WRESTLER PROFILES

	Wrestler: Bill Longston Real Name: Willard Rowe Longson Birthday: June 8, 1906 Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah Moved to St. Louis, Missouri Marital Status: Married to Althea Height & Weight: - 240 lbs Trained by: Debut: Previous Names: Purple Shadow (San Francisco) "Wild Bill" Longson Finishing Move: The Piledriver Favorite Moves: The Headlock Airplane spin The Flying Leap Notable Feuds: Man Mountain Dean Lou Thesz Ed "Strangler" Lewis Gorgeous George
NWA (San Francisco) Pacific Coast Heavyweight title defeating Sandor Szabo (November 15, 1938); NWA (San Francisco) Pacific Coast Heavyweight title defeating Bobby Managoff (June 10, 1941); NWA (San Francisco) Pacific Coast Heavyweight title defeating Frank Sexton (August 9, 1941); NWA World Heavyweight title defeating Sandor Szabo (February 19, 1942); NWA World Heavyweight title defeating Bobby Managoff (February 19, 1943); NWA World Heavyweight title defeating Lou Thesz (November 21, 1947); NWA (Central States) Heart of America Heavyweight title defeating Sonny Myers [Tournament] (May 18, 1950); NWA (Texas) World Tag Team titles w/Ike Eakins defeating ??????? (August ??, 1958); NWA Texas Brass Knuckles title defeating Fritz Von Erich (August 5, 1958);
Bill Longson had his back broken by Man Mountain Dean in a match that took place in the San Francisco territory.. ~~~18 months later, Bill Longson returned to SF under a mask (as The Purple Shadow) to get his revenge on Dean.. ~~~The Purple Shadow broke Man Mountain Dean's leg and pulled off his mask and revealed his true identity.... Bill Longson was a partner in the St. Louis territory/office after being the city's biggest consistent draw of all-time December 12, 1982: Bill Longson passed away at the age of 76.. 2006: Bill Longson was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in Schenectady, New York..