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George Tragos/Lou Thesz
Hall of Fame Inductions
Class of 2001

Four legendary wrestlers were inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame on June 15-16. Entering the hall this year were Jack Brisco, Tim Woods, Farmer Burns and William Muldoon.

In addition, two other special awards are planned. The Frank Gotch Award was presented to Tom Drake, a professional wrestling star who also earned a law degree and became a success in politics. And the Cauliflower Alley Club ---- group of former wrestlers, boxers and movie personalities ---- presented a special award to Nick Ackerman, the Simpson College senior who won a Division 3 NCAA title this year despite having no legs below the knee.

The Inductions weekend also included a Celebrity Golf Tournament, where many of the sport’s biggest names mingled with celebrities from other sports, and the general public. Last year’s Celebrity Golf Tournament was the first, and attracted 22 sports celebrities from major league baseball, the NFL, the NBA, the Olympic Games and professional wrestling.
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The inductees into the hall of fame are considered the finest examples of professional wrestling history. All of the previous hall of fame wrestlers have had a strong amateur background, and this year’s class is certainly no exception.

Tim Woods was a great amateur wrestler before entering the professional ranks in 1962. He won two AAU national titles in the 1950s. He also was Big Ten champion for Michigan State University at 177 pounds in 1958, and was NCAA runnerup that same year.

Known for his tremendous physical strength, Woods set pinning records at high school in Ithaca , New York , and at Michigan State . He won many titles as a professional, and often wrestled under the name “Mr. Wrestling,” sporting a mask. His professional career lasted nearly 22 years, and his final match was a sellout of the Omni in Atlanta in 1984.

Currently living in Charlotte , North Carolina , Woods is in the computer business.
Jack Brisco was a three-time high school state champion at Blackwell , Oklahoma , and also an all-state fullback. At Oklahoma State University , he was a two-time All-American at 190 pounds, and fashioned an undefeated season in 1965, winning the NCAA title along the way.

Brisco entered the professional ring in 1965 and quickly climbed the ladder of success. He won the NWA world heavyweight title in 1973 and was one of the most popular professional matmen for nearly a decade. He and his brother, Jerry, were also one of the most successful tag teams of their era. Today, Brisco owns a large auto repair center in Tampa , Florida .

“Tim and Jack are two of the toughest and most highly skilled wrestlers of the last 50 years,” said Lou Thesz, a member of the first induction class and the man considered the Babe Ruth of modern professional wrestling. “I am very honored and proud to welcome them into the Hall of Fame.”

The two inductees in the “old-timer” division are true legends of the sport. William Muldoon was born in 1842 in upstate New York and joined the Union Army in 1861 to fight in the Civil War. He learned his wrestling in the Union camps between battles, and when the war ended returned to New York City and joined the police force. But he continued to wrestle on the side, and eventually won acclaim as world champion in the Greco-Roman style of wrestling. He was one of the first athletes to appear on a sports card, being in the Allen and Ginter card series of 1887.

After retiring from the ring, Muldoon became a highly respected trainer of athletes and worked with legendary world heavyweight boxing champion John L. Sullivan. He also owned a popular health farm and served a long time as New York commissioner of boxing. His biography, Muldoon: Solid Man of Sports, was one of the first sports books to become a big seller.

Martin "Farmer" Burns was born in a log cabin in Cedar County , Iowa , in 1876 and is considered by many to be the father of Iowa wrestling. He was called “The Farmer” and claimed the world title for many years. He once estimated he competed in over 6,000 matches, and lost but six.

He discovered the great Frank Gotch and served as his trainer as Gotch became the greatest wrestler of his era. Burns developed a national mail order wrestling business and then a highly-successful wrestling school in Omaha . In 1921, he helped coach Cedar Rapids Washington to the very first high school state wrestling tournament title.

:: Frank Gotch Award ::

Tom Drake was a star football player and wrestler at The University of Chattanooga, winning numerous amateur titles. He was a three-time conference champion and made it to the finals of the 1952 Olympic trials, then entered professional wrestling. He won many regional titles and once battled Lou Thesz for the world title in 1962

While serving as assistant football coach at the University of Alabama , Drake earned a law degree and then served nine terms in the Alabama House of Representatives. He also served as Speaker of the Alabama House from 1982 to 1987. He and his wife, Chris, also an attorney, are board members of the Cauliflower Alley Club.

“Tom Drake has brought great honor and dignity to the sport,” said Thesz, “just like Frank Gotch did 90 years ago. Tom has been a great friend of wrestling for many years, and is a very worthwhile recipient of this great award.”

:: Other Events that Weekend ::

Red Bastien, president of the Cauliflower Alley Club, gave a special award to Ackerman. "We are so impressed by what this young man has accomplished, and we are very pleased to be able to honor him," said Bastien. "He is an inspiration to all wrestlers, past and present."

The Celebrity Golf Tournament was held at Westwood Golf Course in Newton . The featured celebrity was Denny Miller, movie and television star who played basketball at UCLA for legendary coach John Wooden in the 1950s. Miller starred as Tarzan in “Tarzan the Apeman in 1959, and then starred as Dusty on the popular TV series “Wagon Train” for six years. He has appeared in over 100 movies and television shows, and in over 100 commercials.

Other celebrities playing in the golf tournament included Olympic champions Dan Gable, Ed Banach, Randy Lewis, Bill Smith, Tom Brands, Kevin Jackson, and former NFL football players Jay Hilgenberg, Marv Cook. Also playing were former Iowa State basketball coach Johnny Orr and former Iowa coach Tom Davis.

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