Chief Big Heart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chief Big Heart |
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| Birth name | Richard Gilbert Vest Sr. |
| Born | 5 March 1927 Pawhuska, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | 22 April 1993 (aged 66) Palm Springs, California |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Chief Big Heart Chief Dick Vest Chief Vest Hank Vest |
| Billed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Billed weight | 242 lb (110 kg) |
| Billed from | Pawhuska, Oklahoma |
| Debut | 1951 |
| Retired | 1975 |
Richard Gilbert Vest Sr. (born March 5, 1927 – died April 22, 1993) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known by his ring name Chief Big Heart. He became a very popular TV wrestling star in the 1950s.
Chief Big Heart won many championships in different wrestling regions, called NWA territories, between 1956 and 1963. His special move, the "bow and arrow" submission hold, was famous. His intense rivalries with Dr. Jerry Graham in Georgia Championship Wrestling were some of the biggest events of that time. He was also well-known for teaming up with other Native American wrestlers. These partners included Chief Little Eagle and Kit Fox. Together, they won tag team titles in the NWA's Dallas, Georgia, and Tri-State regions. He also teamed with other wrestlers like Johnny Weaver and Haystacks Calhoun.
During his 24-year career, Vest wrestled for many different wrestling companies. He also traveled overseas to wrestle in places like Japan.
Contents
Early Life and Military Service
Richard Vest was born on March 5, 1927, in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. He went to the Carlisle Indian School. During World War II, he joined the United States Navy. He served on two ships, the USS San Juan and the USS Tawasa. He left the Navy in July 1946.
Becoming a Professional Wrestler
In the early 1950s, Richard Vest decided to become a professional wrestler. He made his first appearance in 1951 in Texas. His first match as Chief Vest was against Billy Weidner in April 1951. This match ended in a draw, meaning no one won.
Soon after, he moved to the St. Louis area of the NWA. By 1952, he was a main attraction at wrestling events in Toronto. He also wrestled for Stampede Wrestling in Canada.
Winning Championships
Chief Big Heart then moved to the Georgia region. There, he formed a tag team with Red McIntyre. They won the NWA International Tag Team championship on December 7, 1956. They defeated Ike Eakens and Fred Atkins to win the titles.
In January 1957, Chief Big Heart won his first singles championship. He defeated Dr. Jerry Graham for the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship. He lost the title back to Graham just a week later. His tag team with McIntyre held their championship for two months.
After this, Chief Big Heart had more matches with Jerry Graham. He then returned to the Texas region. There, he formed a new tag team with Chief Little Eagle. They pretended to be Cherokee chiefs. They won the NWA Texas Tag Team Championship on April 7, 1959. They lost the title a week later. During this time, Big Heart and Little Eagle had rivalries with other famous teams.
In 1960, Chief Big Heart teamed up with Johnny Valentine. They defended the WWWF United States Tag-Team Championship. He also wrestled a lot for Capitol Wrestling Corporation, which later became WWF/E. He even had a match with the then WWE champion Bruno Sammartino that ended in a draw.
Later Career and Retirement
Chief Big Heart continued his rivalry with Jerry Graham. He tried to win the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship with different partners but was not successful. In 1963, he returned to Georgia Championship Wrestling with Chief Little Eagle. They won the NWA World Tag Team Championship (Georgia version) in November 1963. They held the titles for about a month.
Later, he formed a new tag team with another Native American wrestler, Chief Kit Fox. They won the NWA Tri-State Tag Team Championship in January 1969. Soon after, Chief Big Heart and Kit Fox were in an accident. This accident led to the end of both their wrestling careers.
After the accident, Chief Big Heart wrestled only sometimes. His last known match was on September 4, 1975. He later worked as a security officer in Las Vegas. He also sometimes worked as a referee at local wrestling shows in the early 1980s.
Richard Vest passed away on April 22, 1993, at age 66, due to health problems from diabetes. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, DC.
Championships and Accomplishments
- Big Time Wrestling
- NWA Texas Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Chief Little Eagle
- Georgia Championship Wrestling
- NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Georgia version) (1 time)
- NWA International Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Red McIntyre
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Georgia version) (1 time) – with Chief Little Eagle
- NWA Tri-State
- NWA Tri-State Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Chief Kit Fox
- Stadiums Limited
- NWA North American Championship (Australian version) (1 time)
