Joe McCarthy (wrestler)

Albert Joe Criswell (April 30, 1929 – March 13, 2012), better known as Joe McCarthy, was an American professional wrestler who competed in the 1950s and 1960s primarily throughout the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) where he was a former NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion. He was a prominent competitor for various NWA territories including Nick Gulas's NWA Mid-America and Leroy McGuirk's NWA Tri-State.

Joe McCarthy
Birth nameJoe Criswell[1]
Born(1929-04-30)April 30, 1929[1]
Obion County, Tennessee, United States[2]
DiedMarch 13, 2012(2012-03-13) (aged 82)
Dyersburg, Tennessee, United States[3]
ChildrenJoe Criswell Jr.
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Al Criswell
Joe McCarthy
Masked Mighty Yankee #1[1]

Professional wrestling career

Criswell began his professional wrestling career in the early 1950s, competing primarily within Nick Gulas's NWA Mid-America territory. As Joe McCarthy, he headlined several events in 1954/1955, including tag team bouts with his partner Buddy Fuller.[4] By the late 1950s, he was competing regularly throughout Ohio, North Carolina and Alabama.[5] By 1960, McCarthy began capturing championship gold. On April 20, 1960, he teamed with the Great Bolo to defeat Bobby and Don Fields for both the Gulf Coast and Mid-America NWA Southern Tag Team Championships in Mobile, Alabama.[6]

On April 9, 1963, McCarthy won the NWA Georgia Southeastern Heavyweight Championship. By this point, he had become a headliner for NWA Tri-State.[7] On February 12, 1966, McCarthy defeated Lorenzo Parente to win the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship.[8] He defended the title in the Southern United States before eventually losing it to Danny Hodge in Little Rock, Arkansas.[9]

Championships and accomplishments

References
  1. Saalbach, Axel. "Joe McCarthy". Wrestlingdata.
  2. Kreikenbohm. "Joe McCarthyfirst=Philip". Cagematch.
  3. "Joe McCarthy: Profile & Match Listing". Internet Wrestling Database.
  4. Saalbach, Axel. "Show @ Sheffield". Wrestlingdata.
  5. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Matches". Cagematch.
  6. "On this day in pro wrestling history: Brisco vs. Terry Funk, Farmer Burns vs. Original Strangler Lewis". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. 20 April 2015.
  7. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Titles". Cagematch.
  8. Hornbaker, Tim (26 November 2017). "National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Professional Wrestling". ECW Press – via Google Books.
  9. "NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles.
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