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Jack Wentworth

Title History

 

Career Highlights

In The Beginning:

  • Jack Wentworth and his family returned to Canada just as World War II broke out..
  • Jack Wentworth wrestled in Canada and throughout the Southern United States..Match Results:
  • October 29, 1933: Jack Wentworth wrestled his first match in London, England..
  • October 23, 1942– Olaf Svenson defeated Jack Wentworth in Buffalo, New York..
  • November 27, 1942– Pat Fraley defeated Jack Wentworth in Buffalo, New York..
  • December 11, 1942– Jack Wentworth defeated Ed Barnes in Buffalo, New York..
  • February 12, 1943– Gino Martinelli defeated Jack Wentworth in Buffalo, New York..
  • April 9, 1943– Frank Sexton defeated Jack Wentworth in Buffalo, New York..
  • June 25, 1943– Tor Morgan defeated Jack Wentworth in Buffalo, New York..
  • July 30, 1943– Jack Wentworth defeated Hans Kampfer in New Jersey..
  • August 6, 1943– Jack Wentworth defeated Dick Lever in New Jersey..
  • August 27, 1943– Jack Wentworth defeated Jack Vansky in New Jersey..
  • May 19, 1944– Georgia Championship Wrestling: Babe Zaharias & Dick Lever defeated Jack Wentworth & Al Massey..
  • June 9, 1944– GCW: Jack Wentworth defeated Dick Lever by DQ..
  • July 28, 1944– GCW: Jack Wentworth & Wally Greb defeated Dick Lever & John Mauldin..
  • August 25, 1944– GCW: Jack Wentworth defeated Ed Henegar..
  • December 8, 1944– GCW: Chief Saunooke defeated Jack Wentworth..
  • March 2, 1945– GCW: Don Lee defeated Jack Wentworth..
  • September 14, 1945– GCW: Jim Benedetti defeated Jack Wentworth..
  • September 28, 1945– GCW: Lou Plummer & Dick Lever beat Jack Wentworth & Don McIntyre..
  • October 19, 1945– GCW: Black Demon defeated Jack Wentworth..
  • January 30, 1946– GCW: Jack Wentworth defeated Jack Singer..
  • February 13, 1946– Jack Wentworth defeated Sammy Stein in Savannah, Georgia..
  • February 27, 1946– Jack Wentworth defeated Abe Ginsberg in Savannah, Georgia..
  • March 11, 1946– John Cretoria defeated Jack Wentworth in Savannah, Georgia..
  • March 25, 1946– Jack Wentworth & Jack Dillon beat George Romanoff & John Cretoria in Savannah, Georgia..
  • April 5, 1946– Jack Wentworth defeated Jack Singer in Augusta, Georgia..
  • April 15, 1946– Jack Wentworth defeated Joe Marsh in Savannah, Georgia..
  • December 7, 1951– Sandor Kovacs defeated Jack Wentworth in Buffalo, New York..
  • October 13, 1952– Georgia Championship Wrestling: Jack Wentworth defeated Nick Carter..
  • October 24, 1952– GCW: Benny Becker defeated Jack Wentworth..
  • November 7, 1952– GCW: Jerry Graham defeated Jack Wentworth..
  • April 12, 1954– NWA Florida: Freddie Blassie defeated Jack Wentworth..
  • August 8, 1955– Georgia Championship Wrestling: Farmer Jones defeated Jack Wentworth..
  • October 13, 1956– Ilio DiPaolo defeated Jack Wentworth in Buffalo, New York..Retirement:
  • 1959: Jack Wentworth opened a gym in East Hamilton called Queenston Health Studio..
  • ~~~This is where many Hamilton-based wrestlers were trained and where matches were held.
  • 1984: Jack Wentworth (Real Name: Alfred Hodgson) died at the age of 77..

    Exerpt from Hamilton Spectator, Sept. 26, 2009 by Jon Wells: Jack was a wrestling legend to the guys who dropped by and into his 60s he remained a physical marvel. He joked with the young guys, challenged them to weightlifting contests – and usually won. His son, Bob hodgson, worked at the gym as a ring announcer, and also tried his hand at wrestling in Europe for six months, calling himself Bobby Wentworth, then Bobby Wayne. (Ultimately, Bob was elected mayor of Stoney Creek).

 


Michael J. Kenyon (aka OldFallGuy) wrote: Jack Wentworth, another of those Hamilton ON boys, had a long career in the business but seldom got much of a push, despite doing a lot of traveling, including regular overseas jaunts to England, France and South Africa, among other destinations. He was overseas so much, in fact, that he was often as being from there when appearing throughout the U.S. southern states.

“Modern-era” fans may recall that it was at Wentworth’s wrestling school in Hamilton that the man who became famous in the ring as Ivan Koloff got his start. Those of us a little longer in the tooth will recall a little more Wentworth trivia:

On Thursday night, January 5, 1956, the evening on which Vincent J. (Vince Senior) McMahon launched what would grow into the largest, most lucrative professional wrestling promotion in history, Jack was putting over Antonino Rocca in the main event at the newly renamed “Capitol Arena” (formerly the longtime Turner’s Arena) in Washington, D.C. That card was the first of McMahon’s presentations over WTTG-TV in Washington.

And, when the show was first aired in New York City, on Thursday night, June 21, 1956 (over, I believe, WABD-TV, Channel 5, with Ray Morgan on the mike), Wentworth was on that card, too, although this time in the opener, putting over Angelo Martinelli. (Karl von Hess, Dick Steinborn, Hombre Montana and “Slave Girl” Moolah were some of the luminaries on that card.)

In North America, Wentworth seemed to mostly go from working throughout Ontario (you could find him up in the North Bay territory during the summers) and all over the southern United States (he had regular tours to the Carolinas, Florida, the Gulf Coast, plus Memphis, Birmingham and Atlanta all through the 1940s and ’50s).

Updated:

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Trained By

Self-trained

Debut

October 29, 1933 (England)

Birthday

October 29, 1908

Hometown

Hamilton, Ontario

Gender

Height

5'8"

Weight

205 lbs

Finishing Move(s)

Step Over Toe Hold

Favorite Move(s)

Flying Headlock

Notable Feuds

Status