Sam Muchnick is often regarded as wrestling's equivalent of Pete Rozelle, and he was instrumental in establishing the National Wrestling Alliance, which became the industry's top governing body, in 1948.
13 Facts About Sam Muchnick
2.
Sam Muchnick operated the St Louis Wrestling Club, one of the primary members of the NWA, based in St Louis.
3.
Sam Muchnick was born in Ukraine to a Jewish family on August 22,1905, but moved to the United States in 1911.
4.
Sam Muchnick grew up in St Louis, and his name was changed to Samuel when his father decided that Jeshua was an inappropriate name for a Jewish child.
5.
Sam Muchnick covered professional wrestling, where he formed a friendship with Tom Packs, who was the Midwest's top sports promoter.
6.
In 1932, the Times merged with the rival St Louis Star, and Sam Muchnick left the paper for a position as Packs' publicist, where he handled public relations, finances and even booking duties.
7.
For nine years, Sam Muchnick served as Tom Packs' righthand man while learning the ropes under one of the nation's most powerful promoters.
8.
However, Sam Muchnick was insulted when Packs awarded him a paltry $200 bonus following the duo's successful promotion of the Joe Louis vs Tony Musto heavyweight title bout in April 1941.
9.
Sam Muchnick then decided to leave his mentor when longtime wrestling champion Jim Londos convinced him to start his own organization.
10.
Shortly thereafter, Sam Muchnick became the beneficiary of talent exchanges with various territories that joined the NWA.
11.
In 1950, Sam Muchnick was named the new president of the NWA, a position to which he was unanimously re-elected for the next nine years due to the immense trust that he inspired among the various members of the organization.
12.
Sam Muchnick served as executive secretary under Frank Tunney, Fred Kohler and Karl "Doc" Sarpolis.
13.
Consequently, Sam Muchnick was unanimously re-installed as NWA president in 1963 and held the office until 1975, thus contributing a total of 25 years as the industry's most influential promoter.