Steve Stanlee
Encyclopedia
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
.
and entered the professional wrestling circuit after the war. From 1947 to 1948, Stanlee wrestled under the ring name
Paul Stanlee for Georgia Championship Wrestling
. He competed against such wrestlers as Tom Mahoney and Bobby Roberts, winning the majority of these matches. Like his brother Gene, Steve took the nickname "Mr. America" for his chiseled physique, bleached his hair blond, and wore dazzling sequin
ed jackets to the ring. Gene and Steve did train together and had a couple of runs as a tag team
, but the two generally stayed on separate career paths. Notably, Steve wrestled Lou Thesz
for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
on October 27, 1950, two full years before his brother faced Thesz.
After his stint in Georgia
, Stanlee competed in Toronto
, Ontario
. He worked as a jobber
, putting over other wrestlers, such as Al Korman and Pat Flanagan. In the early 1950s, Stanlee wrestled in the Northeastern United States
. Wrestling in New York
and New Jersey
, he received occasional pushes
, challenging for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
on several occasions.
Stanlee then traveled to California
, where he wrestled in the mid-1950s. He later returned to wrestle for Capitol Wrestling in the New York area in the late 1950s.
Steve didn't catch on with the public in the same way as Gene did, and as a result never attained the same level of fame. He did have a longer career in the ring, however, and may in fact be the better known brother among fans of 1960s wrestling. While Gene was out of wrestling by the early '60s, Steve remained active. He wrestled both as a singles competitor and as part of a tag team, "The Stanlee Steamers", with a kayfabe
third "brother", Bob Stanlee (played by Bob Merrill). Unfortunately, Steve won few high-profile matches either way and is generally regarded to have been a "jobber to the stars"
for much of his career. He did, however, win the National Wrestling Alliance
's Ohio Heavyweight Championship on July 1, 1961 by defeating Frankie Talaber. He dropped the belt back to Talaber in a rematch later that year. Stanlee also helped train Buddy Bison, who wrestled for Georgia Championship Wrestling for several years.
From 1964 to 1966, Stanlee wrestled for the World Wide Wrestling Federation
(WWWF). He lost the majority of his matches, but he did get victories over Arnold Skaaland
and "Baron" Mikel Scicluna
in 1965. After leaving the WWWF, Stanlee wrestled in Hawaii
, competing in both singles matches and in a tag team
with Jim Hady. He then returned to Georgia Championship Wrestling, putting over the other talent in that promotion as well.
Late in life, Steve Stanlee appeared in an interview in the Icons Of Wrestling documentary series. He died in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
on July 2, 2010.
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
of Steve Stanlee, was an American
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...
from the late 1940s through the 1960s. He was the younger brother of professional wrestler Gene Stanlee
Gene Stanlee
Eugene Stanley Zygowicz 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".-Early life:...
.
Career
Steve served with Gene in the U.S. Navy during 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...
and entered the professional wrestling circuit after the war. From 1947 to 1948, Stanlee wrestled under the ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Paul Stanlee for Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...
. He competed against such wrestlers as Tom Mahoney and Bobby Roberts, winning the majority of these matches. Like his brother Gene, Steve took the nickname "Mr. America" for his chiseled physique, bleached his hair blond, and wore dazzling sequin
Sequin
Sequins are disk-shaped beads used for decorative purposes. They are available in a wide variety of colors and geometrical shapes. Sequins are commonly used on clothing, jewelry, bags, shoes and lots of other accessories. Large sequins, fastened only at the top, have been used on billboards and...
ed jackets to the ring. Gene and Steve did train together and had a couple of runs as 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...
, but the two generally stayed on separate career paths. Notably, Steve wrestled 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...
for 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...
on October 27, 1950, two full years before his brother faced Thesz.
After his stint in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Stanlee competed in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. He worked as a jobber
Job (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling slang, the term job describes a losing performance in a wrestling match. It is derived from the euphemism "doing one's job", which was employed to protect kayfabe. As professional wrestling is scripted, inevitably a wrestler will be required to lose to an opponent.The term...
, putting over other wrestlers, such as Al Korman and Pat Flanagan. In the early 1950s, Stanlee wrestled in the Northeastern United States
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
. Wrestling in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, he received occasional pushes
Push (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a push is an attempt by the booker to make the wrestler win more matches and become more popular or more reviled with the fans depending on whether they are a heel or a face...
, challenging for 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...
on several occasions.
Stanlee then traveled to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he wrestled in the mid-1950s. He later returned to wrestle for Capitol Wrestling in the New York area in the late 1950s.
Steve didn't catch on with the public in the same way as Gene did, and as a result never attained the same level of fame. He did have a longer career in the ring, however, and may in fact be the better known brother among fans of 1960s wrestling. While Gene was out of wrestling by the early '60s, Steve remained active. He wrestled both as a singles competitor and as part of a tag team, "The Stanlee Steamers", with 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 (played by Bob Merrill). Unfortunately, Steve won few high-profile matches either way and is generally regarded to have been a "jobber to the stars"
Job (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling slang, the term job describes a losing performance in a wrestling match. It is derived from the euphemism "doing one's job", which was employed to protect kayfabe. As professional wrestling is scripted, inevitably a wrestler will be required to lose to an opponent.The term...
for much of his career. He did, however, win the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
's Ohio Heavyweight Championship on July 1, 1961 by defeating Frankie Talaber. He dropped the belt back to Talaber in a rematch later that year. Stanlee also helped train Buddy Bison, who wrestled for Georgia Championship Wrestling for several years.
From 1964 to 1966, Stanlee wrestled for the World Wide Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWWF). He lost the majority of his matches, but he did get victories over Arnold Skaaland
Arnold Skaaland
Arnold Skaaland was an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager.-Career:Skaaland served in the U.S. Marines during World War II. After a short-lived attempt to make a living through boxing, he became a professional wrestler and debuted in 1946 as "Arnold Skaaland"...
and "Baron" Mikel Scicluna
Mikel Scicluna
"Baron" Mikel Scicluna was a Maltese-born professional wrestler who gained his fame during the 1960s and 1970s.-Professional wrestling career:...
in 1965. After leaving the WWWF, Stanlee wrestled in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, competing in both singles matches and in 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 Jim Hady. He then returned to Georgia Championship Wrestling, putting over the other talent in that promotion as well.
Late in life, Steve Stanlee appeared in an interview in the Icons Of Wrestling documentary series. He died in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Lake Geneva is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,148 at the 2000 census. A resort city located on Geneva Lake, it is southwest of Milwaukee and popular with tourists from metropolitan Chicago and Milwaukee.-History:...
on July 2, 2010.
Championships and accomplishments
- National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA Ohio Heavyweight Championship (1 time)