Achievements

• Bearcat Wright defeated Killer Kowalski in April 1961 to win the Big Time Pro Wrestling title and become, in effect, the world heavyweight wrestling champion." Five days before Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech, Wright won the WWA World Heavyweight Championship from "Classy" Fred Blassie. He is one of the few wrestlers who legitimately would not drop their title—and so WWA had to hire Gene LeBell (a known judo champion and shooter—or one who knew how to legitimately wrestle to defend themselves if needed) to substitute for Blassie at a rematch.