From Missouri to the Mat: Iconic Pro Wrestlers

The Show-Me state has produced some pretty bright pro wrestling lights and championship belt holders over the years.

Whether it was “Wrestling at the Chase” in St. Louis, or “Central States Wrestling” in Kansas City, or even the myriad house shows that peppered the state back in the day, Missouri seems to have always been a breeding ground for high level pro wrestlers.

From the territory days to the big stage of WCW, WWF/WWE and AEW Missouri has been there.

Harley Race -  From tiny Quitman, Mo. between Maryville and Tarkio in northwest Missouri, Race did everything in the industry. The nine time heavyweight champ is one of just six guys to be in the Hall of Fame for the WWE, NWA, WCW, Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, and Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. The King stayed in the ring from the 1960’s into the mid 90’s, and late in life he started his own independent wrestling promotion, then started his own wrestling academy to train the future of the ring.  He passed in 2019 in St. Charles.

Cowboy Bob Orton – A 2^nd generation wrestler Orton grew up around the game. Following his dad into the ring in 1972, Orton was a stalwart of the late territories age and made a space for himself in the WWF/WWE in the 80’s and was part of the first several Wrestlemania events. He’s bounced around in the 1990’s with different promotions in the states and overseas, retiring from full time activities in ’99. He’d still pop up on the independent circuit and occasionally under the big lights of the WWE up until 2017.

Freddie Blassie – Born in St. Louis in 1918 the WWE Hall of Famer is a high profile heel from previous eras. Freddie was the one who coined the term “Pencil Necked Geek” when he was wrestling at carnivals..(!!!) After WW2 Blassie got into the ring permanently and ended up in New York. Then wrestled in Los Angeles and Georgia in the 1950’s embracing the heel persona. He’d take his talents to Japan in the 1960’s, coming back to the states and the WWF/WWE to switch to being a “manager” for younger wrestlers until the mid 80’s.

The Missouri Mauler  - Born Larry Hamilton in 1931 in St. Joseph, Mo. The Mauler was one of the handful of wrestlers to get TV time in the 1950’s and held heavyweight and tag team belts in several promotions into the 1970’s. The Mauler retired to St. Joeph in 1981 and passed in 1996.

Randy Orton – Let’s keep it St. Louis and state that Orton graduated from Hazelwood Central High in 1998. He signed with the WWE in 2000 and went to work. Orton has won the WWE Championship 10 times and the WWE Heavyweight Championship 4 times. He is still active in the ring, lives in St. Charles and could administer an RKO on you outta nowhere at any time…!!!

Matt Sydal – Also from St. Louis Matt was the first person under 18 to get a wrestlers license in Missouri in 2000. From the independent circuit he landed on TNA by 2003, Ring of Honor in 2004, Japan in 2006 and into the WWE universe in 2007-8 with ECW. He wrestled in the WWE until 2014following an injury, and has performed in several promotions since then. Sydal is currently in AEW/Ring of Honor.

There is a rich tradition of Missouri talent in pro wrestling. This is just a partial list of a few of the most decorated.