Hans Schmidt (wrestler) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hans Schmidt |
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| Birth name | Guy Larose |
| Born | February 7, 1925 Joliette, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | May 26, 2012 (aged 87) Joliette, Quebec, Canada |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Hans Schmidt Guy Rose Roy Asselin |
| Billed height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) |
| Billed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Billed from | Munich, Germany |
| Debut | 1949 |
| Retired | 1976 |
Guy Larose (born February 7, 1925 – died May 26, 2012) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He was much better known by his ring name, Hans Schmidt. He became very famous in the 1950s and 1960s. His wrestling character was a "bad guy" German, which made him quite well-known. This character helped make similar "villain" wrestlers popular in Canada and America.
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Early Life and Beginnings
Larose was born in Joliette, Quebec, in 1925. When he was young, he was an amateur wrestler. He first wanted to work in law enforcement. He even started training with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. However, he left because he was unhappy with how they treated certain groups of people.
Wrestling Career Highlights
Larose used his background in amateur wrestling to start his professional career after World War II. At first, he wrestled as a "good guy" (babyface) using his real name. He had some success, but nothing huge.
Becoming Hans Schmidt
In 1951, a wrestling promoter named Paul Bowser noticed Larose. Bowser thought the tall, naturally balding Franco-Québécois looked like a German. So, he gave Larose a new name: Hans Schmidt. As the "evil German" character, Schmidt became one of the first big "bad guys" (heels) in wrestling. This was especially true when wrestling started being shown on TV in the 1950s.
Fans hated him as he fought their favorite American "good guy" heroes. In a 1998 TV show, Hans Schmidt was called "the classic foreign villain." He used the strong anti-German feelings in America after World War II. Schmidt was a pioneer for many other wrestling characters. These characters successfully used the "anti-American foreigner" gimmick to make the crowd angry. Examples include Nikolai Volkoff and The Iron Sheik.
Wrestling Style and Nicknames
Schmidt was nicknamed The Teuton Terror. He wrestled with a rough, aggressive, and scientific style. He often broke the rules during matches. He usually finished his opponents with a backbreaker move. He was also known for using the piledriver.
Other wrestlers remembered that he liked to wrestle "stiff" with them. This meant he used a lot of force, especially with his boots. Because of this, he earned the nickname "Footsie."
Popularity and Major Matches
Schmidt wrestled all over North America. He was especially popular in cities like Chicago, Milwaukee, and Toronto. By 1954, wrestling fans disliked him so much that he made another wrestler, "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers, a "good guy" just by wrestling against him. Schmidt later said that at the peak of his career, he wrestled up to eight matches a week. This included live shows and TV tapings.
Schmidt wrestled Lou Thesz several times for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. He also faced many other wrestling legends of his time. These included Verne Gagne, Antonino Rocca, and Whipper Billy Watson. He often teamed up with other "evil German" wrestlers. These included Karl von Hess and Ludwig von Krupp. He also frequently teamed with Dick 'The Bulldog' Brower.
After Schmidt became successful at making fans angry, other wrestlers copied his "German heel" character. Some took it to more extreme levels. They would do things like goose-stepping or using fascist salutes. They even used Nazi symbols. Schmidt never went that far himself. However, he was known to wear a helmet to the ring later in his career.
Later Career and Retirement
Near the end of his career in the 1970s, Schmidt wrestled around the Montreal area. He was still a "bad guy," but he was said to be from Chicago. Guy Larose spent his retirement years in the Laurentian mountains north of Montreal. He passed away on May 26, 2012. He was survived by his wife, his two children, and his stepchildren.
Championships and Accomplishments
- All-Star Wrestling (Montreal)
- World/International Heavyweight Championship (Montreal version) (5 times)
- American Wrestling Association
- AWA United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Big Time Wrestling
- BTW United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Fred Kohler Enterprises
- NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Chicago version) (1 time)
- Georgia Championship Wrestling
- NWA Georgia Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with El Mongol
- NWA Florida
- NWA World Television Title Championship (Florida Version) (1 time)
- NWA Los Angeles
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Los Angeles version) (1 time) – with Hans Herman
- WWA International Television Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Hans Herman
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2016
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2012)
