Capitol Wrestling

[mrluck_07]

Capitol Wrestling was the Northeast territory of the NWA promoted by Vincent J. McMahon from '57 to '63. Of course, Capitol evolved into what is now the WWE. McMahon withdrew from the NWA after a dispute over the NWA World Title match between Lou Thesz and Buddy Rogers in Toronto. From what I've read there's not surviving footage from the period although I found a few clips on YouTube .

[Ten Pounds Of Golden]

I had a tape set of this era, and an autograph book full of names from when they came to the Pittsburgh area. It certainly produced some of the biggest names in wrestling history. The log jam of talent and crowds in the Northeast region allowed for CWC to form the WWWF, following a dispute with the NWA over Buddy Rogers being booked as the next champion. An interesting set of circumstances certainly changed history.

[Ten Pounds Of Golden]

Gorgeous George was the first with a flamboyant entrance, and I think a favorite of Muhammad Ali. Gorgeous George III AKA The Maestro is legit a descendant (great nephew, I believe) of Gorgeous George.

[LoisRules]

Itâ??s woeful how little I know about it considering just how historically important it is. I feel it gets lost in the history shuffle to promotions like Mid South and Jim Crockett Promotions.

Iâ??m gonna endeavour to learn more about it and watch some stuff.

[agourrier]

Unfortunately for how much history it's provided, I know little beyond what the normal layman knows. When I started watching wrestling, it had turned into Titan Sports after it acquired Capitol.

[NYGirl]

I know I must have seen Capitol as I am 70 years old and watching wrestling with my grandmother since the late 50s. (That's the earliest I remember). She was a little Italian lady and she introduced me to Bruno Sammartino. He was our favorite wrestler. Then there was Antonino Rocca. I definitely remember the Kangaroos and my favorite tag team Red and Lou Bastien. I remember all of the tag team you mentioned. Heck I remember all of the wrestlers you mentioned. Wrestling was on TV on Saturday mornings...maybe about 10:00? and it was either one hour or 2 hours. I cannot give you any specifics. I wish I had a memory for it but having watching wrestling for over 60 years I can't pin out any moments. However, I do remember Vince being the "interviewer" for Bruno and his opponent. They'd stand on the side of the ring...with no audience...and cut a promo after Vince would ask 1 question. The announcer for the matches was Ray Morgan. Sorry I don't remember more. They had a house show at MSG every single month.

[Jack-Hammer]

There probably would have been no CWC had it not been for the Gold Dust Trio. The Gold Dust Trio basically ran all of wrestling during the 1920s and was made up of manager Billy Sandow, Sandow's client Ed "Strangler" Lewis and Toots Mondt.

Mondt was originally a wrestler and was hired by Sandow to sort of help watch Lewis' back as sort of a legit enforcer. Lewis was the recognized World Champion at the time and Mondt's primary job was to make sure that Lewis' opponents didn't try to double cross him during their matches. Mondt was also the one who came up with the notion of changing pro wrestling from primarily mat grappling, which fans had grown tired of by this time, and incorporated aspects of boxing, Greco-Roman style wrestling, the pomp and glitz of the theater and even some lumber camp style fighting. Mondt made up the name of Slam Bang Western-Style Wrestling, which would also include stuff like punches, kicks, body slams, armdrags, suplexes, etc., and coupled it with mat grappling to ultimately create what became the basis for pro wrestling as we'd come to know it. When you get right down to it, Joseph Mondt really is among the truly great creative minds in pro wrestling history. Mondts perfected the art of the "finish" to matches, created a number of finishing holds & moves and is said to have also been responsible for the "no contest" ending to a match that included time limit draws and double count-outs.

I've sort of gotten off point but Mondt, as we all know, would eventually establish wrestling in the Northeast as big business, was a mentor to Vince, Sr. and he trained guys like Antonio Rocca and Stu Hart. Mondt also is the one who pushed Bruno Sammartino as the WWWF's first huge star. So yeah, it's fair to say that Joseph "Toots" Mondt has to rank among the most innovative minds in all of pro wrestling history.

[JulianRich]

Ali acknowledges Gorgeous George in one of the recent HBO documentaries. The Bastien Bros were also one of my favorites. I am 71, so I go back to the beginning of Capital wrestling. Went to an amazing show at the old Washington Senators park, Griffith Stadium when I was 12. Main event was Kowalski versus Johnny Valentine, and they carried them both out on stretchers after an hour and there was a near riot. Very exciting ffor a 12 year old but my Dad made us leave as the crowd start running to the ring as they continued to fight on the stretchers.