My burning and off topic question

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Posted By: Hankron 

Did Bronco Nagurski have a 1950s Exhibit Supply Co. wrestling card? I have something related to the card, but have not found evidence that the card itself was actually made (There were Exhibit wrestling cards in the 1950s). From what I have, it is obvious that Exhibit planned on including Nagurski in the issue, but perhaps they aborted his card.

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Posted By: Hankron

Below is what the card would look like. And, for the those aren't into vintage football memorabilia, in that genre Bronco's of similar stature as Christy Mathewson or Joe DiMaggio.

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Posted By: runscott

...his opponent's head? ...or worse?

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Posted By: Hankron

It's a wrestling grip so dangerous, I fear potential liability if I were to reveal to the untrained public.

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Posted By: jay behrens

Baron Von Raschke's The Claw was deadliest of all wrestling holds. How come you never see anyone use it anymore?

Jay

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Posted By: Paul Adams

Or should I say Joe Scarpa (the Italian "Indian") had such a devastating knee lift that his opponents would literally "fly" (jump) over the ring ropes even if he missed. I imagine that it was so powerful, that even just the concussion of the air coming off of his knee from his signature move made them "sail" (jump) over the ropes!

You don't see that kind of signature move anymore (Thank God)!

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Posted By: runscott

all wrestling matches on t.v. were in black and white (the whole world was in black and white), and the really great wrestlers had beer bellies and wore ski masks. They also had titles befitting their importance, like "Doctor" and "Professor". Those were the days...

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Posted By: Rob M (ramram)

My hometown of Kansas City, as I recall, was where a lot of the All Star Wrestling had its infancy. Bulldog Bob Brown, Handsome Harley Race, Rufus R. Jones et. al. I always wondered if these names were just of local fame or do these names ring a bell outside of the midwest area? There also was, for years and years, twin elderly ladies (80+ years old) who sat in the front row of every wrestling match. Front and center if front of the camera, dressed identical, these gals would scream and beat the bejesus out of any wrestler that'd be unfortunate enough to come out of the ring near them. They were my grandfather's landladies (I think that'd be the name of female landlords). That was my claim to near fame as a child growing up.

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Posted By: Hankron

I know squat about wrestling, but as I litte kid did see 'The Claw' on tv. He had to be handcuffed to the ropes by policmen. After that, when I didn't clean my room or such, my dad would threaten me with the claw grip.

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Posted By: leon

I used to go to wrestling matches too. I actually have an ex-uncle who was somewhat of a wrestler....kind of small time but professional.. I used to remember seeing the likes of Wahoo McDaniels (ex-pro football player), the Von Eric's brothers (most have died from roids and overdosing and were from Dallas), and all of the guys that used to wear the masks...almost too many to name....yes, those were the days....regards all

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Posted By: Hankron

I talked to the head of a group of wrestling card experts who have created an extensive checklist for vintage wrestling cards. He said that the Nagurski Exhibit wresting card is no known to exist.

On a side note, he said he had the Exhibit wrestling card of Don Eagle, and there is only one example known to exist. I own the original photo for that card too, and on a sheet of paper aross the front the printers specifically said that the card was to be removed from printing and replaced with another wrestler.

So my question has been asked to reasonable satisfaction.

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Posted By: Ted

In doing some research on Bronco Nagurski, I found a story about his owning a gas station in Minnesota after his sports career. They say that once somebody when to Bronco's station to get gas, they had to come back. Was it because of price or service quality? No! He put the gas cap on so hard, that nobody else could remove it.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

Yes, there was a Nagurski exhibit cards made in the 1930s. An example sold on Ebay earlier this year for several hundred dollars.

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Posted By: Brian Daniels

ex uncle? lol

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Posted By: davidcycleback

Thanks Adam. A wrestling card collector mentioned to me that one was found and sold.

I have a pile of the original art for the 1930s-50s wrestling cards. My retired dad and his friend visited and were looking through my stuff. They got the biggest kick at the wrestling art, as they remembered watching the wrestlers on tv as kids ... My dad said he always thought it was 100% real, but, remembering back, the action ended just before commercial time ... He said the getting old Bronco was only a wrestling referee when he was a kid, but that didn't stop him from taking out a wrestler from time time time if the wrestler didn't follow commands.

Below is the original art for the 1930s card. Nagurski was 6'2" and 235 pounds, which is a decent size fullback in today's NFL. Can you imaging how hard it was for a college football player to tackle him in the 1920s?!?

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Posted By: bobc

Here is an example of the illegal hold in practice. That's Bronco on the left.

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

looked entirely, completely, utterly and absolutely PHONY--I never believed a minute of any of them. College wresting, on the other hand, is a very serious sport, executed carefully by the rules. Attracts the intellectuals.