Buddy Rogers (wrestler)

Buddy Rogers (born Herman Gustav Rohde Jr.; February 20, 1921 – June 26, 1992), better known by the ring name "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers, was an American professional wrestler who was one of the biggest professional wrestling stars in the beginning of the television era.

His performances influenced future professional wrestlers, including "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, who used Rogers's nickname, as well as his look, attitude and finishing hold, the figure-four leglock.

He was also known for his rivalry with Lou Thesz, both in and out of the ring.

Rogers was a fourteen-time world champion, notably holding the top championship in both the NWA and the WWWF, today known as WWE (he was the inaugural WWWF World Heavyweight Champion).

He is one of three men in history to have held both championships, along with Ric Flair and AJ Styles.

Rogers was the son of Herman Gustav Rohde Sr., and Frieda Stech, both German immigrants.

He was athletic, and took up wrestling at age nine at the local YMCA, joining the Camden YMCA Wrestling League and winning its heavyweight championship.

He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

Rogers also excelled in football, boxing, track and swimming, winning the YMCA's three-mile swimming championship in 1937.

Rogers joined the Dale Brothers Circus as a wrestler at age 17.

He later worked at a shipyard, and became a police officer.

Rogers visited the offices of professional wrestling promoters Ray and Frank Hanley, who gave him his first match on July 4, 1939, against Moe Brazen, which he won.

Rogers soon became a top professional wrestler using his real name around his hometown as Dutch Rhode, where he gained his first major win over Ed "Strangler" Lewis.

He continued his career in Houston, where he assumed the name Buddy Rogers.

Rogers would get his first title during his tenure there, winning the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship four times, once from Lou Thesz, beginning a long feud between them both in and out of the ring.

After leaving the Texas territory for Columbus, Ohio, Rogers bleached his hair, and was given the moniker "Natural Guy" by promoter Jack Pfefer.

The moniker later evolved to "Nature Boy".

In the early 1950s, Lillian Ellison (under the moniker Slave Girl Moolah) worked as his valet.

Ellison claims that the partnership ended after Rogers pushed for a sexual relationship, which Ellison refused.

With the advent of television, Rogers's flashy look, great physique and bombastic personality instantly caught the ire of audiences.

The first sign of Rogers's impact was his involvement in Sam Muchnick's opposition promotion in St. Louis, Missouri, a major professional wrestling market at the time.

He was pitted against Lou Thesz as a draw.

In the end, Muchnick's promotion was powerful enough with Rogers as its main star that the two promotions merged.

Rogers continued control of the Midwest as a booker and professional wrestler, most notably in Chicago, frequently selling out the 11,000-seat arena.

In the 1950s, Rogers expanded into Vincent J. McMahon's Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC).

He also wrestled in the Al Haft promotion out of Columbus, Ohio in the 1950s and through 1963.

In 1961, the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) voted him into an NWA World Heavyweight Championship match.

On June 30, 1961, Rogers took the title from Pat O'Connor in front of 38,622 fans at Comiskey Park, which set a new North American professional wrestling attendance record that stood until the David Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions in 1984.

In addition, the $148,000 gate in ticket sales was a professional wrestling record for almost twenty years.

The contest, which was a two out of three falls match, was billed as the "Match of the Century", during which both men had gained a pinfall.

However, when O'Connor missed a dropkick and hit his head, Rogers pinned him to win the match and being recognized as the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

A rematch was set between the two for the title months later, where Rogers retained.

At the time, Rogers was working at two different jobs in Chicago, but he never walked into work again according to his autobiography.

Many promoters felt that Rogers favored northeastern promoters over other territories.

Promoters and noted shooters Bill Miller and Karl Gotch confronted Rogers in Columbus and broke his hand.

Rogers sustained another injury in Montreal against Killer Kowalski, which kept Rogers on the sidelines.

Upon his return, the NWA voted to switch the title back over to Lou Thesz, who publicly disliked Rogers.

On January 24, 1963, the match took place in Toronto.

Rogers was hesitant about dropping the title, so promoter Sam Muchnick put three safeguards in place to guarantee Rogers's cooperation.

The first safeguard was formatting the match as a one fall finish, rather than the traditional best two out of three falls.