The Von Stroheims were a professional wrestling tag team that wrestled from 1960 to 1967. The team consisted of Karl Von Stroheim and Kurt von Stroheim. The team portrayed German villains.[1]
| Von Stroheims | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Tag team | |
| Members | Kurt Von Stroheim Karl von Stroheim |
| Billed from | Germany |
| Debut | 1960 |
| Disbanded | 1967 |
Professional wrestling career
editThe Von Stroheims started teaming together in 1960. They began wrestling in Detroit and were billed as brothers even though they were actually cousins.[2] As common with German themed villainous wrestlers such as the Von Brauners and Kurt Von Hess, they shaved their heads, had mustaches and wore black.[1] The team started off wrestling in Detroit under Bert Ruby. They wrestled in multiple territories including Hawaii, Central States Wrestling, NWA Mid-America, Jim Crockett Promotions, Championship Wrestling from Florida, amongst others.[3][4][5] The team won the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship on May 13, 1963, lost the titles and won them back on January 16, 1964.[6] The team won the NWA International Tag Team Championship in July 1964 and lost the titles within the same month.[3] The team won the WWA Tag Team Championship in February 1965.[7] The team won the NWA Florida World Tag Team Championship on October 23, 1965, and won the titles again on September 5, 1967. The team then captured the IWA World Tag Team Championship in June 1967 and the team broke-up permanently two months later.[8]
Personal lives
editKarl von Stroheim
editWalter Nurnberg was born in Canada in 1929. He was of German ancestry. He was a minor league hockey player but an ankle injury ended his career.[2] He began his wrestling career by 1959.[9] After the Von Stroheim's split up in 1967, he continued wrestling in NWA Tri-State, Arizona, NWA Mid-America as "Dr. Death #1" the WWWF as Joe Cox, Championship Wrestling from Florida and Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling as "The Untouchable #1".[10][11][12][13][2][9] Nurnberg retired in the 1980s and later delivered mattresses. He passed away on August 13, 2006.[1][14][15]
Kurt von Stroheim
editWilly Rutkowski was born in Germany in 1923. He was wrestling in Germany by 1956 under the name, "Johnny Stein".[16] He met up with Nurnberg in 1960 in Detroit to form the Von Stroheims.[1] He earned a shot at Dory Funk Jr's NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship in on March 4, 1969.[17] After the Von Stroheim's broke up in 1967, he wrestled as a singles wrestler and later became the second Kurt Von Brauner.[18][19][20][21] He wrestled until he was 62. After wrestling, he became a termite carpenter. He passed away on February 17, 1985.[1][20][22]
Championships and accomplishments
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e Sullivan, Erin (2006), Feared wrestler and gentle father dies, Tampa Bay Times, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ a b c Wrestling Observer Newsletter August 23, 2006, publisher: Wrestling Observer, published: August 23, 2006
- ^ a b Von Stroheims, Cagematch, 2023, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Stroheims Win Again, Birmingham Post-Herald, 1964, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Mat Show Topped By Ex-Champs, Orlando Evening Star, 1967, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Southern Tag Team Title, Wrestling-Titles, 2023, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Worldwide Wrestling Associates World Tag Team Title, Wrestling-Titles, 2023, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ International Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Title, Wrestling-Titles, 2023, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ a b Karl Von Stroheim, Cagematch, 2023, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Stroheim To Be Locked In Steel Cage, Tulsa World, 1968, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Akbar and Stroheim In Grudge Battle, Tulsa World, 1968, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Hodge Tests Von Stroheim, Springfield Leader and Press, 1969, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Hodge to Retest Karl Von Stroheim, Longview News-Journal, 1968, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Oliver, Greg (2006), Hockey injury led to wrestling for Karl Von Stroheim, SlamWrestling, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Karl von Stroheim, Online World of Wrestling, 2023, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Kurt Von Brauner, Cagematch, 2023, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Kurt Von Stroheim Challenges Funk, Tampa Bay Tribute, 2012, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Prisoner of War, The Charlotte News, 1967, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Lauderdale, Vance (2012), The Brawner Brawlers, Memphis Magazine, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ a b The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams, publisher: ECW Press, published: 2005
- ^ Oliver, Greg (2004), Hated Kurt Von Brauner dies from stroke, Slam Wrestling, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Kurt von Stroheim, Online World of Wrestling, 2023, retrieved 13 March 2023