Lou Thesz

Lou Thesz, born Aloysius Martin Thesz on April 24, 1916 in Banat, Michigan, was an American professional wrestler and wrestling coach who died on April 28, 2002. His father, a St. Louis shoemaker and Hungarian Greco-Roman wrestling middleweight champion, taught him the sport, and he later trained in freestyle wrestling and under the catch wrestling coach George Tragos before turning professional. He won various versions of the World Heavyweight Championship seven times, including three reigns as NWA World Heavyweight Champion that together lasted 3,749 days, longer than anyone else in history. Known in Japan as the God of Wrestling and as Tetsujin, he later helped train young Japanese wrestlers in catch wrestling and served as head coach at the CACC Snake Pit Japan. He also helped establish the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame.