Danno O'Mahony
Encyclopedia
Danno O'Mahony was an Irish
professional wrestler. His surname was usually spelled "O'Mahoney" during his wrestling career. His signature move was the Irish Whip, which acquired its name due to its association with O'Mahony.
Born in Ballydehob
, County Cork
, Ireland
, O'Mahony would find success as a wrestler becoming the National Wrestling Association
's World Heavyweight Champion
at one point. O'Mahony died in a road accident November 2, 1950 at the age of 38.
and the 56-lb. weight throw which were not broken until the 1990s. He also boxed and wrestled, with his repertoire relying heavily on standup grappling and throws.
O'Mahony was brought to America in 1934 by Boston promoter Paul Bowser
. Bowser was hoping to create a new Irish star for the ethnic marketplace in New York and New England, in the tradition of 19th-century champion William Muldoon
. While searching for the appropriate candidate, Bowser was less interested in their wrestling skills as their looks and physique. An offer to two-time Olympic champion Patrick O'Callaghan was rejected, but the Irishman recommended O'Mahony. Using his Boston connections, Bowser obtained O'Mahony's release from army service. A crash course in wrestling training followed.
O'Mahony's first pro match was in December 1934, against the famed Ed "Strangler" Lewis, but after losing the first fall of a 2-of-3 match in just five minutes, O'Mahony did not return to the ring. Nevertheless, Bowser was satisfied and brought O'Mahony to America. He signed O'Mahony to a $100,000 contract, and promoted him as the strongest man in the world, and the Irish champion who was looking for international competition. His first American match, against the villainous Ernie Dusek, degenerated into a two-on-one brawl against Ernie and his brother Rudy. When O'Mahony knocked both men down, along with the referee, the crowd cheered.
Bowser had O'Mahony win 49 consecutive matches, all the while building to a title shot against Jim Londos
. O'Mahony's most painful win was an April 1935 match against Dick Shikat. Shikat, who had been having professional conflicts with the promoters, ignored the script and roughed up the rookie, breaking two ribs. Because of Shikat's tactics, O'Mahony's planned win became a win by disqualification.
, Lou Thesz
, Bronko Nagurski
, Daniel Boone Savage and Everett Marshall
were all waiting to get the call.
After facing a string of top names, such as Man Mountain Dean
, Gus Sonnenberg
and Henri DeGlane
, the long-expected O'Mahony-Londos match was announced. Londos was not eager to lose, but a reported $20,000 bonus on top of his contractual payoff was too big a sum to refuse. On June 27, 1935, at Boston's Fenway Park
, Danno beat Londos to win the New York State Athletic Commission World Championship, which was also recognized by the National Wrestling Association. Londos, who hadn't lost an official match in six years, was quoted as saying, "I knew after the first five minutes I would have to be lucky to win. The kid is green, but with his strength, I believe he can beat any man in the world. And when I took the bout, the New York people told me I had nothing to fear! I wish I knew as much before I signed... and this bout would have never taken place."
He went on to win the American Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Ed Don George
at Boston's Braves Field
on July 30, 1935. The win unified the three major titles at that time, but the result was controversial. O'Mahony had been knocked out of the ring, but the inexperienced referee (boxer James Braddock
) failed to make the count. A rematch in September became O'Mahony's 70th straight win since arriving in America.
Rival promoter Billy Sandow
publicly mocked O'Mahony's lack of wrestling ability and offered $5,000 if he would face Sandow's choice, Everett Marshall. To quiet Sandow, Bowser responded by offering a match with two of his other wrestlers: Ed "Strangler" Lewis or Jim Browning, both of whom had feared reputations as "shooters."
On November 13, O'Mahony wrestled to a draw with Ernie Dusek, his first non-win. He was also having visa problems, and there was speculation about how long he might remain in the country before having to drop the title. Bowser arranged for an angle in which Canadian wrestler Yvon Robert
taunted O'Mahony during a match, then rushed the ring after the match to pin and knock out the champion. The staged incident made an instant star of Robert.
Touring the country in early 1936, the underskilled O'Mahony started encountering "doublecrosses" from other promoters. Informed that an opponent planned to "hook" and injure O'Mahony in their match, the champion and his manager simply left the arena. He was stripped of his title in the Texas jurisdiction, and the National Wrestling Association soon did the same.
On March 2, 1936, O'Mahony lost his National Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Championship
to Dick Shikat at New York's Madison Square Garden
. Shikat used his wrestling ability to genuinely hurt and punish O'Mahony, who tried to quit twice before the finish of the match. Shikat reportedly made the decision on his own, and following the win, immediately put his title up for "sale" to the various promoters. He eventually reached a deal with Sandow. Bowser, who held a management contract on Shikat, retaliated by booking him into various states without informing him. When Shikat failed to appear, he was frequently suspended by the local commissions. In the aftermath of this, the behind-the-scenes negotiations were exposed in a court case, no fewer than five wrestlers were being billed as champions, and the pseudo-sport's popularity fell.
O'Mahony continued to be recognized as champion by the AWA in Boston, though his own popularity was on the wane and he was planning a return to Ireland. Before one of his matches, the Boston Globe printed a headline reading "Expect Danno to Lose His Crown at Garden Tonight." That prediction proved premature, but only by three weeks. Before the largest Montreal wrestling crowd in a quarter-century (10,000+), O'Mahony lost the belt to Yvon Robert
on July 16, 1935. Two days later, O'Mahony set sail for home. He told reporters that he'd been cheated of the title, which allowed him to bill himself as the AWA champion upon his return.
O'Mahony was met by thousands of supporters who greeted him at the dock and lined the streets. In August, he matched his own army record for the 56-pound weight throw. Over the next two months, he won several "title defenses" in Ireland, England and Scotland. By October, he was back in the United States, but under the reduced status of "title claimant." A series of rematches with the new AWA champion were postponed when Robert broke his leg. By 1937, O'Mahony was starting to suffer draws or losses, including losing regional title matches against Everett Scott and Lou Thesz. His won-lost record worsened in 1938, and he went back to Ireland to promote pro wrestling there. The effort was short-lived, and O'Mahony again returned to America to fulfill his contract with Bowser. By this point, he was mostly used as a "name" opponent who lost to the top wrestlers.
O'Mahony moved to Los Angeles, where he ran a restaurant and wrestled locally. He joined the Army during World War Two. After the war, he wrestled in various parts of the U.S. from 1945-1948. He returned permanently to Ireland in September 1950, but died from injuries suffered in an auto accident just five weeks later. In 2002, the wrestling promotion Irish Whip Wrestling
was named in his honor.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
professional wrestler. His surname was usually spelled "O'Mahoney" during his wrestling career. His signature move was the Irish Whip, which acquired its name due to its association with O'Mahony.
Born in Ballydehob
Ballydehob
Ballydehob is a coastal village in the southwest of County Cork, Ireland, located on the N71 national secondary road.-History:Ballydehob is a microcosm of Irish local history, and legends and folklore abound in the locality. At the dawn of the Bronze Age , copper was mined on Mount Gabriel, just...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, O'Mahony would find success as a wrestler becoming the National Wrestling Association
National Wrestling Association
The National Wrestling Association was an off-shoot of the National Boxing Association, formed to sanction professional wrestling. This NWA is not the same organization as the National Wrestling Alliance, which was formed in 1948....
's World Heavyweight Champion
World Heavyweight Championship (National Wrestling Association)
The World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship of the National Wrestling Association , an offshoot of the National Boxing Association...
at one point. O'Mahony died in a road accident November 2, 1950 at the age of 38.
Entrance to wrestling
In 1933, while serving in the Irish military, O'Mahony distinguished himself as an athlete, setting military records for the hammer throwHammer throw
The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...
and the 56-lb. weight throw which were not broken until the 1990s. He also boxed and wrestled, with his repertoire relying heavily on standup grappling and throws.
O'Mahony was brought to America in 1934 by Boston promoter Paul Bowser
Paul Bowser
Paul Forbes Bowser was a professional wrestling promoter who was active from the 1920s to the 1950s in the Boston area.-Wrestler:...
. Bowser was hoping to create a new Irish star for the ethnic marketplace in New York and New England, in the tradition of 19th-century champion William Muldoon
William Muldoon
William A. Muldoon was the Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion, physical culturist and the first chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission. He once wrestled a match that lasted over seven hours...
. While searching for the appropriate candidate, Bowser was less interested in their wrestling skills as their looks and physique. An offer to two-time Olympic champion Patrick O'Callaghan was rejected, but the Irishman recommended O'Mahony. Using his Boston connections, Bowser obtained O'Mahony's release from army service. A crash course in wrestling training followed.
O'Mahony's first pro match was in December 1934, against the famed Ed "Strangler" Lewis, but after losing the first fall of a 2-of-3 match in just five minutes, O'Mahony did not return to the ring. Nevertheless, Bowser was satisfied and brought O'Mahony to America. He signed O'Mahony to a $100,000 contract, and promoted him as the strongest man in the world, and the Irish champion who was looking for international competition. His first American match, against the villainous Ernie Dusek, degenerated into a two-on-one brawl against Ernie and his brother Rudy. When O'Mahony knocked both men down, along with the referee, the crowd cheered.
Bowser had O'Mahony win 49 consecutive matches, all the while building to a title shot against Jim Londos
Jim Londos
Christos Theofilou or Christopher Theophelus better known as "The Golden Greek" Jim Londos, was a professional wrestler who was one of the most popular stars wrestling offered during the Great Depression.-Career:Jim Londos was born Christos Theofilou in 1897 in Argos, Greece. as the youngest of...
. O'Mahony's most painful win was an April 1935 match against Dick Shikat. Shikat, who had been having professional conflicts with the promoters, ignored the script and roughed up the rookie, breaking two ribs. Because of Shikat's tactics, O'Mahony's planned win became a win by disqualification.
Promotion consolidation
After several years of professional conflict, Bowser and the other major rival promoters were working together by late 1933, with most of the territories agreeing to support Londos as their main world champion. As wrestling's leading attraction, Londos had an enviable deal with the promotional cadre that included a $50,000 payoff were he to lose the championship. Despite their working arrangement, each promoter was grooming his own preferred heir to Londos' throne. Besides O'Mahony, various wrestlers including Chief Little Wolf, Orville BrownOrville Brown
Orville Brown was a professional wrestler. Born in Sharon, Kansas, Brown was a former NWA Champion, and was recognized as the first NWA champion in 1948. Brown's pro-wrestling career ended on November 1, 1949, when he suffered severe injuries in an automobile accident.-Biography: Orville Brown was...
, Lou Thesz
Lou Thesz
Aloysius Martin "Lou" Thesz was a United States professional wrestler and 18-time world heavyweight champion, most notably holding the NWA World Heavyweight Championship three times. Combined, he held the NWA Championship for 10 years, three months and nine days , longer than anyone else in history...
, Bronko Nagurski
Bronko Nagurski
Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski was a Canadian-born American football player. He was also a successful professional wrestler, recognized as a multiple-time world heavyweight champion.-Youth and collegiate career:...
, Daniel Boone Savage and Everett Marshall
Everett Marshall
Everett Marshall was an American professional wrestler who was best known for his work in the late 1930s with what is now National Wrestling Alliance.- Biography :...
were all waiting to get the call.
After facing a string of top names, such as Man Mountain Dean
Man Mountain Dean
Man Mountain Dean , born Frank Simmons Leavitt, was a professional wrestler of the early 1900s.He was born in New York City, the son of John McKenney and Henrietta N. Leavitt. From childhood, Frank Leavitt was remarkably large in stature...
, Gus Sonnenberg
Gus Sonnenberg
Gustave Adolph Sonnenberg was an American football player and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he was National Wrestling Association world heavyweight champion...
and Henri DeGlane
Henri Deglane
Henri Deglane was a French wrestler. He was an Olympic Champion in Greco-Roman wrestling and a world champion professional wrestler.-Olympics:...
, the long-expected O'Mahony-Londos match was announced. Londos was not eager to lose, but a reported $20,000 bonus on top of his contractual payoff was too big a sum to refuse. On June 27, 1935, at Boston's Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
, Danno beat Londos to win the New York State Athletic Commission World Championship, which was also recognized by the National Wrestling Association. Londos, who hadn't lost an official match in six years, was quoted as saying, "I knew after the first five minutes I would have to be lucky to win. The kid is green, but with his strength, I believe he can beat any man in the world. And when I took the bout, the New York people told me I had nothing to fear! I wish I knew as much before I signed... and this bout would have never taken place."
He went on to win the American Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Ed Don George
Ed Don George
Edward Nicholas "Ed Don" George was an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter.-Career:George was born in North Java, New York. He wrestled for both St. Bonaventure University and for the University of Michigan...
at Boston's Braves Field
Braves Field
Braves Field was a baseball park that formerly stood on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. The stadium was home to the Boston Braves National League franchise from 1915–1952, when the team moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
on July 30, 1935. The win unified the three major titles at that time, but the result was controversial. O'Mahony had been knocked out of the ring, but the inexperienced referee (boxer James Braddock
James J. Braddock
James Walter "The Cinderella Man" Braddock was an American boxer who was the world heavyweight champion from 1935 to 1937....
) failed to make the count. A rematch in September became O'Mahony's 70th straight win since arriving in America.
Title reign and drop in popularity
On October 7, 1935, O'Mahony married Esther Burke, who he'd met in Boston. On October 11, O'Mahony defeated the only man who held a win over him: Ed "Strangler" Lewis. Word of their London bout had appeared in the Boston newspapers by this time. However, O'Mahony's title reign was turning into less than the roaring success promoter Bowser had hoped for, with the young champion being booed and attendance for many of his matches slumping. Promoters were also beginning to become disenchanted with the "unified title" arrangement, since that meant only one promoter at a time could book the champion.Rival promoter Billy Sandow
Billy Sandow
Wilhelm Baumann, better known as Billy Sandow , was the manager of professional wrestler Ed "Strangler" Lewis and a subsequent member of the famed Gold Dust Trio promotion that changed the face of the industry during the 1920s...
publicly mocked O'Mahony's lack of wrestling ability and offered $5,000 if he would face Sandow's choice, Everett Marshall. To quiet Sandow, Bowser responded by offering a match with two of his other wrestlers: Ed "Strangler" Lewis or Jim Browning, both of whom had feared reputations as "shooters."
On November 13, O'Mahony wrestled to a draw with Ernie Dusek, his first non-win. He was also having visa problems, and there was speculation about how long he might remain in the country before having to drop the title. Bowser arranged for an angle in which Canadian wrestler Yvon Robert
Yvon Robert
Yvon Robert was a French Canadian professional wrestler who was best known to fans as Yvon "The Lion" Robert.- American Wrestling Association :...
taunted O'Mahony during a match, then rushed the ring after the match to pin and knock out the champion. The staged incident made an instant star of Robert.
Touring the country in early 1936, the underskilled O'Mahony started encountering "doublecrosses" from other promoters. Informed that an opponent planned to "hook" and injure O'Mahony in their match, the champion and his manager simply left the arena. He was stripped of his title in the Texas jurisdiction, and the National Wrestling Association soon did the same.
On March 2, 1936, O'Mahony lost his National Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (National Wrestling Association)
The World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship of the National Wrestling Association , an offshoot of the National Boxing Association...
to Dick Shikat at New York's Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. Shikat used his wrestling ability to genuinely hurt and punish O'Mahony, who tried to quit twice before the finish of the match. Shikat reportedly made the decision on his own, and following the win, immediately put his title up for "sale" to the various promoters. He eventually reached a deal with Sandow. Bowser, who held a management contract on Shikat, retaliated by booking him into various states without informing him. When Shikat failed to appear, he was frequently suspended by the local commissions. In the aftermath of this, the behind-the-scenes negotiations were exposed in a court case, no fewer than five wrestlers were being billed as champions, and the pseudo-sport's popularity fell.
O'Mahony continued to be recognized as champion by the AWA in Boston, though his own popularity was on the wane and he was planning a return to Ireland. Before one of his matches, the Boston Globe printed a headline reading "Expect Danno to Lose His Crown at Garden Tonight." That prediction proved premature, but only by three weeks. Before the largest Montreal wrestling crowd in a quarter-century (10,000+), O'Mahony lost the belt to Yvon Robert
Yvon Robert
Yvon Robert was a French Canadian professional wrestler who was best known to fans as Yvon "The Lion" Robert.- American Wrestling Association :...
on July 16, 1935. Two days later, O'Mahony set sail for home. He told reporters that he'd been cheated of the title, which allowed him to bill himself as the AWA champion upon his return.
Later career
O'Mahony moved to Los Angeles, where he ran a restaurant and wrestled locally. He joined the Army during World War Two. After the war, he wrestled in various parts of the U.S. from 1945-1948. He returned permanently to Ireland in September 1950, but died from injuries suffered in an auto accident just five weeks later. In 2002, the wrestling promotion Irish Whip Wrestling
Irish Whip Wrestling
Irish Whip Wrestling is an Irish owned independent professional wrestling promotion established in 2002. The company was named in tribute to Irish professional wrestler Danno O'Mahony, who is credited as the inventor of the "Irish Whip" wrestling maneuver. IWW runs shows throughout the whole of...
was named in his honor.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Irish whip
Championships and accomplishments
- National Wrestling AssociationNational Wrestling AssociationThe National Wrestling Association was an off-shoot of the National Boxing Association, formed to sanction professional wrestling. This NWA is not the same organization as the National Wrestling Alliance, which was formed in 1948....
- NWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipWorld Heavyweight Championship (National Wrestling Association)The World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship of the National Wrestling Association , an offshoot of the National Boxing Association...
(1 time)
- New York State Athletic CommissionNew York State Athletic CommissionThe New York State Athletic Commission or NYSAC, also known as the New York Athletic Commission, regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of New York, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, professional wrestlers, seconds, ring officials,...
- NYSAC World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- American Wrestling Association (Boston)
- AWA World Heavyweight Championship (Boston version) (1 time)
- Other Titles
- World Heavyweight Championship (original version) (1 time)