On May 15, 1947, Toronto megastar Whipper Billy Watson faced off against the National Wrestling Association World Champion Lou Thesz in an historic match-up between two of wrestling’s all-time greats, live at Maple Leaf Gardens!

It was only twenty-one days removed from the fateful night in St. Louis where Whipper Billy Watson had lost his own hold on the NWA World Heavyweight title to Lou Thesz at the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri after holding it for 63 days. Watson had defeated Wild Bill Longson for the championship on February 21, 1947, also in St. Louis. The May 15 encounter at Maple Leaf Gardens would be Watson’s first chance to win back the World title.

Watson and Thesz had met several times before, including two time-limit draws for Maple Leaf Wrestling in Toronto and Hamilton in 1942, and a double count-out in St. Louis a month before Thesz ultimately won the title from Watson. Now Watson had the chance to regain the crown on home soil.

Whipper Billy Watson

The two engaged in a clean, scientific affair, and, like the majority of their contests previous, it ended in a time-limit draw, with Thesz retaining his NWA World title. From the report the day after in the Toronto Star from sports writer Joe Perlove:

“Among certain classes, this city is known as Toronto the Good, and if St. Louis’ Louis Thesz is doing any musing on the matter today as he limps off, his crown clutched in one hot little hand, he must go along with those folks.

For Toronto, or one of its citizens oozing civic pride, was certainly right nice to Thesz as he suffered to a draw in his title match with Whipper Billy Watson before 11,000 or so of Watsonian fans at the Gardens last night.

The civic pride oozing figure was referee Bert Maxwell, who all but fell on the back of his head (which would have been a sterling idea) trying to show Thesz that this city treats its visitors with respect. He went so far with that idea that many would bet he had been subsidized by the Chamber of Commerce. Or given a handout by the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce.

Maxwell practically fluttered about Thesz in his anxiety to protect him. He did everything but caution the Whipper against ‘hitting in the face’.

On those occasions when Thesz was lying helpless under the ropes, or outside the ring, and there was many, Maxwell counted as if he had stuttered from childhood, and at least four times he stopped at ‘eight’ as if that was as far as he could go.

Lou Thesz

From a strictly unbiased viewpoint (yuk, yuk) Watson about tore Thesz to shreds. He flung about with flying mares, whirled with avalanches, sent him skittering with flying tackles, staggering with elbow smashes, so that it looked like a technical knockout.

Thesz always managed to inch out of danger by grabbing a rope, hugging two ropes, straddling them, falling through them. There he was safe. Because Maxwell wouldn’t, or couldn’t, count to ‘ten’.

With that kind of assistance, Thesz was able to deliver a number of blows for his cause and several times had the Whipper in spots with hammerlocks and figure fours.

Small wonder it was then that when it was over after 50 minutes and Maxwell raised the arms of both principals and headed for the showers, that the crowd tried to take him to the cleaners.

…

Aside from Maxwell’s histrionics it was a clean match, so much so that the chap in the centre box who has been hurling invective at mat villains for years and years, almost strangled till the referee’s evident favouring of Thesz gave him something to scream about, and saved him from swallowing his tongue.”

Whipper Watson and Lou Thesz would have a rematch at Maple Leaf Gardens two weeks later on May 29, and this time Thesz defeated Watson. The two would remain friendly combatants for years, in the United States and in Toronto, including Watson’s first win of the National Wrestling Alliance World’s Heavyweight Championship from Thesz in 1956.

The Legacy of Maple Leaf Wrestling continues with MAPLE LEAF PRO