rito Romero and Chief War Cloud 1 June 4, 1956 Hollywood, California Lord James Blears and Sandor Kovacs 1 July 21, 1956 Still champions as of August 4, 1956. Rito Romero and Ray Stern 1 September 15, 1956 Lord James Blears and Lord Leslie Carlton 1 November 24, 1956 Bobo Brazil and Primo Carnera 1 November 28, 1956 Hollywood, California Defeated Lord James Blears and Lord Athol Layton for
750-534: The title. Rito Romero and Suni War Cloud 1 June 1958 Sometime between June 12 and June 23, 1958. Seymour Koenig and Herb Freeman 2 June 1958 Sometime between June 24 and June 27, 1958; still champions as of August 16, 1958. Wild Red Berry and Tosh Togo 1 September 1958 Sandor Szabo and Billy Darnell 1 September 1958 Frank Jares and Matt Murphy 1 November 22, 1958 May have been held-up after
780-2245: The title. The Fabulous Kangaroos Al Costello and Roy Heffernan) 2 June 15, 1960 Los Angeles, California Dick Hutton and Sam Steamboat 1 July 16, 1960 Los Angeles, California` Stan Holek and The Preacher 1 August 20, 1960 San Bernardino, California Sandor Szabo and Edouard Carpentier 2 October 19, 1960 Los Angeles, California Stan Holek and The Preacher 2 December 3, 1960 San Bernardino, California Nick Bockwinkel and Lord James Blears 1 December 23, 1960 Long Beach, California Stan Holek and The Preacher 3 December 31, 1960 Nick Bockwinkel and Edouard Carpentier 1 January 4, 1961 Los Angeles, California Mike Sharpe and Zebra Kid 1 May 12, 1961 Long Beach, California The Torres Brothers (Alberto and Ramón Torres) 1 June 29, 1961 Bakersfield, California Freddie Blassie and Mr. Moto 1 November 9, 1961 Bakersfield, California Lou Thesz and Sailor Art Thomas 1 November 22, 1961 Los Angeles, California Hans Hermann and Jess Ortega 1 December 1961 Freddie Blassie and Mr. Moto 2 January 17, 1962 Los Angeles, California Vacant February 1962 When Blassie and Moto split up. Billy Varga and Mario LaPentero 1 March 15, 1962 Long Beach, California Defeated Nick Bockwinkel and King Koenig in tournament final. Dick Garza and Eric Rommel 1 July 4, 1962 Los Angeles, California Sir Alan Garfield and Karl Von Schober 1 September 26, 1962 Los Angeles, California Haystack Calhoun and Abe Jacobs 1 October 31, 1962 Los Angeles, California The Destroyer and Don Manoukian 1 December 19, 1962 Los Angeles, California Have defeated Haystack Calhoun and Abe Jacobs on November 29, 1962 in Los Angeles, California to win International Television Title; renamed
810-565: Was a Canadian professional wrestler known by the ring names Al Lovelock and The Great Bolo . Lovelock was born in Windsor, Ontario and was active in the 1950s and 1960s and was primarily known for his work in the Carolinas , Georgia , and Florida . Lovelock was the first to use the name "the Great Bolo" but would later allow Tom Renesto to use the name as well. He is the younger brother of politician Bernard Newman . Al Lovelock began wrestling in
840-553: Was challenged by some members of the National Wrestling Alliance who continued to recognize Carpentier as World Heavyweight Champion. In 1958, the Eatons created the North American Wrestling Alliance as a new vehicle for promoting professional wrestling in Los Angeles. Eaton at the time was still a member of the National Wrestling Alliance, the national league that dominated professional wrestling in
870-722: Was reportedly unimpressed by the act and decided to stiff Hernandez), the Monster was unmasked - despite the mask being intended to be his real face - and turned into a child-friendly babyface. This entire arc was seen as insulting by hardcore fans. NWA Hollywood Wrestling continued to operate until December 1982. Mike LeBell sold his interest in the territory to the World Wrestling Federation , which in March 1983, began promoting shows in its former territory. The Great Bolo Alexander Charles Newman (born August 16, 1916)
900-410: Was subsequently stripped of the championship which was then awarded to Edouard Carpentier. Eaton died on January 10, 1966, with Aileen's son from a prior marriage Mike LeBell taking over on behalf of his mother, who by then was a major figure in boxing. On August 18, 1968, LeBell rejoined the NWA, renaming the promotion NWA Hollywood Wrestling. The WWA World Heavyweight Championship was abandoned and
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