Mighty Igor Vodic
Encyclopedia
Richard Joseph Garza (July 16, 1931 – January 7, 2002), better known as Mighty Igor Vodic, or simply Mighty Igor, was a professional wrestler
. He is a one time American Wrestling Association
World champion. As Mighty Igor, he was frequently billed as the "World's Strongest Wrestler".
and competed in bodybuilding contests. He won the Mr. Michigan title in 1954 before competing in Mr. America
and Mr. Universe
competitions. At a gym, Garza got into an argument with professional wrestler Brute Bernard
and knocked him unconscious. This gained him the interest of wrestling promoter Bert Ruby, who convinced him to enter professional wrestling.
during his early career. He competed for a promotion named Wolverine Wrestling, where he won his first title, the Wolverine Wrestling Mid-West Heavyweight Championship, on February 14, 1957. He also competed in California, where he won the Los Angeles
version of the WWA International Television Tag Team Championship
in 1962 while teaming with Eric Rommel.
Garza later joined the American Wrestling Association
(AWA), where he was given the ring name
Mighty Igor Vodic by Verne Gagne
. On May 15, 1965, he won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship
by defeating Mad Dog Vachon
. He held the title belt for one week before dropping it back to Vachon. In 1965 and 1966, Vodic also had two reigns as the Nebraska Heavyweight Champion
. The following year, he defeated Bob Orton
to win the AWA Midwest Heavyweight Championship
.
On January 7, 2002, Garza died after suffering a heart attack
.
man. At times, he would wear nurse's shoes and long underwear in addition to his wrestling attire to make himself look foolish. He was also known for bringing toys and kielbasa
to the ring, and he shared the kielbasa with his fans.
The other component of Garza's gimmick was his strength. He performed several feats of strength for the audience, including leaning with his back against a wrestling ring
and using his legs to hold back a car driving toward him. Other performances included bending iron bars or placing cement blocks on his head and having someone break them with a sledgehammer.
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...
. He is a one time American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
World champion. As Mighty Igor, he was frequently billed as the "World's Strongest Wrestler".
Early years
Garza grew up in MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and competed in bodybuilding contests. He won the Mr. Michigan title in 1954 before competing in Mr. America
Mr. America
Mr. America may refer to:* AAU Mr. America, bodybuilding contest held by the Amateur Athletic Union from 1939 onwards* IFBB Mr. America, bodybuilding contest held by the International Federation of BodyBuilders in 1949 and 1959-1988...
and Mr. Universe
Universe Championships
The Universe Championships are an annual bodybuilding event organised by the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association . It has a number of competitions: NABBA Amateur Mr. Universe, Miss Figure, and Miss Toned Figure....
competitions. At a gym, Garza got into an argument with professional wrestler Brute Bernard
Brute Bernard
Jim Bernard was a Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known by his ring name, Brute Bernard, and spent much of his career wrestling as part of a tag team with Skull Murphy. He competed for several wrestling promotions associated with the National Wrestling Alliance...
and knocked him unconscious. This gained him the interest of wrestling promoter Bert Ruby, who convinced him to enter professional wrestling.
Professional wrestling career
Garza wrestled in Michigan and OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
during his early career. He competed for a promotion named Wolverine Wrestling, where he won his first title, the Wolverine Wrestling Mid-West Heavyweight Championship, on February 14, 1957. He also competed in California, where he won the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
version of the WWA International Television Tag Team Championship
WWA International Television Tag Team Championship
The WWA International Television Tag Team Championship was the tag team title in the Los Angeles-based World Wrestling Association from the promotion's formation in 1954 until 1964 when it was unified with the WWA World Tag Team Championship. -Title history:...
in 1962 while teaming with Eric Rommel.
Garza later joined the American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
(AWA), where he was given the ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Mighty Igor Vodic by Verne Gagne
Verne Gagne
Laverne Clarence "Verne" Gagne , is a retired American professional wrestler, football player, and professional wrestling trainer and promoter. He was the former owner/promoter of the American Wrestling Association , based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was the predominant promotion throughout...
. On May 15, 1965, he won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship
AWA World Heavyweight Championship
The American Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the highest ranked championship in the defunct American Wrestling Association. All AWA trademarks, including the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, are now owned by WWE...
by defeating Mad Dog Vachon
Maurice Vachon
Maurice Vachon is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, best known by his ring name "Mad Dog" Vachon. He is the brother of wrestlers Paul and Vivian Vachon, and the uncle of wrestler Luna Vachon...
. He held the title belt for one week before dropping it back to Vachon. In 1965 and 1966, Vodic also had two reigns as the Nebraska Heavyweight Champion
Nebraska Heavyweight Championship
The Nebraska Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship originally sanctioned by the Nebraska office of the National Wrestling Alliance and later the American Wrestling Association....
. The following year, he defeated Bob Orton
Bob Orton
Robert Dale "Bob" Orton was an American professional wrestler. He was also known as Bob Orton, Sr. to distinguish him from his son, "Cowboy" Bob Orton, Jr...
to win the AWA Midwest Heavyweight Championship
AWA Midwest Heavyweight Championship
The AWA Midwest Heavyweight Championship was a title in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the American Wrestling Association. It was primarily defended in the Omaha, Nebraska area and was a title for mid-level wrestlers.-Title history:...
.
On January 7, 2002, Garza died after suffering a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.
Ring style
Garza used the gimmick of a friendly, but unintelligent, PolishPoland
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...
man. At times, he would wear nurse's shoes and long underwear in addition to his wrestling attire to make himself look foolish. He was also known for bringing toys and kielbasa
Kielbasa
Kielbasa, kołbasa, kobasa, kovbasa, kobasa, kobasi, and kubasa are common North American anglicizations for a type of Eastern European sausage. Synonyms include Polish sausage, Ukrainian sausage, etc...
to the ring, and he shared the kielbasa with his fans.
The other component of Garza's gimmick was his strength. He performed several feats of strength for the audience, including leaning with his back against a wrestling ring
Wrestling ring
A wrestling ring is the ring stage on which professional wrestlers wrestle.-Configuration and construction:The configuration and construction of the "traditional" ring is very similar to that of a boxing ring, though the wrestling version has three ring ropes...
and using his legs to hold back a car driving toward him. Other performances included bending iron bars or placing cement blocks on his head and having someone break them with a sledgehammer.
Championships and accomplishments
- American Wrestling AssociationAmerican Wrestling AssociationThe American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
- AWA Midwest Heavyweight ChampionshipAWA Midwest Heavyweight ChampionshipThe AWA Midwest Heavyweight Championship was a title in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the American Wrestling Association. It was primarily defended in the Omaha, Nebraska area and was a title for mid-level wrestlers.-Title history:...
(1 time) - AWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipAWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe American Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the highest ranked championship in the defunct American Wrestling Association. All AWA trademarks, including the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, are now owned by WWE...
(1 time) - Nebraska Heavyweight ChampionshipNebraska Heavyweight ChampionshipThe Nebraska Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship originally sanctioned by the Nebraska office of the National Wrestling Alliance and later the American Wrestling Association....
(2 times)
- AWA Midwest Heavyweight Championship
- NWA DetroitNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Detroit version) (1 time)
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version)NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version)The Detroit, Michigan version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1964 until 1980, when the Detroit promotion closed.-Title history:...
(1 time) — with Hank James
- NWA Los AngelesNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- WWA International Television Tag Team ChampionshipWWA International Television Tag Team ChampionshipThe WWA International Television Tag Team Championship was the tag team title in the Los Angeles-based World Wrestling Association from the promotion's formation in 1954 until 1964 when it was unified with the WWA World Tag Team Championship. -Title history:...
(1 time) — with Eric Rommel
- WWA International Television Tag Team Championship
- New Independent Wrestling Association
- NIWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time, first)
- World Wrestling CouncilWorld Wrestling CouncilThe World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....
- WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight ChampionshipWWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship is a secondary professional wrestling championship that is defended in the World Wrestling Council based in Puerto Rico. The title was created in January 1974 and, as its name suggests, is defended exclusively within Puerto Rico.-Title history:...
(1 time)
- WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship