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Earl Gray McCready (June 5 or 15, 1905 – December 9, 1983) was a Canadian
amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...
and professional wrestler. McCready competed in the U.S. for Oklahoma State University in folkstyle, and as a freestyle wrestler who competed for Canada in the
1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from ...
. In 1930, he won a gold medal in the heavyweight class at the
British Empire Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...
. He soon turned pro shortly after and became a three-time NWA British Empire Heavyweight Champion. McCready was nicknamed 'The Moose' during his wrestling career.


Early life

McCready was born on the 5th or 15 June 1905 in Lansdowne, Ontario. He grew up on a farm in open rural area of Saskatchewan in the north regions with Regina as its capital city, Western Canada. During his wrestling career his billed height was . McCready died of a heart attack on the 9th of December 1983 in Seattle, Washington, United States at the age of 78.


Career


Amateur wrestling

McCready attracted the attention of Oklahoma State wrestling coaches when he defeated their heavyweight at a 1926 tournament in Canada. McCready came to the Stillwater, Oklahoma college, where he played football and wrestled. In three years of wrestling varsity, the 5'11", 238-pound McCready was 25–0, with all but three of his victories by pin. In 1928 McCready finished sixth in the Olympic Freestyle Heavyweight Tournament. As an Oklahoma State Cowboy, McCready won three NCAA heavyweight titles (1928-1930), becoming the first three-time NCAA champion at any weight. He was also the first foreign-born NCAA wrestling champ. He is one of only two collegiate wrestlers with three NCAA titles to win all three of his finals matches by pin (the other being Dan Hodge of the University of Oklahoma, 177-pound champ, 1955–1957). McCready still owns the record fastest fall in an NCAA final, pinning Ralph Freese of the University of Kansas in just nineteen seconds at the very first NCAA wrestling championship in 1928. At the 1930 Empire Games he won the gold medal in the heavyweight class.


Professional wrestling

Following McCready's graduation from Oklahoma A&M with a degree in physical education, he became a pro wrestler in late 1930, pursuing a professional wrestling career. McCready finished sixth in the Olympic Freestyle Heavyweight Tournament and he won a gold medal in Freestyle as a heavyweight at the first British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 1933, also in the same year as well, roughly two years after the start of his career, McCready had defeated the ten year reigning British Empire champion Jack Taylor. McCready worked for Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling during the 50s.


Retirement

In the early 1950s McCready became a star of Stu Hart's fledgling Stampede Wrestling promotion. In 1958 McCready fought his last wrestling match at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He retired from wrestling after a 28-year career in the sport.


Championships and accomplishments

* Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame **Class of 2000 *
Dominion Wrestling Union The Dominion Wrestling Union (DWU) was the first professional wrestling promotion in New Zealand. It was one of two organisations first active in the Australasian region, along with Australia's Stadiums Limited, and served as the country's single ...
**
NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship (New Zealand version) The New Zealand version of the NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship was a professional wrestling heavyweight championship defended in the National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated Dominion Wrestling Union from 1929 to 1953 and in All Star ...
(2 times) * George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame **Class of 2005 *
National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and former professional wrestling governing body operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA ...
** NWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship (Toronto version) (3 times, first) **NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version) (1 time) * Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame **Class of 2016, "Pioneer" category * Stampede Wrestling **
Alberta Tag Team Championship In professional wrestling, the Alberta Tag Team Championship was a tag team championship promoted by the Calgary, Alberta, Canada-based professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling in the mid-1950s. History The Alberta Tag Team Champions ...
( 1 time) - with Ski Hi Lee **
Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame Stampede Wrestling was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta. For nearly 50 years, it was one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies. Originally established by Stu Hart in 1948, the ...
(Class of 1995) *'' Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' ** Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame ( Class of 1996) *Other titles: **Canadian Heavyweight Championship (2 times)


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McCready, Earl 1905 births 1983 deaths Olympic wrestlers of Canada Wrestlers at the 1928 Summer Olympics Canadian male sport wrestlers Wrestlers at the 1930 British Empire Games Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Canada Wrestling people from Ontario Canadian male professional wrestlers Professional wrestlers from Ontario Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum People from Leeds and Grenville United Counties Commonwealth Games medallists in wrestling Gridiron football people from Ontario Canadian players of American football Oklahoma State Cowboys football players Oklahoma State Cowboys wrestlers Stampede Wrestling alumni NWA British Empire Heavyweight Champions (Toronto version) NWA Canadian Heavyweight Champions (Calgary version)