Stan Stasiak (born George Stipich; April 13, 1937 - June 19, 1997) was a Canadian professional wrestler and former World Wrestling Federation Champion. He is the father of professional wrestler Shawn Stasiak.
Career
Stan Stasiak made his wrestling debut in Quebec, Canada. He used the nickname "Crusher" early in his career and used a bearhug as a finisher. Later on in his career, he was known as the master of the heart punch. While he wrestled with the then-World Wide Wrestling Federation (now WWE), most of his success in the sport came in Pacific Northwest Wrestling between the 1960s and the 1980s.
During his stay with the World Wide Wrestling Federation, he would get one of the biggest opportunities of his career. Stan "The Man" Stasiak held the WWWF Heavyweight Championship from December 1, 1973 to December 10, 1973. He is the first Canadian wrestler to have ever won the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship. Unlike today, Stasiak was given little notice to winning the title before it took place. According to him, he was sitting in the dressing room in Philadelphia and the road agent came to discuss the match. Stan considered this a formality as he had been having the same discussion, nearly verbatim, in every major city on the Eastern seaboard for the last two months. In fact, it was the same conversation that Stan had over and over the last couple of times he had wrestled in the territory. However this time, it was different. The agent told Stasiak that Morales was to give him a belly to back suplex and as the ref makes the count, Stan raises his shoulder up after two, while Morales shoulder stays down, thus the title changes hands.
According to friend and fellow wrestler Frank Dusek, the company wanted to make Bruno Sammartino its champion again but did not want Sammartino to defeat current champion Pedro Morales in the process. Stasiak was used as a transition champion, defeating Morales for the belt and losing it to Sammartino just over a week later. Stan Stasiak also had a WWWF title match against "Superstar" Billy Graham in 1977, and an AWA title shot against Nick Bockwinkel in 1978. In 1984, Stan retired from the ring and became a security guard for a shopping center as well as a color commentator and interviewer for Portland Wrestling, the TV program of Pacific Northwest Wrestling. In 1997, Stan died of heart failure in Portland, Oregon at the age of 60.
Wrestling Facts
- Finishing & signature moves
Championships and accomplishments
- NWA Texas Brass Knuckles Championship (2 times)
- NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Texas Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Killer Tim Brooks
- IWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA International Tag Team Championship (Toronto version) (1 time) - with Man Mountain Campbell
- NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (2 times) - with Dutch Savage
- NWA Western States Sports
- NWA World Brass Knuckles Championship (''Amarillo version'') (1 time)
- NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship (6 times)
- NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (8 times) - with Mad Russian (1), Mighty Ursus (1), Haru Sasaki (1), Tony Marino (1), Dutch Savage (1), Buddy Rose (1) and Billy Jack Haynes (2)
- WWWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2018)
