Turned Pro: 1951
Trained By:
Hometown: Buffalo, NY
Height: 6'2"
Wrestling Weight: 238 pounds
Territories Worked In: Northeast, South, Midwest, West
Toughest Opponent: All of them! Probably Lou Thesz and Hans Schmidt
Best Match: (Singles) Versus Hiro Matsuda. (Tag Team) with Mark Lewin Vs. The Grahams (Jerry & Eddie)
Favorite Move: Flying Dropkick & Sleeper
Titles Held: NWA World Tag Team Champion, Florida Tag Team Champion (among others).
From the early 1950s to the early 1970s, Don Curtis traveled all over the world taking on the very best it had to offer.
Aside from wrestling, Don also worked with the Tampa office of Cowboy Luttrall as the promoter in Jacksonville, Florida for many years.
A true athlete, Don was also involved with amateur wrestling for years and spent a number of years coaching wrestling at a Catholic high school. He was a referee for the AAU and was a member of the United States Olympic Committee for wrestling in the 1970s.
After leaving the pro wrestling ranks, Don became the chief of the Gator Bowl Complex which included the coliseum where wrestling was held every Thursday night. From there, he took over as a City Manager managing the Civic Auditorium which was a cultural center. He did that until his retirement in 1990.
Today, he and his wife own a realty company which he says his wife runs, managing office/industrial parks. As for Don, he says "I'm pretty much retired at 77 years old, and enjoy golf and my 14 year old grandson.
Don sent us his won/loss record from his tour of Arizona in the late 1950s. We're pleased to include it here.
1957
September 30, Phoenix - Went to a draw with Tokyo Joe
October 1, Tucson - defeated Jim Wright
October 2, Yuma - lost to Juan Humberto
October 3, Mesa - defeated Jim Wright
October 7, Phoenix - defeated Jim Wright
October 8, Tucson - defeated Tokyo Joe
October 9, Yuma - defeated Jim Wright
October 10, Mesa - with Bob Geigle defeated El Diablo & Tokyo Joe
October 14, Phoenix - with Geigle defeated Tokyo Joe & Jim Wright
October 15, Tucson - with Geigle defeated Tokyo Joe & Jim Wright
October 16, Yuma - defeated Bob Geigle
October 17, Mesa - defeated Jim Wright
October 21, Phoenix - lost to Dory Funk, Sr.
October 22, Tucson - defeated El Diablo
October 23, Yuma - defeated Rip Rogers
October 24, Mesa - with Geigel lost to El Diablo & Rip Rogers
October 28, Phoenix - went to a draw with Juan Humberto
October 29, Tucson - lost to Sonny Myers
October 30, Yuma - lost to Rip Rogers
October 31, Mesa - with Sonny Myers defeated El Diablo & Rip Rogers by DQ
1958
January 6, Phoenix - with Perez lost to Art Nelson & Jac Terry by DQ
January 7, Tucson - defeated Art Nelson
January 8, Yuma - defeated Larry Hennig
January 9, Mesa - lost to Art Nelson by DQ
January 13, Phoenix - wrestled to a draw with Art Nelson
January 14, Phoenix - lost to Art Nelson
January 15, Yuma - draw with Chief Ava
January 16, Mesa - with Perez lost to Art Nelson & Jack Terry
If you would like to contact Don, you may do so at:
Don Curtis Realty
11655 Central Parkway #302
Jacksonville, FL 32224
or via email at
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