26 Facts About Paul Boesch

Paul Max Boesch was an American professional wrestler and promoter, most famous for his work as an announcer and promoter for Houston Wrestling.

Paul Boesch spent several stints working with the Universal Wrestling Federation, World Class Championship Wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions, and the World Wrestling Federation.

Paul Boesch was born in Brooklyn, New York, on October 2,1912.

Paul Boesch was credited with saving 130 or more lives from the water around New York.

Paul Boesch began wrestling professionally during the 1930s, his first notable match being a 90-minute bout against Pat Meehan in Calgary on November 25,1938, which ended in a draw.

Paul Boesch graduated from officer candidate school in 1942 and earned a commission in the 121st Infantry Regiment of the 8th Infantry Division.

Paul Boesch deployed to Europe with his unit after the D-Day landings to take part in the offensive against Nazi Germany.

Paul Boesch led his rifle company in one of the bloodiest and most desperate battles of the war on the Western Front, the Battle of Hurtgen Forest.

Paul Boesch's unit took heavy casualties during the fighting, and Boesch himself was seriously injured by a German artillery shell, and for his service, Boesch was awarded numerous decorations, including the Purple Heart, the Silver Star with oak leaf clusters, the Bronze Star with oak leaf clusters, and the French Croix de Guerre with star.

Paul Boesch earned the prized Combat Infantryman Badge and the Distinguished Unit Citation, awarded to the soldiers of the 121st Infantry for their meritorious efforts in the Hurtgen Forest.

Paul Boesch authored a well-regarded memoir of his experiences in World War II entitled, Road to Huertgen: Forest in Hell.

Paul Boesch returned to wrestling after World War II, competing in matches across North America.

In October 1947, Paul Boesch suffered a broken leg in a car collision with a trailer truck en route from San Antonio, Texas to Corpus Christi, effectively forcing him to retire from in-ring competition.

Paul Boesch became an advisor to Sigel as well as a radio announcer, and two years later became the promotion's first television commentator when the show debuted on local television.

Paul Boesch's wrestling broadcasts remained a fixture on Houston television for over 30 years, airing on station KHTV channel 39.

Paul Boesch had essentially been training for this opportunity for 20 years, and he quickly brought the organization to new levels of success and visibility.

Paul Boesch is credited with the invention of mud wrestling, a concept he devised for a major match between Gus Sonnenberg and Harnam Singh in Seattle, Washington.

Together with his nephew Peter Birkholz, Paul Boesch entered Houston Wrestling into affiliations with Mid South Wrestling, World Wrestling Federation, Universal Wrestling Federation, and World Class Championship Wrestling to ensure that top talent from all over the country would appear on his weekly Friday Night shows; he would offer his fans dream matches and one card would see Jack Brisco capture the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Harley Race on July 20,1973.

Paul Boesch eventually shut down Houston Wrestling in favor of signing with Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation, an affiliation that lasted only four months.

The now-WWE hosted the Paul Boesch Retirement Show in Houston in his honor, which drew a sell-out crowd of 12,000 to the Sam Houston Coliseum.

Paul Boesch died on March 7,1989, after suffering a heart attack in Sugar Land, Texas.

Paul Boesch was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame as a charter member in 1996.

Paul Boesch was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2005 as a non-wrestler participant in the business.

Paul Boesch was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021 as a part of the Legacy wing.

WWE commentator Jim Ross has publicly stated that he believes Paul Boesch is worthy of enshrinement in the WWE Hall of Fame.

Paul Boesch was a highly visible fixture in the community during his many years in Houston, serving in charitable organizations like the Boys Club and promoting the benefits and necessity of physical fitness for America's youth.