Hans Mortier
Encyclopedia
Jacob "Jaap" Grobbe better known as Hans Mortier, was a Dutch
professional wrestler best known for his stint in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) and his feud
with WWWF Champion
Bruno Sammartino
in the 1960s.
In the 1960s, Grobbe signed a contact with the World Wide Wrestling Federation where was managed by Wild Red Berry. He feuded with Bruno Sammartino
for Samamrtino's WWWF Championship
. The feud would go through areas like Boston Gardens, Madison Square Garden, and Philadelphia Spectrum. In 1964 he also teamed up with his storyline brother Max, played first by Gil Voiney and later by Jack Berry. Their feud included a Texas Death match in Philadelphia.
, Grobbe went overseas to the United States to be stationed at a United States Military base. There he learned several languages, including English, French, German, Dutch, and Afrikaans. He also became a police officer for six months in Tacoma, Washington.
Moriter died on December 15, 2010, in the Netherlands due to natural causes.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
professional wrestler best known for his stint in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) and his feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with WWWF Champion
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino is an Italian-American former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation , holding the title across two reigns for over 11 years in total, as well as the longest single WWE Championship reign...
in the 1960s.
Professional wrestling career
Before becoming a professional wrestler, Grobbe worked as a professional body builder. His first wrestling match was in Tacoma in 1946 against Abe Yourist. He later wrestled out of Columbus, Ohio, in the late 40s and early 50s using under the ring name Al Haft. Grobbe went around the world fighting in New Zealand, Australia as the Great Zorro, South Africa, and France. He at one time held the European Championship. By the early 1960s, Grobbe returned to the United States.In the 1960s, Grobbe signed a contact with the World Wide Wrestling Federation where was managed by Wild Red Berry. He feuded with Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino is an Italian-American former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation , holding the title across two reigns for over 11 years in total, as well as the longest single WWE Championship reign...
for Samamrtino's WWWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
. The feud would go through areas like Boston Gardens, Madison Square Garden, and Philadelphia Spectrum. In 1964 he also teamed up with his storyline brother Max, played first by Gil Voiney and later by Jack Berry. Their feud included a Texas Death match in Philadelphia.
Personal life
After World War IIWorld 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...
, Grobbe went overseas to the United States to be stationed at a United States Military base. There he learned several languages, including English, French, German, Dutch, and Afrikaans. He also became a police officer for six months in Tacoma, Washington.
Moriter died on December 15, 2010, in the Netherlands due to natural causes.