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Legend has it that Frank Gotch paid off this dangerous wrestler to cripple George Hackenschmidt in the gym before the Gotch-Hackenschmidt Heavyweight Championship rematch in 1908. Who was he?

Ad Santel. Santel, deeply in debt, accepted {$5000,a} fortune in those days, from Gotch and injured Hack's knee in training. This made Hack easy prey for Gotch's toehold, which is now known as the STF.

Who went undefeated for over 25 years starting in 1935?

Jim Londos. After losing the World Title to Danno O'Mahoney in 1935, Londos never permitted any worse result than a draw for himself for the rest of his career.

Which of the following did not compete in the 1948 Olympics?

Verne Gagne. Verne made the American Greco team, but the coaches held the team out of the competition. Harold Sakata, who wrestled as Tosh Togo and played Oddjob in the movie 'Goldfinger', won the Silver Medal in the Light Heavyweight Division for the U.S. in Weightlifting. Maurice Vachon represented Canada in Freestyle, and Gotch (Karl Istaz) represented Belgium in both Freestyle and Greco, but neither medaled.

Which of the following are not blood cousins?

The Rock and Rikishi Fatu. The Rock's grandfather, Peter Maivia, was the adopted brother of Rikishi's father and Rikishi's uncles, Afa and Sika.

Where are Ivan Koloff, The Mongolian Stomper, Roddy Piper, and Don Leo Jonathan all really from?

Canada. How about that?!

How old was the late Freebird Terry Gordy when he had his first professional match?

13. Believe it or not, Terry first worked at 13, under a mask!

The first of these legitimate brothers was an undisputed World Heavyweight Champion wrestler who lived out the last years of his life in a mental hospital. The second was an honest and well-respected promoter. Who were they?

Joe and Tony Stetcher. Joe Stetcher is regarded by many real experts as the best legitimate professional wrestler of all time. He is the only World Heavyweight Champion listed, and the only one who spent time institutionalized. The Stetchers are the only legit brothers listed!

What did legendary shooter George Gordienko become equally accomplished as after his wrestling career?

Painter. Gordienko was as brilliant an abstract impressionist painter as he was a wrestler! You can see his work at www.aabc.com (add slash gordienko slash gordienk.htm , this window will not accept the slash character). He passed away earlier this year.

Who is the ex-pro wrestler who is a leading Hollywood stuntman and the author of a definitive text on Judo submissions, and is said to have choked out Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, and Steven Seagal?

Gene LeBell. 'Judo' Gene is still going strong at 68!

Which of these future professional champions was never taken off his feet, and never lost a point in four years of college competition?

Danny Hodge. Hodge is generally regarded as one of the two best American collegiate wrestlers in history, along with Dan Gable, and also was a Golden Gloves boxing champion, and could pull a pair of pliers apart with his bare hands!

We know him as Stone Cold Steve Austin, but what is the last name on his birth certificate?

Anderson. Surprise, surprise. Yes, Steve had to change his name from Steve Williams when he turned pro to avoid confusion with the already-established Steve 'Dr. Death' Williams, but Williams was his adopted name. He was born Anderson.

Which of the following never was an amateur wrestler?

Chris Benoit. Chris is a hell of a convincing performer.

Which of the following pairs of wrestlers are biological father and son?

The Terrible Turk and Bobby Managoff. The Turk, a leading contender to Frank Gotch, was the father of NWA champion, Managoff. Ricky (Richard Blood) took the 'Steamboat' name because of his resemblance to Sam (Sam Mokuhai). Iron Mike was Ted's stepfather, and Pritikrapi Prince Iaukea (Mike Haynor) from WCW is no real relation to King Curtis Iaukea. Although Curtis' legit son did work briefly as 'Prince Iaukea'. Sadly, Bobby Managoff died April 5, 2002, after a long and painful battle with various medical problems.

Which pro football star met Dick the Bruiser Afflis in a grudge match in Detroit in 1963? (Although the football player did some wrestling in the offseasons prior to this, this was his only widely-publicized match. He went on to a career as an actor and football commentator.)

Alex Karras. Bruiser showed up at the bar Karras owned for a publicity stunt to hype the match, but it got out of hand. It took a bunch of cops to drag Afflis away. Karras was under a one-season suspension from the NFL for refusing to give up ownership of the bar, and for admitting on TV that he bet on his own team (Detroit Lions). Contrary to a widely-held opinion, the result of the match was prearranged. Alex Karras went on to a successful acting career, including his hilarious comedic performance playing 'Mongo' in Mel Brooks' movie 'Blazing Saddles', and also starred in the hit television series 'Webster'. He played Emannual Lewis' father in the show.

Who was The Destroyer in Florida in the late 1970s?

Killer Kowalski. It was Kowalski, complete with his signature purple tights and boots, and mask to match. He didn't fool anybody for a second.

What exactly did Buddy Rogers say during the in-ring interview after winning the NWA title from Pat O'Connor in Chicago in 1961?

To a nicer guy it couldn't happen.. Or, with Buddy's sense of timing: 'To a nicer guy...it couldn't happen'!

What Japanese wrestling legend and national hero was not Japanese?

Rikidozan. Riki was Korean, a fact he took great pains to keep as concealed as possible from the Japanese public.

Which of the following actually has a mediocre, approximately .500, record as a shootfighter?

Tank Abbott. Severn, Shamrock, and Frye all have outstanding records with more wins than losses, although if they don't retire quick that might not be true much longer. Abbott has lost about as many fights as he's won. Might have helped if he trained in the gym instead of the saloon.

Chief Jay Strongbow is actually of what ethnic heritage?

Italian. Good old Joe Scarpa---a full blooded Sioux-Sicilian!

Johnny Valentine hit a lot of guys with a lot of hard punches, but he once was put in a position where he had to, and did, TKO what kind of animal?

Bull. Johnny rode a Brahma Bull in the Houston Fat Stock Rodeo as a P.R. stunt. No cowboy, he got thrown in a hurry and found himself being charged by the bull with neither the fence nor the clowns close enough to do any good. He set to his feet and nailed the bull smack in the nose with a right cross that staggered it long enough for him to run and vault the fence. Lou Thesz was there and says Johnny got so much height going over he looked like a pole vaulter.

Who was a member of an outlaw biker gimmick tag team in England called the Hell's Angels before coming to the U.S.?

Exotic Adrian Street. You don't want to mess with any of those four. Despite his effeminate and flamboyant gimmick, Street is as tough and as good a shoot wrestler as any of the other three.

Who knocked Rick Steiner out cold with one punch in a bar fight?

Screamin' Norman Smiley. You can't judge a book by looking at the cover, and you can't judge a wrestler's toughness from his gimmick!

What promoter was the first to admit in the mainstream media that the outcomes of matches are prearranged?

Jack Pfefer. Yes, Vince did it on network TV in the '80s, but Pfefer, after having lost a promotional war, wrote a series of newspaper articles exposing the business... more than 60 years ago. Cowboy and Sam would have taken poison first!

Why did Ric Flair pull local wrestler Jack Veneno on top of himself and intentionally lose the NWA title in a 1982 match in the Dominican Republic that Flair was booked to win?

He heard gunfire at ringside. Flair's real-life pal Roddy Piper tripped Veneno from outside the ring, as planned. Shots rang out. Flair, thinking VERY fast, pulled Veneno over for the three-count. The switch was not recognized by the NWA.

What did Henri DeGlane do to trick the referee into disqualifying Strangler Lewis and declaring DeGlane World Champion in a doublecross in July 1931?

Bit himself on the arm. DeGlane bit himself on the inside of the upper arm in the dressing room between falls.