Bill Verna was born in Perth, Western Australia in 1929.
12 Facts About Bill Verna
1.
2.
Bill Verna moved to Belgium in 1947 and adopted freestyle wrestling as his profession.
3.
Bill Verna trained for two to three hours each morning and raised his weight to 280 pounds.
4.
Bill Verna faced, but was defeated by, Lou Thesz in a match that took place in Brighton, East Sussex.
5.
Bill Verna married a Singaporean in 1954 while he was living in Belgium.
6.
Bill Verna explained in an interview that neither man held back because they did not want the fans to "complain that they did not enjoy the fight".
7.
Bill Verna defeated Phil Siki, the heavyweight champion of the West Indies, in a match at Cambridge Road Baths.
8.
Bill Verna wrestled as a heel and gained the hatred of many fans.
9.
In March 1966, Bill Verna agreed to serve as a last minute replacement for the "flu-struck" Wayne Bridges in his match against Dennis Mitchell at Royal Albert Hall.
10.
Bill Verna scored a submission victory in the second round but was knocked out by Mitchell in the next round.
11.
In Pakistan, where Bill Verna spent most of his career, the journal Ash Shuja featured Bill Verna in a 1955 story.
12.
Bill Verna was said to be "appreciated and admired as a player throughout the world".