Earl McCready

Earl Gray McCready (June 5 or 15, 1905 – December 9, 1983) was a Canadian amateur 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. In 1930, he won a gold medal in the heavyweight class at the British Empire Games. He soon turned pro shortly after and became a three-time NWA British Empire Heavyweight Champion.

Earl McCready

Earl McCready
Medal record
Men's Freestyle wrestling
Representing  Canada
British Empire Games
1930 Hamilton Heavyweight

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 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m).

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. 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.

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.[1]

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

References
  1. Oliver, Greg (March 18, 2016). "SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Earl McCready". Slam! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer.
  2. Oliver, Greg (March 18, 2016). "SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Earl McCready". Slam! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer.
  3. "British Empire/Commonwealth Heavyweight Title (New Zealand)". The Great Hisa's Puroresu Dojo. Wrestling-Titles.com. 2003. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
  4. "British Empire Heavyweight Title (Toronto)". The Great Hisa's Puroresu Dojo. Wrestling-Titles.com. 2003. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
  5. "N.W.A. Pacific Coast Heavyweight Title (San Francisco)". The Great Hisa's Puroresu Dojo. Wrestling-Titles.com. 2003. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
  6. "PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME MOVING FROM UPSTATE NEW YORK TO TEXAS". PWInsider. November 20, 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
  7. "Alberta Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. 4 April 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  8. Whalen, Ed (host) (December 15, 1995). "Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame: 1948-1990". Showdown at the Corral: A Tribute to Stu Hart. Event occurs at 15:38. Shaw Cable. Calgary 7.
  9. "Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (1948-1990)". The Great Hisa's Puroresu Dojo. Wrestling-Titles.com. 2003. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
  10. "Canadian Heavyweight Title". The Great Hisa's Puroresu Dojo. Wrestling-Titles.com. 2003. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
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