Wilbur Snyder

American professional wrestler and football player (1929 – 1991)

Wilbur Snyder

Snyder in 1969

Born| (1929-09-15)September 15, 1929
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Died| December 25, 1991(1991-12-25) (aged 62)
Pompano Beach, Florida, U.S.
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)| Wilbur Snyder
California Comet
Billed height| 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Billed weight| 235 lb (107 kg)
Billed from| Woodland Hills, California
Trained by| Warren Bockwinkel
Sandor Szabo
Debut| 1953
Retired| 1984

Wilbur Snyder (September 15, 1929 – December 25, 1991) was an American football player and professional wrestler.

## Wrestling career[edit]

Snyder's wrestling debut occurred during football's 1953 off-season. He was trained by Sandor Szabo and Warren Bockwinkel in Southern California.[1] In 1954, Snyder retired from football completely to pursue a full-time career in wrestling. Part of his in-ring persona included the use of many football tactics, and it garnered Snyder a lot of national attention. He had already been a regional champion in Montreal, Quebec, Canada when he made a name for himself by defeating Verne Gagne and winning the United States Championship at Marigold Arena in Chicago on April 7, 1956.[1]

Snyder was a regional champion in a myriad of territories that were affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).[2] One of those championships was an offshoot of the world title that he won from Verne Gagne on November 15, 1958 in Omaha, Nebraska.

After the departure of Jim Barnett, Snyder bought into the Indianapolis territory with Dick the Bruiser. The enterprise was known as Championship Wrestling Inc. on April 27, 1965.[2] Snyder's wife Shirlee was listed as the registered agent. Snyder and Dick's mother, M.A. (Margaret) Johnston were listed as directors of the company, to keep the wrestler's ownership of the territory private.[2]

The defeat of Mitsu Arakawa in September 1967 added the WWA title to Snyder's list of accomplishments.[2] The victory resulted in a two-year run as WWA Champion for Snyder. Between 1956 and 1962, he was a ten time United States Champion.[2] Snyder was also involved in long in-ring feuds with Dick the Bruiser and Hans Schmidt. Another accomplishment of Snyder's was his reign as 13-time WWA Tag Team Champion. During a tour of Japan in 1969, Snyder teamed with Danny Hodge to claim the Japan Pro-Wrestling Alliance's NWA International Tag Team Championship.[2]

Snyder was often billed as "The World's Most Scientific Wrestler". On Bret Hart's greatest hits video Wilbur Snyder also gets a mention by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Heenan claiming Snyder basically invented the abdominal stretch.

Snyder's legacy was cemented by WWE announcer Jim Ross who would refer to "shades of the late Wilbur Snyder" anytime somebody used the abdominal stretch for most of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

## Personal life[edit]

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Wilbur Snyder" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

|

Wilbur married Shirlee Ann Hanson in 1948. His son in law is Steve Regal. He died on December 25, 1991, aged 62, in Pompano Beach, Florida.

## Championships and accomplishments[edit]

* American Wrestling Alliance
* AWA World Tag Team Championship (Indiana version) (2 times) – with Dick the Bruiser
* American Wrestling Association
* AWA United States Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
* AWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Leo Nomellini (1) and Pat O'Connor (1)
* World Heavyweight Championship (Omaha version) (2 times)
* Big Time Wrestling (San Francisco)
* NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version) (1 time)
* NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (1 time) – with Nick Bockwinkel
* Fred Kohler Enterprises
* NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Chicago version) (2 times)
* George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
* Class of 2014[3]
* International Wrestling Association (Montreal)
* IWA International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* Japan Wrestling Association
* NWA International Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Danny Hodge
* Midwest Wrestling Association
* NWA Eastern States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Ohio version) (1 time) – with Dick the Bruiser
* NWA Detroit
* NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Detroit version) (2 times)
* World Wrestling Associates/NWA Hollywood Wrestling
* NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship (2 times)
* WWA International Television Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Sandor Szabo (2) and Bobo Brazil (2)
* NWA Western States Sports
* NWA World Tag Team Championship (Texas version) (2 times) – with Verne Gagne (1) and Pepper Gomez (1)[4][5]
* St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame
* Class of 2014
* World Wrestling Association
* WWA World Tag Team Championship (14 times) – with Dick the Bruiser (3), Moose Cholak (3), Luis Martinez (1), Pat O'Connor (1), Paul Christy (1), Pepper Gomez (2), Dominic Denucci (1), and Spike Huber (2)[6]
* Worldwide Wrestling Associates
* WWA International Television Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Sandor Szabo (2) and Bobo Brazil (2)[7]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b National Wrestling Alliance, The Untold Story of the Monopoly that Strangled Pro Wrestling, p. 237, Tim Hornbaker, ECW Press, 2007, ISBN 1-55022-741-6
2. ^ a b c d e f National Wrestling Alliance, The Untold Story of the Monopoly that Strangled Pro Wrestling, p. 238, Tim Hornbaker, ECW Press, 2007, ISBN 1-55022-741-6
3. ^ "Wilbur Snyder | National Wrestling Hall of Fame". nwhof.org. Retrieved 2017-04-26.
4. ^ Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "Texas: NWA World Tag Team Title [Siegel, Boesch and McLemore]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
5. ^ "National Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Title [E. Texas]". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
6. ^ "W.W.A. World Tag Team Title (Indianapolis)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003.
7. ^ "International Television Tag Team Title (Los Angeles)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003.

## External links[edit]

* Wilbur Snyder's profile at Cagematch.net , Internet Wrestling Database

Links to related articles

* v
* t
* e

AWA World Tag Team Champions

1960s|

* Murder, Inc. (Stan Kowalski and Tiny Mills)
* Hard Boiled Haggerty and Len Montana / Gene Kiniski
* Leo Nomellini and Wilbur Snyder
* Hard Boiled Haggerty and Bob Geigel
* Pat Kennedy and Dale Lewis
* Bob Geigel and Otto Von Krupp
* Larry Hennig and Duke Hoffman
* Bob Geigel and Stan Kowalski
* The Neilsons (Art Neilson and Stan Neilson)
* Doug Gilbert and Dick Steinborn
* The Kalmikoffs (Ivan and Karol)
* The Crusher and Dick the Bruiser
* Moose Evans and Verne Gagne
* Larry Hennig and Harley Race
* The Crusher and Verne Gagne
* Larry Hennig and Chris Markoff/Harley Race
* Pat O'Connor and Wilbur Snyder
* Mitsu Arakawa and Dr. Moto
* The Vachons (Butcher and Mad Dog)
* The Von Steigers (Karl Von Steiger and Kurt Von Steiger)
* The Vachons (Butcher and Mad Dog)
* Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson

1970s|

* Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens
* The Crusher and Billy Robinson
* Bobby Duncum and Blackjack Lanza
* The High Flyers (Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne)
* Pat Patterson and Ray Stevens
* Verne Gagne and Mad Dog Vachon

1980s|

* East-West Connection (Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura)
* The Sheiks (Jerry Blackwell and Ken Patera)
* The Crusher and Baron von Raschke
* Road Warriors (Animal and Hawk)
* Jimmy Garvin and Steve Regal
* Scott Hall and Curt Hennig
* Buddy Rose and Doug Somers
* The Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels)
* Soldat Ustinov and Boris Zhukov / Doug Somers
* Bill Dundee and Jerry Lawler
* Dr. D and Héctor Guerrero
* The Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey and Randy Rose)
* Badd Company (Paul Diamond and Pat Tanaka)
* Brad Rheingans and Ken Patera
* The Destruction Crew (Wayne Bloom and Mike Enos)

1990s|

* D.J. Peterson and The Trooper

* v
* t
* e

National Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Champions (San Francisco version)

1950s|

* Ray Eckert and Hard Boiled Haggerty
* Ben Sharpe and Mike Sharpe
* Ray Eckert and Frederick von Schacht
* Frederick von Schacht and Tom Rice
* Sándor Szabó and Primo Carnera
* Sándor Szabó and Ron Etchison
* Leo Nomellini and Hombre Montana
* Ray Eckert and Fred Atkins
* Leo Nomellini and Enrique Torres
* Leo Nomellini and Rocky Brown
* Gene Kiniski and Lord James Blears
* Enrique Torres and Johnny Barend
* Gene Kiniski and Lord James Blears
* Ronnie Etchison and Ray Stern
* Gene Kiniski and Lord James Blears
* Rikidōzan and Koukichi Endo
* Enrique Torres and Bobo Brazil
* Bill Miller and Ed Miller
* Enrique Torres and Ronnie Etchison
* Emil Dusek and Ernie Dusek
* Baillargeon Brothers (Adrien Baillargeon and Paul Baillargeon)
* Ben Sharpe and Lord James Blears
* Leo Nomellini and Enrique Torres
* Ramon Torres and Tex McKenzie
* Omaya Kato and Karl von Schober
* Ramon Torres and Ciclon Anaya
* Hans Hermann and Art Neilson
* Ramon Torres and Dick Warren
* Hombre Montana and Tiny Mills
* Ramon Torres and Dick Warren
* Gene Dubuque and Mike Valentino
* Ronnie Etchison and "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers
* Gene Dubuque and Fritz von Goehring
* Ronnie Etchison and Johnny Barend
* Ben Sharpe and Red Hangman
* Ramon Torres and Great Lothario
* Enrique Torres and Rip Miller
* Alberto Torres and Ron Etchison

1960s|

* Man Mountain Campbell and Mr. Kleen
* Enrique Torres and Reggie Parks
* Joe Brunetti and Guy Brunetti
* Kinji Shibuya and Mitsu Arakawa
* Wilbur Snyder and Nick Bockwinkel
* Art Nielsen and Stan Nielsen
* Pepper Gomez and Jose Lothario
* Ray Stevens and Dan Manoukian
* The Destroyer and Billy Red Lyons
* Blond Bombers (Ray Stevens and Pat Patterson)
* Ciclon Negro and The Mongolian Stomper
* Pepper Gomez and Pedro Morales
* Kinji Shibuya and Great Sasaki
* Kinji Shibuya and Masa Saito
* Peter Maivia and Pepper Gomez
* Ray Stevens and Peter Maivia

1970s|

* Pat Patterson and Billy Graham
* Rocky Johnson and Pepper Gomez
* Lars Anderson and Paul DeMarco
* Pat Patterson and Rocky Johnson
* Kinji Shibuya and Great Mephisto
* Interns (Intern #1 and Intern #2)
* Von Brauners (Kurt Von Brauner and Karl Von Brauner)
* Pat Patterson and Peter Maivia
* Invaders (Invader #1 and Invader #2)
* Pat Patterson and Moondog Mayne
* Pat Patterson and Pedro Morales
* Don Muraco and Invader #1
* Pat Patterson and Tony Garea
* The Royal Kangaroos (Jonathan Boyd and Norman Frederick Charles III)
* Jimmy Valiant and Johnny Valiant
* Pat Patterson and Pepper Gomez
* Bob Roop and Alexis Smirnoff
* Pepper Gomez and Al Madril
* Von Steigers (Kurt Von Steiger and Karl Von Steiger)
* Ray Stevens and Moondog Mayne
* Black Gordman and Goliath
* Dean Ho and Moondog Mayne
* Dean Ho and Ron Starr
* Ed Wiskoski and Buddy Rose
* Ron Starr and Enrique Vera
* Ed Wiskoski and Roddy Piper

* v
* t
* e

NWA World Tag Team Champions (Texas version)

1950s|

* Verne Gagne and Wilbur Snyder
* Bill Longson and Ike Eakins
* El Médico and Pepper Gomez
* The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Roy Heffernan)
* Pepper Gomez and Rito Romero
* Duke Keomuka and Mr. Moto

1960s|

* Ciclone Anaya and Pepper Gomez
* Joe Christie and Man Mountain Managoff
* Adnon Kaisy and Hogan Wharton
* Danny McShain and Joe Christie
* Pepper Gomez and Torbellino Blanco
* Pepper Gomez and Wilbur Snyder
* Dory Dixon and Rito Romero
* Duke Keomuka and Tony Martin
* Dory Dixon and Pepper Gomez
* The Dalton Brothers (Jack Dalton and Jim Dalton)
* Ciclon Negro and Dory Dixon
* The Kozak Brothers (Jerry Kozak and Nick Kozak)
* The Alaskan and Tarzan Tyler
* Duke Keomuka and Taro Miyake
* Mike Clancy and Red McKim
* Ciclon Negro and Oscar Salazar
* Ivan the Terrible and Tony Borne
* Bull Curry and Lucas Pertano
* Rip Hawk and Rock Hunter
* Von Brauners (Karl Von Brauner and Kurt Von Brauner )
* Ciclon Negro and Ricki Starr
* Fritz Von Erich and Killer Karl Kox
* Duke Keomuka and Kanji Inoki
* The Destroyer and Golden Terror
* Duke Keomuka and Fritz Von Erich
* The Internationals (Al Costello and Karl Von Brauner)
* Danny Miller and Nick Kozak
* Nick Bockwinkel and Ricky Romero
* Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk
* The Infernos (Inferno #1 and Inferno #2)
* Chati Yokouchi and Mr. Ito

1980s|

* Ali Mustafa and Hercules Ayala
* Von Erichs (David Von Erich and Kevin Von Erich)
* Chang Chung and The Great Kabuki
* Kerry Von Erich and Terry Orndorff
* Bill Irwin and Frank Dusek
* Al Madril and Kerry Von Erich
* Bill Irwin and Bugsy McGraw

* v
* t
* e

World Heavyweight Champions (Omaha)

1950s|

* Édouard Carpentier
* Verne Gagne
* Wilbur Snyder
* Dick the Bruiser
* Wilbur Snyder
* Dr. X

1960s|

* Don Leo Jonathan
* Fritz Von Erich
* The Crusher

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template