Jack Pfefer
Encyclopedia
Jack Pfefer (December 10, 1894 - September 13, 1974) was an professional wrestling
promoter during the early-to-mid 1900's. He pioneered an earlier form of sports entertainment
, as he was one of the first promoters to visualize the pro wrestling business in the mold of theater. However, he developed an infamous reputation when he exposed the sport’s inner secrets to the mainstream press in a spiteful attack that nearly destroyed the entire industry.
, Poland
on December 10, 1894. He grew up under the control of the Russian Empire; and it was during this period when the Czars issued numerous degrees against Jews
, resulting in a series of pogroms that killed thousands amidst increased anti-Semitism
. He therefore left as part of the era’s mass Eastern European emigration following World War I
, thus escaping the Holocaust by hiding in the boiler room of a ship to the United States. He arrived in the United States in 1921 while working as the manager for a touring acting company. With a propensity for theatrical drama, Pfefer subsequently found himself interested in the budding pro wrestling industry; and by 1924, he had begun promoting a band of Eastern European heavyweights as exotic contenders to the American champions (who would always emerge victorious over the foreign challengers in the end). Over the next five years, Pfefer gradually established himself among the region’s top booking agents; and then in 1929, he eventually relocated to New York
.
, Jack Pfefer quickly aligned himself with renowned New York promoter Jack Curley
, who then ranked among the most powerful men in the entire wrestling business. Following the break-up of the famed Gold Dust Trio
in the late 1920s, Curley initiated an alliance with several of the East Coast’s top bookers, including Toots Mondt and Ray Fabiani; and he subsequently formed an industry “Trust” that enabled the various regions to share their elite grappling talent. Pfefer performed as the group’s main talent manager, and he was primarily responsible for scouting potential European grapplers while also overseeing the organization’s financial books. Over the next few years, the Trust rode its incredibly popular centerpiece superstar, Jim Londos
, to record profits while Pfefer helped lead one of the greatest periods in New York’s rich wrestling history. Moreover, as Curley’s health began to decline, Pfefer began to position himself among the eventual heirs to the New York wrestling throne.
/Jim Londos
alliance that was dominating in the Midwest. The agreement subsequently extended the Trust’s influence throughout all of North America, with Curley, Packs, Mondt, Fabiani, Ed White
, and Paul Bowser
all agreeing to share the profits evenly. As a result, Jack Pfefer consequently found himself without any allies, as he was stuck on the outside looking in on the industry’s powerful new coalition. Ostracized by his fellow wrestling peers, a bitter Pfefer looked to extract revenge, and he therefore arranged an interview with Dan Parker, who was the sports editor for the New York Daily Mirror. Pfefer subsequently took the unprecedented step of revealing most of pro wrestling’s secrets and inner workings, freely admitting the sport’s “fakery” and theatrics. Although fans had long suspected that pro wrestling was worked, Pfefer had introduced a feeling of cynicism among the mainstream press that they were being used as promotional “chumps” by Curley and his associates; and in a now-famous headline, the November 19, 1934 New York Daily News
covered an impending Jim Londos
vs. Everett Marshall
bout by proclaiming, "Londos and Marshall meet at Garden tonight for 26th time. Score - Londos 26, Marshall 0."
As a result of Pfefer’s stunning admission, pro wrestling had suddenly become a laughingstock, and sportswriters no longer covered its results since it was no longer deemed to be “legitimate competition.” Furthermore, with the nation immersed in the Great Depression
, pro wrestling gates plummeted in New York; and in October 1934, Ring Magazine proclaimed the end of “honest-to-goodness wrestling matches.” With the New York territory in shambles, Pfefer then began promoting light-heavyweights along with Columbus
booker Al Haft and Charlie & Willie Johnson. Moreover, Pfefer again plotted against his former partners when he paid Dick Shikat to shoot on the Trust’s new champion Danno O'Mahoney; and on March 2, 1936, Shikat betrayed Curley en route to “stealing” the championship. The Trust subsequently filed an injunction against Shikat; but before the trial ever got started, Toots Mondt paid Pfefer $17,000 to double-cross Haft and his champion, Ali Baba
, by maneuvering the title onto David Levin
on April 24, 1936. Pfefer then sold Levin’s contract to Curley and Mondt in order to re-establish his industry ties; however, the Trust ultimately blew up when the other promoters refused to work alongside Pfefer, thus ending the alliance as each territory began promoting its separate titleholders.
) and the Swedish Angel (Phil Olaffson), whom Pfefer promoted based on their hideous looks. Moreover, Pfefer initiated numerous innovations, including such novelties as feature tag team bouts and midget wrestling; and he even introduced the blood capsule, which was used to create a greater illusion of violence and gore within matches. He also possessed a great eye for young talent, as he was instrumental in launching the career of Buddy Rogers; and he also served as a chief promoter of women’s grappling, booking the likes of Mildred Burke
and the Fabulous Moolah over several decades. It was also Pfefer who helped the legendary Sam Muchnick
promote his first show in 1945; and in subsequent years, he constantly shifted his base of operations, running territories in Toledo
, Nashville
, Boston
, and on the West Coast while solidifying his place among the industry’s top marketers. However, while working as an agent for promoter Fred Kohler
in the 1960s, Pfefer was largely blamed for ruining the Chicago territory when he booked a number of ridiculous sound-alike performers like “Bummy Rogers”, “Hobo Brazil,” and "Bruno Sanmartino", thus repelling most of the industry’s top-flight talent. Nonetheless, he continued booking matches until 1967; and then on September 13, 1974, Jack Pfefer died at age 79 while at a Massachusetts
nursing home. To this day, he remains one of the sport’s most controversial figures, yet he is also acknowledged among its most imaginative promoters.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
promoter during the early-to-mid 1900's. He pioneered an earlier form of sports entertainment
Sports entertainment
Sports entertainment is a type of spectacle which presents an ostensibly competitive event using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation, with the purpose of entertaining an audience...
, as he was one of the first promoters to visualize the pro wrestling business in the mold of theater. However, he developed an infamous reputation when he exposed the sport’s inner secrets to the mainstream press in a spiteful attack that nearly destroyed the entire industry.
Early life
Jacob Pfefer was born near WarsawWarsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
on December 10, 1894. He grew up under the control of the Russian Empire; and it was during this period when the Czars issued numerous degrees against Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, resulting in a series of pogroms that killed thousands amidst increased anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
. He therefore left as part of the era’s mass Eastern European emigration following World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, thus escaping the Holocaust by hiding in the boiler room of a ship to the United States. He arrived in the United States in 1921 while working as the manager for a touring acting company. With a propensity for theatrical drama, Pfefer subsequently found himself interested in the budding pro wrestling industry; and by 1924, he had begun promoting a band of Eastern European heavyweights as exotic contenders to the American champions (who would always emerge victorious over the foreign challengers in the end). Over the next five years, Pfefer gradually established himself among the region’s top booking agents; and then in 1929, he eventually relocated to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
New York Promoter
Upon arriving in the Big AppleBig Apple
"The Big Apple" is a nickname for New York City. It was first popularized in the 1920s by John J. Fitz Gerald, a sports writer for the New York Morning Telegraph...
, Jack Pfefer quickly aligned himself with renowned New York promoter Jack Curley
Jack Curley
Jack Curley was a sports promoter of the early 1900s. He managed several high-profile boxing events around the turn-of-the-century and he also established professional wrestling as a viable business in the big city, and he eventually built the New York office into an industry power while...
, who then ranked among the most powerful men in the entire wrestling business. Following the break-up of the famed Gold Dust Trio
Gold Dust Trio
The Gold Dust Trio was a group of promoters who controlled the world of professional wrestling during the 1920s while also making several fundamental changes to the industry's business model and operations that would ultimately change the direction of the sport towards a more pseudo-competitive...
in the late 1920s, Curley initiated an alliance with several of the East Coast’s top bookers, including Toots Mondt and Ray Fabiani; and he subsequently formed an industry “Trust” that enabled the various regions to share their elite grappling talent. Pfefer performed as the group’s main talent manager, and he was primarily responsible for scouting potential European grapplers while also overseeing the organization’s financial books. Over the next few years, the Trust rode its incredibly popular centerpiece superstar, Jim Londos
Jim Londos
Christos Theofilou or Christopher Theophelus better known as "The Golden Greek" Jim Londos, was a professional wrestler who was one of the most popular stars wrestling offered during the Great Depression.-Career:Jim Londos was born Christos Theofilou in 1897 in Argos, Greece. as the youngest of...
, to record profits while Pfefer helped lead one of the greatest periods in New York’s rich wrestling history. Moreover, as Curley’s health began to decline, Pfefer began to position himself among the eventual heirs to the New York wrestling throne.
Exposing the Sport
Then in 1932, a contractual dispute caused an eventual rift between Curley and Londos; and the New York territory quickly deteriorated without its top drawing card. Pfefer therefore abandoned Curley in favor of Londos’ group in early 1933; but later that November, a peace accord was signed between Curley’s East Coast promotion and the Tom PacksTom Packs
Thomas Nicholas Packs , born Anthanasios Pakiotis, was a Greek-American professional wrestling promoter. He was one of the top promoters over the first half of the 20th century and was responsible for building one of the nation’s most prestigious wrestling territories in St...
/Jim Londos
Jim Londos
Christos Theofilou or Christopher Theophelus better known as "The Golden Greek" Jim Londos, was a professional wrestler who was one of the most popular stars wrestling offered during the Great Depression.-Career:Jim Londos was born Christos Theofilou in 1897 in Argos, Greece. as the youngest of...
alliance that was dominating in the Midwest. The agreement subsequently extended the Trust’s influence throughout all of North America, with Curley, Packs, Mondt, Fabiani, Ed White
Ed White (wrestler)
Edward J. "Ed" White was a Canadian professional wrestler, best known as Moondog King of the Moondogs when he joined the World Wrestling Federation in the early 1980s. White won 48 championships in Canada and around the globe...
, and Paul Bowser
Paul Bowser
Paul Forbes Bowser was a professional wrestling promoter who was active from the 1920s to the 1950s in the Boston area.-Wrestler:...
all agreeing to share the profits evenly. As a result, Jack Pfefer consequently found himself without any allies, as he was stuck on the outside looking in on the industry’s powerful new coalition. Ostracized by his fellow wrestling peers, a bitter Pfefer looked to extract revenge, and he therefore arranged an interview with Dan Parker, who was the sports editor for the New York Daily Mirror. Pfefer subsequently took the unprecedented step of revealing most of pro wrestling’s secrets and inner workings, freely admitting the sport’s “fakery” and theatrics. Although fans had long suspected that pro wrestling was worked, Pfefer had introduced a feeling of cynicism among the mainstream press that they were being used as promotional “chumps” by Curley and his associates; and in a now-famous headline, the November 19, 1934 New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
covered an impending Jim Londos
Jim Londos
Christos Theofilou or Christopher Theophelus better known as "The Golden Greek" Jim Londos, was a professional wrestler who was one of the most popular stars wrestling offered during the Great Depression.-Career:Jim Londos was born Christos Theofilou in 1897 in Argos, Greece. as the youngest of...
vs. Everett Marshall
Everett Marshall
Everett Marshall was an American professional wrestler who was best known for his work in the late 1930s with what is now National Wrestling Alliance.- Biography :...
bout by proclaiming, "Londos and Marshall meet at Garden tonight for 26th time. Score - Londos 26, Marshall 0."
As a result of Pfefer’s stunning admission, pro wrestling had suddenly become a laughingstock, and sportswriters no longer covered its results since it was no longer deemed to be “legitimate competition.” Furthermore, with the nation immersed in the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, pro wrestling gates plummeted in New York; and in October 1934, Ring Magazine proclaimed the end of “honest-to-goodness wrestling matches.” With the New York territory in shambles, Pfefer then began promoting light-heavyweights along with Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
booker Al Haft and Charlie & Willie Johnson. Moreover, Pfefer again plotted against his former partners when he paid Dick Shikat to shoot on the Trust’s new champion Danno O'Mahoney; and on March 2, 1936, Shikat betrayed Curley en route to “stealing” the championship. The Trust subsequently filed an injunction against Shikat; but before the trial ever got started, Toots Mondt paid Pfefer $17,000 to double-cross Haft and his champion, Ali Baba
Ali Baba
Ali Baba is a fictional character from medieval Arabic literature. He is described in the adventure tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves...
, by maneuvering the title onto David Levin
David Levin
David Levin is a British businessman and CEO of UBM plc.As a child, Levin lived in Harare, Zimbabwe. His father was a political journalist, and when Levin was two, the family were given a day to leave the country in 1965. In consequence he has expressed his gratitude to the opportunities given him...
on April 24, 1936. Pfefer then sold Levin’s contract to Curley and Mondt in order to re-establish his industry ties; however, the Trust ultimately blew up when the other promoters refused to work alongside Pfefer, thus ending the alliance as each territory began promoting its separate titleholders.
Later career
Jack Pfefer never retracted his stance that wrestling was more entertainment than competition; and he therefore distinguished himself from his peers by presenting shows as a form of theater, with exaggerated storylines and bizarre performers. He was renowned for his booking of “freak” characters, most notably including the French Angel (Maurice TilletMaurice Tillet
Maurice Tillet was a French professional wrestler known as The French Angel who was a leading box office draw in the early 1940s and was recognized as world heavyweight champion by the American Wrestling Association run by Paul Bowser in Boston...
) and the Swedish Angel (Phil Olaffson), whom Pfefer promoted based on their hideous looks. Moreover, Pfefer initiated numerous innovations, including such novelties as feature tag team bouts and midget wrestling; and he even introduced the blood capsule, which was used to create a greater illusion of violence and gore within matches. He also possessed a great eye for young talent, as he was instrumental in launching the career of Buddy Rogers; and he also served as a chief promoter of women’s grappling, booking the likes of Mildred Burke
Mildred Burke
Mildred Bliss was an American professional wrestler, who wrestled under the name Mildred Burke. She is a member of the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame as well as the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame. Her heyday lasted from the mid-1930s to the mid-1950s, when she held the World Women's...
and the Fabulous Moolah over several decades. It was also Pfefer who helped the legendary Sam Muchnick
Sam Muchnick
Sam Muchnick was an American professional wrestling promoter from St. Louis, Missouri. He is often deemed as wrestling’s equivalent of Pete Rozelle , and he was instrumental in establishing the National Wrestling Alliance, which became the industry’s top governing body, in 1948...
promote his first show in 1945; and in subsequent years, he constantly shifted his base of operations, running territories in Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and on the West Coast while solidifying his place among the industry’s top marketers. However, while working as an agent for promoter Fred Kohler
Fred Kohler
Fred Kohler was an American actor known for his "heavy" style of character.-Career:Fred Kohler was born in Kansas City, Missouri. As a teen, he began to pursue a career in vaudeville, but worked other jobs to support himself. He lost part of his right hand in a mining accident during this time...
in the 1960s, Pfefer was largely blamed for ruining the Chicago territory when he booked a number of ridiculous sound-alike performers like “Bummy Rogers”, “Hobo Brazil,” and "Bruno Sanmartino", thus repelling most of the industry’s top-flight talent. Nonetheless, he continued booking matches until 1967; and then on September 13, 1974, Jack Pfefer died at age 79 while at a Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
nursing home. To this day, he remains one of the sport’s most controversial figures, yet he is also acknowledged among its most imaginative promoters.
Accomplishments
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
- (Class of 2007)