Abe Coleman

Abe Coleman

Abe Coleman at his 100th birthday party on September 18, 2005.
Born (1905-09-20)September 20, 1905
Żychlin, Łódź, Poland
Died March 28, 2007(2007-03-28) (aged 101)[1]
Queens, New York City,
New York, United States
Cause of death Kidney failure
Spouse(s) June Miller (m. 1939; her death 1987)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Abe Coleman[2]
Hebrew Hercules[2]
Jewish Tarzan[2]
Little Hercules[3]
Billed height 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)[3]
Billed weight 220 lb (100 kg)[2]
Billed from Los Angeles, California
Debut 1928
Retired 1958

Abe Kelmer[3] / Abba Kelmer[2] (September 20, 1905 – March 28, 2007) was a Polish professional wrestler, promoter and referee, known by the ring names Abe Coleman, Hebrew Hercules, and Jewish Tarzan.[2] At the time of his death, Coleman was believed to be the oldest professional wrestler in the world.

Early life

Kelmer was born in Żychlin, Poland in 1905.[3] His father was a coal-seller.[2] Kelmer had 15 older brothers and sisters, some of whom perished in the Holocaust.[2] In 1923, he emigrated to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and later moved to New York City in the United States.[2][3]

Professional wrestling career

According to the Canadian Online Explorer's Greg Oliver, there is debate regarding Kelmer's debut in professional wrestling. In 1929, local promoter Rudy Miller offered Coleman $25 to wrestle after seeing him work out in a Brooklyn gym.[3] Despite this, an "Abe Coleman" wrestled to a draw with George Deslonchamps on March 19, 1928 at Madison Square Garden, but it is unknown if it was Kepler or another wrestler with the same ring name.[3]

Coleman is also credited with the invention of the dropkick, claiming the move was inspired by kangaroos he saw on a tour of Australia in 1930.[2][3]

Coleman was never a champion, but was regarded as a solid midcard worker.[3] In the 1930s, Coleman defeated Jim Londos in a match in a Mexico City bullring in front of 60,000 spectators.[3] During a 1936 match against Man Mountain Dean in front of 36,000 people, Coleman slammed Dean to the ground, breaking the ring mat and dropping the pair down to the arena floor.[2][3]

Following his retirement from active in-ring competition, Coleman became a professional wrestling referee.[2] He also promoted several wrestling shows with Bill Johnston.[3]

After wrestling

Following his retirement from wrestling, Kelmer inspected license plates for the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.[2]

Personal life

Kelmer met June Miller in 1936, stating he met her in Madison Square Garden when he landed in her lap after being thrown from the ring.[2] They married three years later in 1939.[2] The couple had no children, and Miller died in 1987.[2] Kelmer lived in Forest Hills, New York.[3] It was in Forest Hills that Kelmer subdued two attempted muggers when he was in his 80s.[2][3]

Outside of wrestling, Kelmer's interests included poker and horse racing.[2]

In his final years, Kelmer was confined to a wheelchair and lived at the Meadow Park Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Flushing, New York.[3] Kelmer died on March 28, 2007, in a nursing home in Queens, New York of kidney failure.[3][4]

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. ↑ "Abe Coleman, 101, Wrestler Known as Hebrew Hercules". Classic Wrestling Articles. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Martin, Douglas (April 2, 2007). "Abe Coleman, 101, Wrestler Known as Hebrew Hercules". The New York Times. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Oliver, Greg (March 28, 2011). "Depression era grappler Abe Coleman, 101, dies". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Oldest pro wrestler passes away today". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. 2007-03-28. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  5. ↑ Oliver, Greg (December 3, 2011). "Superfly, JYD, Samoans, Cornette among 2012 PWHF inductees". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved December 26, 2011.

External links

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