Archive — Wrestler Profiles

The Men of the Lineage

Individual records for the key figures in the Val Childs catch wrestling lineage — from the root to the branches.

Val Childs "The Crippler"

Active c. 1940s–1970s — North America

Val "The Crippler" Childs stands as one of the most formidable and least-documented figures in the history of North American professional wrestling. Operating primarily in the mid-…

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First Generation

Billy Robinson "The Wigan Wrestler"

Active 1950s–1990s — Manchester, England

Billy Robinson was one of the most technically accomplished catch wrestlers of the twentieth century. Trained in the Wigan tradition and later under the influence of Val Childs in …

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First Generation

Karl Gotch "The God of Wrestling"

Active 1950s–1980s — Antwerp, Belgium

Karl Gotch — born Karl Istaz — was a Belgian-born catch wrestler who became one of the most revered technical grapplers in the history of the sport. Trained in the European catch t…

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First Generation

Lou Thesz "The Last of the Hookers"

Active 1940s–1990s — Banat, Hungary (raised in St. Louis, Missouri)

Lou Thesz is widely regarded as the greatest professional wrestler of the twentieth century. A six-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion who held the title for a combined total of mo…

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