"Jesse Ventura Jesse Ventura (born James George Janos; July 15, 1951) is an American media personality, actor, author, former politician and retired professional wrestler, who served as the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003. He was the first and only candidate of the Reform Party to win a major government position, but later joined the Green Party of the United States. Ventura was a member of the U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Team during the Vietnam War. After leaving the military, he embarked on a professional wrestling career from 1975 to 1986, taking the ring name Jesse ""The Body"""
"Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (; ; born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-American actor, filmmaker, businessman, investor, author, philanthropist, activist, politician, and former professional bodybuilder and powerlifter. He served two terms as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 to 2011. Schwarzenegger began lifting weights at the age of 15. He won the Mr. Universe title at age 20 and went on to win the Mr. Olympia contest seven times, remaining a prominent presence in bodybuilding and writing many books and articles on the sport. The Arnold Sports Festival, considered one of the best professional bodybuilding competitions in recent"
"into the Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame. Billy Miske Billy Miske, alias ""The Saint Paul Thunderbolt"" (April 12, 1894 – January 1, 1924), was a professional boxer from Saint Paul, Minnesota. During his tenure as a pugilist he had multiple-bout series with a plethora of all-time greats including Harry Greb, Jack Dempsey, Jack Dillon, Tommy Gibbons, Bill Brennan and Battling Levinsky, among others. Despite a career shortened by illness and an early death, statistical website BoxRec still lists Miske as the No. 26 ranked heavyweight of all-time. An American of German descent, Miske stood at 6'0"" and over the course"
"scandal involving the Golden Gophers wrestling program. During his tenure from 1986 to 2016, Minnesota won three national titles (2001, 2002, and 2007), six Big Ten titles (1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007), and had 14 individual national champions. Jay Robinson (wrestler) Jay Paul Robinson (born June 7, 1946, San Diego, California), known as J Robinson, is an American former wrestler who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics, where he competed as a middleweight Greco-Roman wrestler. Wrestling in the 82 kilogram weight class, Robinson finished 4th in the 1970 World Wrestling Championships, held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He finished 5th"
"Ric Drasin Richard Alan ""Ric"" Drasin (born July 12, 1944) is an American bodybuilder, personal trainer, actor, stuntman, author, and former professional wrestler. He wrestled professionally for 36 years between 1965 and 2001, while also winning titles in amateur bodybuilding contests during his younger years. Drasin is also known for designing both the original Gold's Gym logo — a cartoon sketch of a bald weightlifter, and the World Gym gorilla logo. Born and raised in Bakersfield, California, Drasin began his fitness career in 1962. He taught classes in nutrition and exercise at the YMCA before he was assigned to train"
"Sports Hall of Fame. Dan Lurie Dan Lurie (April 1, 1923 - November 6, 2013) was a founding father of bodybuilding, television star, entrepreneur, world record holder for amazing feats of strength and a physical fitness pioneer that won the Mr. America title of ""America's Most Muscular Man"" four times by 1949 and made history arm wrestling U.S. President Ronald Reagan on the Oval Office desk of the White House. Lurie was born in Brooklyn, New York and later moved to Long Island where he lived until age 90. A world-class bodybuilder in the 1940s, Lurie won numerous titles in"
"Minneapolis. He ran unsuccessfully for attorney general of Minnesota in 1950 and for governor in 1952. Freeman was elected governor in 1954, and was re-elected in 1956 and 1958. He took the unusual action of declaring martial law in the city of Albert Lea on December 11, 1959, to maintain law and order during a strike at the Wilson Packing Company. After twelve days, a federal court ruled that the imposition of martial law was inappropriate. Also, on November 13, 1955, Freeman was a guest on the variety show ""Toast of the Town"", which would later be called ""The Ed"
"Tom Zenk Thomas Erwin Zenk (November 30, 1958 – December 9, 2017) was an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder. He was best known for his appearances with professional wrestling promotions the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Zenk placed third in a Mr. North Country bodybuilding contest in October 1980, then won Mr. Twin Cities in May 1981. That July, he won the Mr. Minnesota triple crown, titling in the heavyweight, overall and most muscular categories. After Road Warrior Animal met him at a bodybuilding contest and introduced him to"
"Lenny McLean Leonard John McLean (9 April 1949 – 28 July 1998), also known as ""The Guv'nor"", was an English boxer, bouncer, criminal and prisoner, author, businessman, bodyguard, enforcer, weightlifter, television presenter and actor, and has been referred to as ""the hardest man in Britain"". McLean's pugilist reputation began in the East End of London in the late 1960s and was sustained through to the mid-1980s. He has stated that he had been involved in up to 4,000 unlicensed fight contests. McLean stated in his autobiography that he has been well known in the criminal underworld. As a respected and"
"major-party candidates, St. Paul mayor Norm Coleman (Republican) and Minnesota Attorney General Hubert H. ""Skip"" Humphrey III (Democratic-Farmer-Labor). During his victory speech, Ventura famously declared, ""We shocked the world!"" After his election, bumper stickers and T-shirts bearing the slogan ""My governor can beat up your governor"" appeared in Minnesota. The nickname ""Jesse 'The Mind (from a last-minute Hillsman ad featuring Ventura posing as Rodin's ""Thinker"") began to resurface sarcastically in reference to his frequently controversial remarks. Ventura's old stage name ""Jesse 'The Body (sometimes adapted to ""Jesse 'The Governing Body) also continued to appear with some regularity. After a trade"
"Orville Freeman Orville Lothrop Freeman (May 9, 1918February 20, 2003) was an American Democratic politician who served as the 29th Governor of Minnesota from January 5, 1955 to January 2, 1961, and as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture from 1961 to 1969 under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He was one of the founding members of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and strongly influential in the merger of the pre-DFL Minnesota Democratic and Farmer-Labor Parties. Freeman nominated Kennedy for president at the 1960 Democratic Party national convention. Freeman was born on May 9, 1918, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Freeman"
"Dan Lurie Dan Lurie (April 1, 1923 - November 6, 2013) was a founding father of bodybuilding, television star, entrepreneur, world record holder for amazing feats of strength and a physical fitness pioneer that won the Mr. America title of ""America's Most Muscular Man"" four times by 1949 and made history arm wrestling U.S. President Ronald Reagan on the Oval Office desk of the White House. Lurie was born in Brooklyn, New York and later moved to Long Island where he lived until age 90. A world-class bodybuilder in the 1940s, Lurie won numerous titles in the Mr. America competitions."
"River Oaks, Texas on April 24, 2001. He was 72. His wife Sharon kept his ashes in her bedroom. She died in 2013. Johnny Valentine John Theodore Wisniski (September 22, 1928 – April 24, 2001), better known by his ring name Johnny Valentine, was an American professional wrestler with a career spanning almost three decades. He has been inducted into four halls of fame for his achievements in wrestling. Wisniski is the father of professional wrestler Greg ""The Hammer"" Valentine. He held numerous regional titles, including the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship. He had long running rivalries with Bobo Brazil,"
"twenty years after his boxing career ended in 1970, Lasky's mental acuity and control of his personal finances began to unravel. He died in San Bernardino, California on April 2, 1980 in a nursing home. He was buried in Norwalk, California, fifty miles west of his home in San Bernardino. On October 2, 2001, Art Lasky was inducted into the Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame. Art Lasky Arthur Lakofsky (November 16, 1909 – April 2, 1980), also known as Art Lasky, was a heavyweight professional boxer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lasky was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota on November 8, 1908,"
"Billy Miske Billy Miske, alias ""The Saint Paul Thunderbolt"" (April 12, 1894 – January 1, 1924), was a professional boxer from Saint Paul, Minnesota. During his tenure as a pugilist he had multiple-bout series with a plethora of all-time greats including Harry Greb, Jack Dempsey, Jack Dillon, Tommy Gibbons, Bill Brennan and Battling Levinsky, among others. Despite a career shortened by illness and an early death, statistical website BoxRec still lists Miske as the No. 26 ranked heavyweight of all-time. An American of German descent, Miske stood at 6'0"" and over the course of his career weighed between 158 and"
"Floyd B. Olson Floyd Bjørnstjerne Olson (November 13, 1891 – August 22, 1936) was an American politician and lawyer. He served as the 22nd Governor of Minnesota from January 6, 1931, to August 22, 1936, dying in office of stomach cancer. Olson was a member of the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party, and the first member of that party to win the office of governor. He is consistently considered one of the greatest governors in Minnesota history and one of the most influential American politicians of his era. Floyd B. Olson was born on the north side of Minneapolis, Minnesota, the only"
"Johnny Valentine John Theodore Wisniski (September 22, 1928 – April 24, 2001), better known by his ring name Johnny Valentine, was an American professional wrestler with a career spanning almost three decades. He has been inducted into four halls of fame for his achievements in wrestling. Wisniski is the father of professional wrestler Greg ""The Hammer"" Valentine. He held numerous regional titles, including the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship. He had long running rivalries with Bobo Brazil, Pat O'Connor, Buddy Rogers, Antonio Rocca, Lou Thesz, Harley Race, The Sheik, Wahoo McDaniel, Fritz von Erich, Bruno Sammartino, Johnny Powers, Antonio Inoki"
"The Crusher (wrestler) Reginald Lisowski (July 11, 1926 – October 22, 2005) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, The Crusher (sometimes Crusher Lisowski to distinguish him from other Crushers, such as Crusher Blackwell). In his obituary, ""The Washington Post"" described him as ""a professional wrestler whose blue-collar bona fides made him beloved among working class fans for 40 years"". Lisowski was born on July 11, 1926 and raised in the Milwaukee suburb of South Milwaukee. Early on he was more interested in football, playing fullback for the South Milwaukee High School football team, but took"
"George Steele William James Myers (April 16, 1937 – February 16, 2017), better known by his ring name George ""The Animal"" Steele, was an American professional wrestler, school teacher, author, and actor. His career lasted from 1967 until 1988, though he made occasional wrestling appearances into the 1990s and 2000s. Steele portrayed Swedish wrestler and actor Tor Johnson in Tim Burton's film ""Ed Wood. Myers was born in Detroit on April 16, 1937, and was raised in Madison Heights, Michigan. During high school, he found success in track, baseball, basketball, and football. In 1956, Myers entered Michigan State University as"
"Deontay Wilder Deontay Leshun Wilder (born October 22, 1985) is an American professional boxer. He has held the WBC heavyweight title since 2015, and in doing so became the first American world heavyweight champion in nine years, which was the longest period of time in boxing history without an American heavyweight champion. As an amateur he won a bronze medal in the heavyweight division at the 2008 Olympics. This led to his nickname of ""The Bronze Bomber"", which Wilder coined after Joe Louis, who was known by the nickname of ""The Brown Bomber"". Wilder is particularly known for his formidable"
"of Bodybuilding through his current Internet show, ""Ric’s Corner"" on YouTube. Ric Drasin Richard Alan ""Ric"" Drasin (born July 12, 1944) is an American bodybuilder, personal trainer, actor, stuntman, author, and former professional wrestler. He wrestled professionally for 36 years between 1965 and 2001, while also winning titles in amateur bodybuilding contests during his younger years. Drasin is also known for designing both the original Gold's Gym logo — a cartoon sketch of a bald weightlifter, and the World Gym gorilla logo. Born and raised in Bakersfield, California, Drasin began his fitness career in 1962. He taught classes in nutrition"
"John Grimek John Carroll Grimek (June 17, 1910 – November 20, 1998) was an American bodybuilder and weightlifter active in the 1930s and 1940s. Throughout his career he carried the nicknames ""The Monarch of Muscledom"" and ""The Glow."" Grimek was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, the son of Slovak immigrants George and Maria Grimek, peasants from the village in western Slovakia. Besides his bodybuilding exploits, Grimek also represented the United States in weightlifting at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. In 1949, he won his last contest, the AAU Mr. USA, against a field that included Steve Reeves, Clarence"
"winning a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics and a silver medal at the 2001 World Championships. ADCC World Submission Wrestling Championships Record of opponents: USA University Freestyle Championships USA Senior Greco-Roman Championships FILA World Championships US Olympics Matt Lindland Matthew James Lindland (born May 17, 1970), also known as The Law, is an American retired mixed martial artist, Olympic wrestler, speaker, actor, coach, entrepreneur and politician. He won the Oregon Republican Party's nomination for the Oregon House of Representatives, District 52 seat on May 20, 2008. He also started an apparel company named Dirty Boxer. In mixed martial arts,"
"WWE Confidential. Mr. Wrestling George Burrell Woodin (July 28, 1934 – November 30, 2002) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Mr. Wrestling and Tim Woods. Woodin received a degree in agricultural engineering from Cornell University and a degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University. Before becoming a professional wrestler, Woodin was a successful collegiate wrestler. While wrestling for the Michigan State Spartans, Woodin won two Big Ten titles in 1958 and 1959. He also finished second in the NCAA tournament in 1958 and 1959. As a junior at Michigan State, Woodin won the 1958"
"Vince Gironda Vincent Anselmo ""Vince"" Gironda (November 9, 1917 – October 18, 1997) was an American professional bodybuilder, personal trainer, author, and owner of the celebrity-frequented Vince's Gym. His nickname was the ""Iron Guru"". Gironda was born in The Bronx, New York. While he was still a young child, the family moved out west to Los Angeles when his father, a stuntman, was offered work in the upcoming ""Ben Hur"" film. Vince tried his hand at being a stuntman as well but when he saw a photograph of John Grimek, he realized he needed more physical development and began lifting"
"Gene Stanlee Eugene Stanley Zygowicz (January 1, 1917 – September 23, 2005) was an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Gene Stanlee. During his wrestling career, he was known by the nickname ""Mr. America"". Zygowicz was born in Chicago, Illinois. His parents, Victoria and Paul Zygowicz, were Polish immigrants. Zygowicz was the eighth child of fifteen—he had eight brothers and six sisters. When he was five, Zygowicz fell down a set of stairs, and was partially paralyzed. He was given his last rites; however, he regained his health after being partially inspired by seeing a strongman at"
"Lou Thesz Aloysius Martin Thesz (April 24, 1916 – April 28, 2002) was an American professional wrestler. A fifteen-time world champion, he held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship three times for a combined total of 10 years, three months and nine days (3,749 days) – longer than anyone else in history. Thesz is widely regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. Among his many accomplishments in the sport, he is credited with inventing a number of professional wrestling moves and holds such as the belly-to-back waistlock suplex (later known as the German suplex due to its association"
"language newspapers. He was also a body guard for local politicians, such as former Mayor Ralph Perk. His popularity among Polish-Americans in Cleveland was valuable to local politicians. A movie about his life titled ""The Atomic Man"" was discussed but never made. Radwan died in 1998 and was survived by two sons, a daughter, and seven grandchildren. Stanley Radwan Stanisław J. Radwan (May 15, 1908–April 6, 1998), also known as The Polish Strongman and King of Iron and Steel, was a Polish-born American strongman and professional wrestler in Cleveland, Ohio during the 1940s and 1950s. Radwan was born in Poland"
"of April 27, 2015, Gagne died in Bloomington at the age of 89. Verne Gagne Laverne Clarence Gagne (; February 26, 1926 – April 27, 2015) was an American professional wrestler, football player, wrestling trainer, and wrestling promoter. He was the owner and promoter of the Minneapolis-based American Wrestling Association (AWA), the predominant promotion throughout the Midwest and Manitoba for many years. He remained in this position until 1991, when the company folded. Gagne was a 16-time World Heavyweight Champion, having held the AWA World Heavyweight Championship ten times, the World Heavyweight Championship (Omaha version) five times, and the IWA"
"school in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, with fellow future pro wrestlers Nikita Koloff, Brady Boone, Curt Hennig, Rick Rude, John Nord, and Barry Darsow. Zenk was the son of Lois and Robert Sr., and had three siblings: Robert Jr., Kathryn and James. His father died on February 20, 2018. Zenk died in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, on December 9, 2017, at the age of 59, from arterial sclerosis and cardiomegaly. He was interred at St. Nicholas Cemetery in Carver, Minnesota. Tom Zenk Thomas Erwin Zenk (November 30, 1958 – December 9, 2017) was an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder. He was best known for"
"Ken Sprague Kenneth Ray Sprague (born July 14, 1945) is an American bodybuilder, businessman, author and school teacher. He is best known as the owner of the original Gold's Gym in Venice, Los Angeles, which he owned and managed between the years 1972 and 1979. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Sprague had a passion for sports since childhood. While still in school, he actively pursued track and field, football, boxing, Olympic weightlifting, and bodybuilding. He competed in numerous Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) championships and won the Mr. Cincinnati bodybuilding title in 1967. After enrolling at the University of Cincinnati, Sprague was"
"Matt Lindland Matthew James Lindland (born May 17, 1970), also known as The Law, is an American retired mixed martial artist, Olympic wrestler, speaker, actor, coach, entrepreneur and politician. He won the Oregon Republican Party's nomination for the Oregon House of Representatives, District 52 seat on May 20, 2008. He also started an apparel company named Dirty Boxer. In mixed martial arts, Lindland has competed primarily in the Middleweight division for the UFC, Strikeforce. Affliction, the IFL, Cage Rage, the WFA, and BodogFIGHT. Lindland started wrestling at age 15 at Gladstone High School in Gladstone, Oregon. In 1991, he won"
"Bill Irwin (wrestler) Barney William Irwin (born September 17, 1954) is an American former professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, ""Wild"" Bill Irwin. Irwin is also known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as The Goon in 1996. He is the brother of the late Scott Irwin. Trained by his brother Scott Irwin & Verne Gagne, Bill Irwin began wrestling in 1979 in the National Wrestling Alliance's Central States territory and in Mid South Wrestling and World Class Championship Wrestling, winning the NWA Central States Tag Team Championship in 1979. He wrestled for a short period"