The St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame is located at the South Broadway Athletic Club. It was originally housed in the Pro Wrestling Shirt Shop in the South County mall. Current board members include: Herb Simmons, Nick Ridenour, Larry Matysik and Tony Casta. The Hall is still open for inductions. Matysik explained the need for our Hall of Fame:
The role of St. Louis and the early success of “Wrestling at the Chase” in wrestling, becoming a hugely popular endeavor… is ignored by a company that wants to rewrite history. Had St. Louis not accepted wrestling on television as it did, the sport might never have developed as it has over the decades. Any legitimate Hall of Fame needs to recognize that fact.
-Larry Matysik
Class of 2007
- Lou Thesz - World Heavyweight Champion: 1937-38, 1939, 1947, 1948-56, 1956-57, 1963-66
- Ric Flair – World Heavyweight Champion: 1981-83, 1983-84, 1984, 1984-86, 1986-87, 1987-89, 1989-90, 1991-92, 1992
- Harley Race - World Heavyweight Champion: 1973, 1977-79, 1979, 1979-80, 1980-81, 1981, 1983, 1984
- Bill Longson - World Heavyweight Champion: 1942, 1943-47, 1947-48
- Gene Kiniski – World Heavyweight Champion: 1966-69
- Pat O’Connor – World Heavyweight Champion: 1959-61
- Johnny Valentine - World Tag Team Champion: 1960, 1960, 1962, 1966
- Dick the Bruiser - AWA Heavyweight Champion: 1966
- Fritz Von Erich - AWA Heavyweight Champion: 1963
- Penny Banner – AWA Women’s Champion: 1961-63
- King Kong Brody – NWA Central States Heavyweight Champion: 1980
- Mickey Garagiola - Television Announcer
- Larry Matysik - Commentator
- Sam Muchnick - Promoter
- Joe Schoenberger – Referee
Class of 2008
- Dory Funk, Jr. - World Heavyweight Champion: 1969-73
- Jack Brisco – World Heavyweight Champion: 1973-74, 1974-75
- Buddy Rogers – World Heavyweight Champion: 1961-63
- Rocky Johnson - World Tag Team Champion: 1983-84
- Joe Garagiola - Commentator
- Lee Warren – Referee
Class of 2009
- Baron von Raschke – AWA Tag Team Champion: 1984
Class of 2010
- Terry Funk – World Heavyweight Champion: 1975-77
- Dick Murdoch – World Tag Team Champion: 1984-85
- “Cowboy” Bob Ellis – World Tag Team Champion: 1962
- Bobby Heenan – Manager
The St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame is not associated with the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, the WWE Hall of Fame, or any other entity linked on this page.
Where is Ed and Kevin Smith and the giant assassin and big daddy? Are you kidding me?
As you have noticed, only the legends who saw truly mainstream stardom during the St. Louis Wrestling Club days are recognized in the HOF. In the end, it’s all up to the panel mentioned above. Could Ed & “Killer” Keith be inducted? What about Gary Jackson or Big Daddy? Someday, perhaps.