Press Release: Tragos/Thesz HOF Inductions (Hennig, Williams & more)
On Thursday, May 24, 2007 at 5:18 PM EST Kyle Klingman of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa passed along the following press release with details on the museum's George Tragos / Lou Thesz Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame inductions this summer.
Red Bastien, Steve Williams headline pro inductions July 14
WATERLOO -- Red Bastien, Steve “Dr. Death" Williams, Curt Hennig, Dale Lewis and The Great Gama will be inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame on Saturday, July 14.
In addition, the Frank Gotch Award will be presented to Ted DiBiase.
The Great Gama replaces Stu Hart, who was voted into the Class of 2007. But Bret Hart, a member of the Class of 2006, said he and other family members were not able
to be at the event due to previous commitments, and he suggested that if the committee wanted to hold off on Stu’s induction until 2008, he would make a very strong effort to be on hand to represent the family.
The veterans committee of the hall of fame then voted The Great Gama into the Class of 2007 to replace Hart.
“We always want to make a strong effort to get family members to the event and so we certainly will adopt Bret’s suggestion," said Bill Murdock, a member of the selection committee. “The Great Gama is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time and deserves to go in any time."
Gama is the greatest of all the great wrestlers from India’s Punjab area and was rated by Nat Fleischer of The Ring as the fourth greatest pro wrestler of all time. Many experts put him in the top two, and some say he was the best. Though his record is shrouded in the past, it is said he never lost in thousands of matches. His workout routine is the stuff of legends.
Ted DiBiase, known as the “Million Dollar Man" during his very successful run with the WWE, has been named the 2007 recipient of the Frank Gotch Award, given annually to a person who has brought prestige and recognition to professional wrestling.
DiBiase has had a huge impact on professional wrestling inside and outside of the ring with his Christian ministries. He is the son of Mike DiBiase, 2006 hall of
famer, and Helen Hilde, who also wrestled.
He wrestled in some of the biggest venues in the world, including Madison Square Garden, The Superdome, The Skydome, The Tokyo Dome, and Wembly Stadium. A neck
injury ended his active career at the end of 1993 and he became a ringside manager and commentator.
Today, Ted is a full time evangelist and motivational speaker and has authored a book about his life entitled “Every Man Has His Price." Officially ordained into the ministry, he speaks to church congregations, youth groups, men’s meetings, corporate businesses, and in public schools all over the country. In addition, Ted is also a spokesperson for and board member of “The Sunshine Foundation," a group that grants wishes to and tries to meet the needs of terminally ill and handicapped children.
The inductions, the 9th, will take place at 11 p.m. on Saturday, July 14, in the new Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo. The
banquet will be held in the Five Sullivans Convention Center, just two blocks from the museum. The social hour starts at 6 p.m., and the banquet at 7 p.m. Tickets
ordered prior to July 1 are $60, and tickets after that date are $65. No tickets will be sold after July 10.
The Ramada Inn of Waterloo is the host hotel. Anyone wanting a room should call 319-233-7560 and say they are with the museum. The group rate will be in effect through June 22.
Anyone wishing to purchase tickets to the induction ceremony can visit www.wrestlingmuseum.org or call 319.233.0745.
For a full report of last year's Tragos/Thesz Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which featured Bret Hart, CLICK HERE
I would strongly encourage anyone who has the chance to attend both the hall of fame inductions and the banquet dinner. I was at the ceremony and banquet last year at the old location of the museum (Newton, Iowa) which was an amazing experience. I've been to the new facility in Waterloo and it completely blows away the old facility in Newton. This year's inductions should be another tremendous weekend. It's a great experience and a chance to mingle with some of the biggest legends in the history of the sport.