Gene Kiniski vs Lou Thesz (1967)

[attra91]

I had the privilege to see these two fight for the title in Orlando Fl. around 68 or 69. Great times. I thank both men for the memories.

[RPenta]

I am sorry Lou had heat with Bruno, my favorite all time wrestler; but Thesz is to be respected for his skill and the greatness of his career; I guess Don Vinnie could not fit in him before Refrigerator Perry, "Roulette" Pete Rose, Drew Carey, etc.

Thesz loved those arm locks especially the dreaded double wrist lock.

[harley55100]

Lou Thesz could've easily won the championship if the match were a shoot. Unlike Hulk Hogan, Thesz really knew how to wrestle and inflict pain in a split second.

But it was pre-determined that the match would be won by Kiniski and, besides, Thesz was already in his early 50s and past his prime and wouldn't have withstood the rigors of being constantly on the road while he's the champion, which is probably why Thesz allowed Kiniski to beat him for the NWA title a year earlier.

[mkl62]

Gene Kiniski was the NWA World's Heavyweight Champion on March 26, 1966.

[ZenPimps]

We will miss "Canada's greatest athlete". Man...hearing of his passing really hit me...wrestling is losing some great ones lately.

[WrestlingFan1637]

When wrestling was actually wrestling

[toicannon]

I use to watch Mr. Kiniski wrestle at the old Kiel in St. Louis, I would cheer for him.. It drove my grandmother crazy LOL!! R. I. P. BIG THUNDER!!!! You were my favorite!!

[attra91]

I was privileged to see these two go at in Orlando Florida around 1967 or 68. Great times. All of it has changed now, for the worse.

[kingp05]

R.I.P Gene Kiniski

[jobber25v]

rip gene

[86lenny]

Wow, the way Lou did the head scissors takedown you'd think other guys would use that move.

[32alltheway]

not only were there move, but they connected into high spots that made sense, instead of todays spotfests. i know everybody thinks everything that iis old is better, but here its truly the case

[topeconqueso]

Thanks so much for posting this excellent footage. A privilege to watch these legends work.

[RSXemperor]

This is pure wrestling at its best. The only guys who could work a match like this today are Kurt Angle and Bryan Danielson.

[sheilaeat]

I was the biggest fan of Lou Thesz growing up. I remember watching this match. This is back when wrestling was wrestling.

[thunderbare]

As to any and everyone out there who as posted that these guys were flabby I might point out that they were real men not steroid injecting freaks and by the way muscle guys could not wrestle like this match

[rattlehead1999]

Why were athletes so flabby up until like the early 1980s? Don't say steroids, as they were around for a long time, tho they didn't Really get into wrestling until the WWF boomed, but very few men were chiselled and cut until the mid 80s, most were just flabby and gross (yet still tough) Was it because of new weight training techniques? Or an evolution of man right before our eyes?

[cnhatton]

"Flabby" may be a bit of an over-statement. No doubt men such as Don Leo Jonathan and Kiniski were near as strong as the pros today, and some such as Superstar Graham and Edouard Carpentier were nearly as 'cut.'. Wrestlers did not place as heavy an emphasis on physique training, and YES steroids did gain greater prominence once physique took centre stage. Read Harley Race's autobio as well as Dynamite's for some good insight on this.

[rattlehead1999]

Well, I'd Love to read Dynamites, I had no idea Harley had one, and I've been dying to read Lou Thesz' Hooker bio, as you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who devours literature on the inside of the wrestling business as fast and feverishly as me. but all of these books are out of print and are extremely expensive :( I wish someone would scan them into PDF format for the rest of us, or the unlikely event of 2nd printings...

[CynthiaCM]

You should really look up "Hooker" by Lou Thesz. It's easily my favorite wrestling-related book.

[Sanguiluna]

Because before wrestling, it wasn't about looking good or physically appealing; it was about being a good wrestler. Looks were on the bottom of the priority list.

[youdude1121]

i agree! wrestling back then was a sport rather than entertainment like today. if you notice back then wrestlers were middle aged men with hairy chests and average bodies, like ur average joe. today its all about pretty boys puttin on a show.

[CynthiaCM]

They were wrestlers, not bodybuilders. Having huge muscles can limit your movement in the ring, especially when doing intricate moves/holds like Thesz and Kiniski.

[CynthiaCM]

(continued)

That's why most of today's wrestlers are awful when compared to these guys -- they're too bulked up to have much mobility. And they weren't flabby. Thesz, for example, was built very athletically in his prime, but by 1967, Lou Thesz had been in the biz for over 30 years. He was pretty damn old by that point. Of course, he's not going to be built like he was in his younger days.

[andycf87]

that was the best sell of a drop toe-hold ive ever seen. increidble attention 2 detail

[MidgetMassacre]

Fatty Jigglefest 67

Their movements are sooo awkward.

[CynthiaCM]

There's nothing awkward about the movements. They moved more realistically, so that it wouldn't look choreographed. Today's wrestling looks more like ballet and gymnastics than an actual wrestling match. No believability at all.

[MidgetMassacre]

It looks very awkward. It's very stiff (by that I don't mean..like a shoot) and slow. I feel like I should be listening to Crowbar while watching this. Sometimes old wrestling even looks like vintage gay porn or something.

I'll post your side of the argument now: They're telling a story (it doesn't take a rocket scientist to convey a wrestling story), ring psychology (same as the story bit), new wrestling sucks, high flying sucks, etc etc etc blah blah blah.

[CynthiaCM]

Well, if it's not rocket science, why is it that so few wrestlers now can actually tella good story or use ring psychology? Why is it that when they get hurt but have a comeback a few seconds later, they appear to be magically all better? Do you really think the new guys are good? A few are, most of them are terrible.

[MidgetMassacre]

There's NO STORY to tell. Guys beat the shit out of each other. It's not like they're freaking Stephen King or whatever.

I know what you mean about the lack of selling (see Samoa Joe and Batista)

I like guys from ROH and a lot of the WWE midcard and such. Some guys in TNA are good. I don't care how about how good they are or how they can "work", as long as I'm ENTERTAINED. This old bullshit doesn't entertain me. If this old stuff is sooo good, how come this style isn't selling ppvs?

[CynthiaCM]

There IS a story to tell. Or there SHOULD be. "Two guys beating each other up" gets repetitious if nobody cares about what's happening in the ring. And how can they care about crap that looks like a Hollywood fight scene? Hell, they talk more than they wrstle. The new bullshit is unentertaining as hell to me. As for your question, it's because the target audience nowadays has the attention span of gnats, by and large.

[southernaussie]

some great scissoring going on

[rattlehead1999]

Oh yeah! Scissor me! Scissor me timbers

[TonySpargo]

This was another fix. Thesz pinned Kiniski and they give Kiniski back his belt. Goes to show you it doesn't matter who really wins, the winner is who the owners say won.

[humanfly02]

Lou Thez was for real not many had the in ring skill he did. todays so called wrestlers would have no clue of what to do in the ring with him lol

[thunderbare]

Lou last of the real hookers

[CadillacL]

@humanfly02 Not at all. He would take them to school.

[exe2517]

@humanfly02 tap out? as far as I know Thesz was an expert in Catch Wrestling

[var68]

..was a 'neck-breaker' illegal back then?

Howcum Thesz was D. Q.'ed?

[bestao3]

this is true wrestling

[envaneo]

Hi RagingBull1935

Do you have any clips of GeneKiniski being interivewd by Ron Morrier in the early 1970's?

I saw GK wrestle in the early 1970's. Good stuff.

[var68]

How did Thesz lose this match?

[alexglauer]

He "lost" because you're a mark.

[skyeagle31]

lou thesz is my grand father

[conbusken2007]

Gen Kiniski not won the title in 1967, was in 1966

[WrestlingFollower]

This is obviously clipped, but I must say this is wrestling greatness. They're so far ahead of their time that I believe the space-time continuum will never be the same.

[RagingBull1935]

Sorry KenViewer, i accidentally delete your post.

Anyway this is a later match, Thesz lost the title in '66

[KenViewer]

Thank you, still again, for posting this classic, rare footage. Thank you.