Wrestling Hall of Fame Buddy Rogers - Part 1
Nothing may be more prestigious in the wrestling world of today than holding the coveted WWE Championship belt. And who could be more important than the legend who became the first wrestler to grab the WWE Championship title in wrestling history? He is the highly acclaimed Buddy Rogers – the very name which went on to become the most famous names in the world of professional wrestling during the 1960’s and the 1970’s.
Buddy Rogers had his first taste of championship gold when he defeated Pat O’ Connor in Chicago’s Comiskey Park to become the new NWA Champion in front of thousands of fans. Buddy Rogers had the unique habit of grabbing the microphone and shower praise on himself. This is exactly what he did in 1961 when he defeated Pat O’ Connor and told the world that why he was considered to be the true champion.
Buddy Rogers kept his self-praising style throughout his professional wrestling career which became his identity. His wrestling opponents and some of the fans who were fed up by his praise could do nothing about it as Buddy Rogers always had actions to back his words. When Buddy Rogers started dethroning different champions, people realized that there is substance behind his claims.
Buddy Rogers was originally a police officer in New Jersey and started training as a professional wrestler in 1939. Many people do not know that Rodgers was the original nature boy of professional wrestling. The legendary Ric Flair later adopted the nick name along with the wrestling moves of Buddy Rogers when the champion retired from the squared circle. It was Buddy Rogers who made the figure-four leg lock the most famous manoeuvre in wrestling history. It is the same figure-four leg lock which is now practiced in the wrestling ring all over the world by different wrestlers.
Different wrestling promotions all over United States sought the services of Buddy Rogers as fans loved to see him wrestle and fight in the ring. His famous match where he defeated Pat O’ Connor to become the NWA Champion attracted a record number of wrestling fans from around the country. Such was his popularity that the attendance record set during that match remained unbroken for the next two decades.
However, many peers of Buddy Rogers regarded him as a difficult person. He was continuously embroiled in controversies in and outside the ring. Buddy also fought in the Capital Wrestling Corporation which was being run by Vincent J. McMahon. Capital Wrestling Corporation is the same wrestling body which transformed in to the infamous WWE of today. Buddy Rogers was impressive during his stay at the Capital Wrestling Corporation and impressed many fans around the world. Buddy Rodgers defeated many of the contemporary wrestlers and won the United States Tag Team Championship on two occasions.
Buddy Rogers then went through a controversial era when he lost the NWA Championship to Lou Thesz in 1963. Many wrestling promotions around the world agreed that the NWA title has changed hands but Vincent J. McMahon disagreed. He said that the NWA title can only change hands in a two out of three falls match and Buddy Rogers was only pinned once in the ring. This controversy grew in the wrestling world and created friction between different wrestling promoters.
Vincent J. McMahon of CWC (later WWF and WWE) further argued that Buddy Rogers has won a wrestling competition to become the title owner of the newly created World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It is the same company which changed the landscape of the wrestling world and attracted millions of people to the concept of wrestling entertainment.
Continued in Part II...
Tags: