Anyone who watched Lou Thesz in the ring could see that professional wrestling need not consist of faked brawling and crude stunts. For Thesz, who died April 28, 2002, at the age of eighty-six, wrestling was a craft. He learned to wrestle from George Tragos, a former member of the Greek Olympic team, and from Ad Santell, a master of submission holds or "hooks." Thesz began his career in the 1930s, and his mastery of wrestling and amazing speed soon attracted attention. Although even in that era the results of the matches were prearranged, Thesz's genuine abilities earned universal recognition. … Continue reading Lou Thesz, RIP