US honour for Kiwi wrestler Pat O'Connor

BY DAVID OGILVIE David.ogilvie@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
If there was anything that apparently stuck in former professional heavyweight world wrestling champion Pat O'Connor's craw, it was the fact that he couldn't win the title as a Kiwi citizen.
He was virtually forced to take out American citizenship to be able to remain fighting in the United States ? and won the title at his third attempt soon afterwards.
Raetihi-born O'Connor, who died in 1990, has just been included in the 2007 list of inductees to the United States top-ranked Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame.
It's recognition ? against incredibly tough opposition ? which has yet to be echoed in his own country New Zealand.
O'Connor's list of world titles is considerable, but he's best known for a period between January 9, 1959, and August 16, 1960, when he was both NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) and AWA (American Wrestling Association) champion ? and these were the top-ranked wrestling outfits. No-one has held both titles at the same time since.
O'Connor used to put the NWA title on the line consistently against such famous names as Killer Kowalski, Buddy Rogers, Dick Hutton, Dick The Bruiser, Lou Thez etc.
He also won a silver medal at the 1950 Empire Games before embarking on a professional career in the US, one which justifiably saw him become one of the highest-regarded grapplers the sport has seen.
Nephew Kerry O'Connor, who lives in Wanganui, remembers meeting his famous uncle just twice.
"As a 12-year-old, or about that, I remember us going to Palmerston North to watch him fight ? that was the first time I saw wrestling.
"There was a bit of theatre there, I suppose, but as a young fella it took my breath away ? and hey, it was what our uncle did," Kerry O'Connor said.
The second time saw Uncle Pat visit the family farm in Taihape for Christmas in the mid 1980s after he retired.
Kerry O'Connor remembers that his uncle was extremely keen to win the world title as a New Zealander ? and he was extremely frustrated when it didn't happen.
"One of his ambitions was to win a world title as a New Zealander. I think he had two cracks, the points were very close, but went against him.
"But the pressure was on him to become an American citizen ? and reluctantly he had to go through the process to remain over there and fight," Kerry O'Connor said.
"And wouldn't you know it, the next chance came ? and he won it. That was just one thing that niggled him a bit."
But that lack of New Zealand recognition which has supporters may yet come.
New Zealand sports Hall of Fame administrator Ron Palenski believes O'Connor's time will come in New Zealand:
"Some of the judges in earlier years seemed to think Pat O'Connor's style of wrestling was not 'serious'. I disagree but then, I don't have a vote. I'm sure he'll be inducted one day."