21 Facts About Ray Hrstich

Ray Hrstich was among the first New Zealanders to travel to the US and, like his fellow countrymen Pat O'Connor and Abe Jacobs, became a major star with the National Wrestling Alliance during the Television-era.

Ray Hrstich won the NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship in 1958 and, later in the US, held the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship, NWA Iowa Heavyweight Championship, and the NWA Americas 6-Man Tag Team Championship with Apache Bull Ramos and Mike Riker.

Dick Ray Hrstich was born in the former Yugoslavia, in the city now known as Drasnice, Croatia and emigrated with his family to New Zealand at a young age.

Ray Hrstich held an "outstanding record" as a champion amateur wrestler before turning pro during the mid-1950s.

One of his most memorable bouts was against "The Zebra Kid" George Bollas and promoter Al Karasick speculated to the press that Ray Hrstich would become a great drawing card.

Ray Hrstich returned to the US a year later, this time farther east in Kansas City, Kansas for Central States Wrestling, where he defeated "Butcher Boy" Lee Henning at Memorial Hall on 23 April 1959.

Ray Hrstich held the title for two months before dropping the belt to his old rival Lee Henning on 5 May 1962.

Ray Hrstich left the area shortly afterwards to wrestle for Canadian promoter Frank Tunney's Toronto-based promotion Maple Leaf Wrestling and began appearing on events at its home arena, Maple Leaf Gardens, by the end of the month.

Ray Hrstich wrestled Steve Stanlee, Stan Stasiak and Jean Baillargeon during the next two months as well as facing his one-time tag team partner, Tommy O'Toole, beating him in both of their two encounters.

Ray Hrstich met a number of rising NWA stars while working for Tunney, most notably, Bruno Sammartino.

Ray Hrstich spent the spring of 1963 wrestling for Sam Muchnick and appeared in televised matches on Wrestling at the Chase.

Two months later, Ray Hrstich met NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz in St Louis on 20 April 1963.

Ray Hrstich later travelled the road with Thesz and headlined together in tag team matches.

Ray Hrstich had a brief stint in Jim Crockett Promotions that summer.

Ray Hrstich moved on to Georgia Championship Wrestling, then run by promoters Don McIntyre and Steve Manderson, where he and several other NWA stars including Lou Thesz, Eddie Graham, and The Mighty Hercules appeared for the next three months.

Ray Hrstich wrestled The Mighty Hercules to a draw at that same venue the following week and scored victories over Hercules, Tyler, Ivan Zukoff, The Outlaw, Lenny Montana and Gene Anderson.

From late-1964 until early 1965, Ray Hrstich wrestled for Championship Wrestling from Florida.

Ray Hrstich fared better in the singles division with victories over Boris Managoff and Chuck Karbo and made appearances for NWA Western States in Texas.

Ray Hrstich would go on to have a series of matches with Brisco in Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma until the end of the year.

Ray Hrstich spent some time in Arizona during the final years of his career and helped train Jody Arnold, the kayfabe nephew of Don Arnold, who became a major star in the region during the 1970s and 80s.

Ray Hrstich retired shortly afterwards and settled in Phoenix, Arizona.