International Wrestling Institute and Museum

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George Tragos/Lou Thesz
Hall of Fame Inductions
Class of 2000

Wrestlers from around the United States converged on Newton on Saturday, May 6, 2000, for the annual inductions for the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame.

The inductions were held at noon at the International Wrestling Institute and Museum. A banquet honoring the inductees was held Saturday night at the Best Western Newton Inn.

Two world champions from Oklahoma -- Dick Hutton and Dan Hodge -- were on hand to receive their inductions plaques. Hutton was a three-time NCAA champion at Oklahoma A&M in the 1940s before becoming NWA world heavyweight professional champion in the late 1950s.

Hodge was an undefeated three-time NCAA champion at the University of Oklahoma before becoming the world junior heavyweight champion for nearly 15 years as a professional. He was also 1959 National Golden Gloves heavyweight boxing champion, and is the only amateur wrestler ever to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Hutton and Hodge were also Olympians.

Two other champions, Joe Stecher and Earl Caddock, were inducted posthumously. Stecher of Dodge, Nebraska, was one of the greatest athletic stars of the Roaring '20s and was world heavyweight champion for nearly eight years.

Caddock was the first great amateur champion to cross over into the professional ranks. He won three AAU national titles and became world professional heavyweight champion in 1917. He was a soldier in World War I and later became a very successful businessman in the Omaha area.

Plaques of each athlete go on the hall of fame wall and replicas are given to the inductee. Members of the Caddock and Stecher families were on hand to accept the plaques of Joe and Earl.

:: Frank Gotch Award ::

Another legendary champion of the past, Bobby Managoff, was honored as the first ever recipient of the Frank Gotch Award. Gotch, the legendary champion from Humboldt, Iowa who died in 1917, blazed the way for the popularity of professional wrestling in the decades to follow. Gotch was the first man inducted into the hall of fame, in 1999. The award is given to a wrestler who represents the dignity and respect which Gotch brought to the sport. Managoff wrestled for nearly thirty years out of Chicago, and was world champion in 1941 and 1942. He still lives in Chicago today.

The Saturday event also included the grand opening of the Dean Rockwell Library and Research Center, and a display of artwork by Ted Lewin of New York. Lewin is a former professional wrestler whose artwork has appeared in hundreds of children's books and popular magazines.

:: Other News from the Weekend ::

Rockwell, coach of the 1964 Olympic team and one of the sport's top ambassadors for five decades, lives in Ypsilanti, Mich., and flew in for the event. He donated hundreds of books and artifacts to the library.

"The day was a tremendous success, in every way," said Bev Chapman, office manager of the facility. "People raved about the library, the artwork and the induction ceremonies.

"The Stecher family came in from California, the Caddock family came from Oregon and Texas, and the Managoff family came from Chicago. There was lots of emotion and lots of hugging. It was a great event for anyone who likes sports and sports history."

“On the Mat” is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. The broadcast can be heard live from 6-7 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, hosts the show.

“On the Mat” can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.
Click here for archived shows.

Weekly news, commentary and insight. (continued)

Museum Information
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Admission:
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Children 6 and under are free


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