Gene Stanlee
Encyclopedia
Eugene Stanley Zygowicz (January 1, 1917 – September 23, 2005) was an American
professional wrestler
best known by his ring name Gene Stanlee. During his wrestling career, he was known by the nickname "Mr. America".
, Illinois
. His parents, Victoria and Paul Zygowicz, were Polish
immigrants. Zygowicz was the eighth child of fifteen—he had eight brothers and six sisters.
When he was five, Zygowicz fell down a set of stairs, and was partially paralyzed. He was given his last rites
; however, he regained his health after being partially inspired by seeing a strongman
at a church. He began wrestling and competing against other boys when he was eight, and collected iron from a railyard to fashion his own homemade gym to develop his physique. By his own count, he claimed to have 165 bodybuilding trophies and 50 gold medals from bodybuilding competitions.
During World War II
, Zygowicz, along with his brother Steve
, served on a U.S. Navy floating repair ship as a machinist. He reportedly wrestled 134 matches for the entertainment of other servicemen in the South Pacific area during the war. He was termed "pinup boy of the Navy", and once he received his discharge from the Navy, he was sought out by wrestling promoters, who wanted to capitalize on his publicity.
His career as Gene "Mr. America" Stanlee picked up in 1951. After defeating Pat O'Hara on September 24 of that year Gene became NWA Southern Heavyweight Champion
, and it was around this time he formed a tag team
with his real life brother Steve Stanlee
. Bob Merrill also worked as a kayfabe
third brother, Bob Stanlee.
On November 18, 1952, Lou Thesz
faced off, and defeated, Gene Stanlee in 15:14 to retain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
. Stanlee sold out Madison Square Garden
over 50 times in his career.
While wrestling for the Midwest Wrestling Association
, Stanlee won the Ohio
version of the MWA Heavyweight Championship on February 2, 1956. He held the belt for over two months before dropping it to Bobo Brazil
on April 19.
In an interview for the Icons of Wrestling program that aired on Canada
's Biography Channel, and later Britain's TWC, Stanlee explained his concept of showmanship. "When I walked into the ring, I would add a little showmanship to my style before I wrestled. I noticed that as I was achieving more and more showmanship, I started getting ideas. I seen that the sport was not bringing in women. So I starting glamorizing, thinking up beautiful costumes". Stanlee began wearing ring jackets, which was a rarity in that era, and also had monogrammed towels—"Wrestling's TV King"—which he wore once he took off the ring jacket. His elaborate entrance infuriated opponents, both faces
and heels
, but also meant he appeared on over 200 magazine covers during his career.
, Tom Hanks
, and Cheryl Tiggs. Gene described himself as the "world's foremost authority on age reversal through blood purification", something that worked well for him as he would go on to still be very active up until the day he died.
Gene had not made a public appearance in over 20 years when he was honored at the Cauliflower Alley Club
2002 reunion in Las Vegas
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
best known by his ring name Gene Stanlee. During his wrestling career, he was known by the nickname "Mr. America".
Early life
Zygowicz was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. His parents, Victoria and Paul Zygowicz, were Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
immigrants. Zygowicz was the eighth child of fifteen—he had eight brothers and six sisters.
When he was five, Zygowicz fell down a set of stairs, and was partially paralyzed. He was given his last rites
Last Rites
The Last Rites are the very last prayers and ministrations given to many Christians before death. The last rites go by various names and include different practices in different Christian traditions...
; however, he regained his health after being partially inspired by seeing a strongman
Strongman (strength athlete)
In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or circus performers of similar ilk who displayed feats of strength such as the bent press , supporting large amounts of...
at a church. He began wrestling and competing against other boys when he was eight, and collected iron from a railyard to fashion his own homemade gym to develop his physique. By his own count, he claimed to have 165 bodybuilding trophies and 50 gold medals from bodybuilding competitions.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Zygowicz, along with his brother Steve
Steve Stanlee
Steve Zygowicz better known by his ring name of Steve Stanlee, was an American professional wrestler from the late 1940s through the 1960s. He was the younger brother of professional wrestler Gene Stanlee.-Career:...
, served on a U.S. Navy floating repair ship as a machinist. He reportedly wrestled 134 matches for the entertainment of other servicemen in the South Pacific area during the war. He was termed "pinup boy of the Navy", and once he received his discharge from the Navy, he was sought out by wrestling promoters, who wanted to capitalize on his publicity.
Professional wrestling career
Zygowicz's first professional match was April 26, 1946 in Milwaukee against Leo Kirilenko under the ring name "Gene Stanlee". All his early matches took place in the Chicago–Milwaukee area.His career as Gene "Mr. America" Stanlee picked up in 1951. After defeating Pat O'Hara on September 24 of that year Gene became NWA Southern Heavyweight Champion
NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship was a regional professional wrestling title which may had several versions, including:*The Florida version, used in Championship Wrestling from Florida and NWA Florida...
, and it was around this time he formed a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
with his real life brother Steve Stanlee
Steve Stanlee
Steve Zygowicz better known by his ring name of Steve Stanlee, was an American professional wrestler from the late 1940s through the 1960s. He was the younger brother of professional wrestler Gene Stanlee.-Career:...
. Bob Merrill also worked as a kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
third brother, Bob Stanlee.
On November 18, 1952, 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...
faced off, and defeated, Gene Stanlee in 15:14 to retain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
. Stanlee sold out 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...
over 50 times in his career.
While wrestling for the Midwest Wrestling Association
Heart of America Sports Attractions
Heart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa...
, Stanlee won the Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
version of the MWA Heavyweight Championship on February 2, 1956. He held the belt for over two months before dropping it to Bobo Brazil
Bobo Brazil
Houston Harris was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Bobo Brazil. He is credited with breaking down barriers of racial segregation in professional wrestling...
on April 19.
In an interview for the Icons of Wrestling program that aired on Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's Biography Channel, and later Britain's TWC, Stanlee explained his concept of showmanship. "When I walked into the ring, I would add a little showmanship to my style before I wrestled. I noticed that as I was achieving more and more showmanship, I started getting ideas. I seen that the sport was not bringing in women. So I starting glamorizing, thinking up beautiful costumes". Stanlee began wearing ring jackets, which was a rarity in that era, and also had monogrammed towels—"Wrestling's TV King"—which he wore once he took off the ring jacket. His elaborate entrance infuriated opponents, both faces
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
and heels
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
, but also meant he appeared on over 200 magazine covers during his career.
Later life
After retiring from wrestling, Stanlee, who was a health nut and longtime vegetarian, began to sell a line of supplements and later became an advisor and physical trainer for many of Hollywood's great actors and actresses, such as Tom CruiseTom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
, Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
, and Cheryl Tiggs. Gene described himself as the "world's foremost authority on age reversal through blood purification", something that worked well for him as he would go on to still be very active up until the day he died.
Gene had not made a public appearance in over 20 years when he was honored at the Cauliflower Alley Club
Cauliflower Alley Club
The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America....
2002 reunion in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
.
Championships and accomplishments
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Southern Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Southern Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship was a regional professional wrestling title which may had several versions, including:*The Florida version, used in Championship Wrestling from Florida and NWA Florida...
- Midwest Wrestling Association
- MWA Heavyweight Championship (Ohio Version) (1 time)