Steve Stanlee

Infobox Wrestler
name=Steve Zygowicz
names=Steve Stanlee
Paul Stanlee
weight=232 lb (105 kg)
birth_date =Birth date and age|1920|2|29|mf=y?
birth_place =Chicago, Illinois
debut=1947?
retired=1969?

Steve Zygowiczcite web|title=Wrestler Profiles: Steve Stanlee|work=Online World of Wrestling|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/s/steve-stanlee.html|accessdate=2008-02-11] (born February 29, 1920?), better known by his ring name of Steve Stanlee, is a former American professional wrestler from the late 1940s through the 1960s. He is the younger brother of the more famous professional wrestler Gene Stanlee.cite web|title="Mr. America" Stanlee a showboating pioneer|work=SLAM! Wrestling|last=Oliver|first=Greg|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2005/09/27/1238185.html|accessdate=2008-02-11]

Career

Steve served with Gene in the U.S. Navy during World War II and entered the professional wrestling circuit after the war, using the name Paul Stanlee until sometime in 1949. Also like Gene, Steve took the nickname Mr. America for his chiseled physique, bleached his hair blond, and wore dazzling sequined jackets to the ring. [cite web|title=Children's Books: I Was a Teenage Professional Wrestler|work=New York Times|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE4D6143AF933A15755C0A965958260|accessdate=2008-02-11|last=Kelly|first=David] Gene and Steve did train together and had a couple of runs as a tag team, but the two generally stayed on separate career paths. Notably, Steve wrestled Lou Thesz for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on October 27 1950, [cite web|title=Steel Belt Wrestling - Buffalo - 1950|work=Steel Belt Wrestling|url=http://www.steelbeltwrestling.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=45|accessdate=2008-02-11] two full years before his brother faced Thesz. [cite web|title=Wrestler Profiles: Gene Stanlee|work=Online World of Wrestling|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/g/gene-stanlee.html|accessdate=2008-02-11] From 1947 to 1948, Steve Stanlee wrestled under the ring name Paul Stanlee for Georgia Championship Wrestling.cite web|title=Who's Who: Paul Stanlee|work=Georgia Wrestling History|url=http://www.georgiawrestlinghistory.com/whoswho/p/paul_stanlee/01.html|accessdate=2008-02-12] He competed against such wrestlers as Tom Mahoney and Bobby Roberts, winning the majority of these matches.

After his stint in Georgia, Stanlee competed in Toronto, Ontario. He worked as a jobber, putting over other wrestlers, such as Al Korman and Pat Flanagan. [cite web|title=1949 Results|work=Toronto Wrestling History|url=http://www.garywill.com/toronto/1949.htm|accessdate=2008-02-13] In the early 1950s, Stanlee wrestled in the Northeastern United States. Wrestling in New York and New Jersey, he received occasional pushes, challenging for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on several occasions. [cite web|title=Records of NWA World Heavyweight Championship Matches: 1950-51|work=Wrestling Titles|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/world/nwa-h-matches/nwa-h-matches1950.html|accessdate=2008-02-13] [cite web|title=Records of NWA World Heavyweight Championship Matches: 1952-53|work=Wrestling Titles|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/world/nwa-h-matches/nwa-h-matches1952.html|accessdate=2008-02-13]

Stanlee then traveled to California, where he wrestled in the mid-1950s. [cite web|title=Wrestler Results Archive: Sandor Kovacs|work=SLAM! Wrestling|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/ResultsArchive/Wrestlers/kovacs.html|accessdate=2008-02-13] He later returned to wrestle for Capitol Wrestling in the New York area in the late 1950s. [cite web|title=Results: 1958|work=NY Pro Wrestling|url=http://www.nyprowrestling.com/results/1958.html|accessdate=2008-02-13] [cite web|title=Results: 1959|work=NY Pro Wrestling|url=http://www.nyprowrestling.com/results/1959.html|accessdate=2008-02-13] [cite web|title=Capitol-NWA 1959|work=Superstar Billy Graham Record Book|url=http://superstarbillygraham.net/wrestlingresults/capitol/1959.htm|accessdate=2008-02-13]

Steve didn't catch on with the public in the same way as Gene did, and as a result never attained the same level of fame. However, he did have a longer career in the ring and may in fact be the better known brother among fans of 1960s wrestling. While Gene was out of wrestling by the early '60s, Steve remained active. He wrestled both as a singles competitor and as part of a tag team, The Stanlee Steamers, with a kayfabe third "brother", Bob Stanlee (played by Bob Merrill). Unfortunately, Steve won few high-profile matches either way and is generally regarded to have been a "jobber to the stars" for much of his career. He did, however, win the National Wrestling Alliance's Ohio Heavyweight Championship on July 1 1961 by defeating Frankie Talaber. He dropped the belt back to Talaber in a rematch later that year. Stanlee also helped train Buddy Bison, who wrestled for Georgia Championship Wrestling for several years. [cite web|title=Wrestler Profiles: Buddy Bison|work=Online World of Wrestling|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/b/buddy-bison.html|accessdate=2008-02-13]

From 1964 to 1966, Stanlee wrestled for the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). He lost the majority of his matches, but he did get victories over Arnold Skaaland and "Baron" Mikel Scicluna in 1965.cite web|title=Ring Results: 1964|work=The History of WWE|url=http://www.angelfire.com/wrestling/cawthon777/64.htm|accessdate=2008-02-11] cite web|title=Ring Results: 1965|work=The History of WWE|url=http://www.angelfire.com/wrestling/cawthon777/65.htm|accessdate=2008-02-11] cite web|title=Ring Results: 1966|work=The History of WWE|url=http://www.angelfire.com/wrestling/cawthon777/66.htm|accessdate=2008-02-11] After leaving the WWWF, Stanlee wrestled in Hawaii, competing in both singles matches and in a tag team with Jim Hady.cite web|title=Wrestler Profiles: Johnny Barend|work=Online World of Wrestling|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/j/johnny-barend.html|accessdate=2008-02-13] [cite web|title=Wrestling Results (1966)|work=50th State Big Time Wrestling|url=http://www.50thstatebigtimewrestling.com/results.html|accessdate=2008-02-13] He then returned to Georgia Championship Wrestling. He was used as a jobber in his matches in Georgia, putting over the promotion's other talent.

Recently, Steve Stanlee appeared in an interview in the "Icons Of Wrestling" documentary series.

Championships and accomplishments

*National Wrestling Alliance
**NWA Ohio Heavyweight Championship (1 time)cite web|title=Ohio Heavyweight Title|work=Wrestling Titles|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/oh/oh-h.html|accessdate=2008-02-11]

References

External links

* [http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2005/09/27/1238185.html "Mr. America" Stanlee a showboating pioneer]
* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/s/steve-stanlee.html Profile at Online World of Wrestling]