Sammy Menacker

Slammin' Sam Menacker personified Wrestling. Born Frank Menacker in 1915, Sam became a famous wrestler (or "Rassler") in the 1940s. His high-profile character even got him some movie roles, his most famous being one of the 10 strongmen in "Mighty Joe Young" (1949) where, alongside onetime world boxing champion Primo Carnera, and actor Henry Kulky, they had a tug-rope match with the giant ape. Around 1960, Sam migrated to Indianapolis where, retired from wrestling, he did color commentary for the American Wrestling Association, and after 1964 for the World Wrestling Association, on local WTTV Channel 4. Along with the wildly popular Chuck Marlowe (and occasionally with local villain Handsome Bobby Heenan,who later gained fame as Bobby "the brain" Heenan) they provided exciting ringside reports every Saturday afternoon, commenting on the tactics of Dick the Bruiser ("The World's Most Dangerous Wrestler"), Wilbur Snyder ("The World's Most Scientific Wrestler"), Cowboy Bob Ellis, Bobo Brazil and other arch-heroes and arch-villains. (In 1963, when I was 10, I was amazed that every World Champion lived in Indianapolis.) As Sam provided the lively commentary (Wrestling shows are mainly hype) every main event, it seemed, called for "an investigation by the Commission" and "a Re-Match" -- usually a Lumberjack Match, or a Texas Death Match (which would not be televised, you'd have to go to the arena and pay). Sam retired from commentating in the late 1970s; he died in Illinois in 1994.