WATERLOO, Iowa — As America’s greatest amateur wrestler and coach, Dan Gable has a list of accomplishments that is unparalleled.
Recently added to that list was a beer named after him.
Both Gable and the Gable beer were front and center on Thursday during the informal meet and greet to mark the start of the Tragos/Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame induction weekend at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum, in Waterloo, Iowa.
The museum gets a portion of the proceeds of the beer made by Iowa’s SingleSpeed Brewing Company.
After a standing ovation after he was introduced, Gable was at his motivationally-finest addressing the crowd, sharing stories about his days as an amateur wrestler and even playfully admitting that in his prime — like his 1972 Olympic gold medal — he would shotgun a beer in about three seconds as a reward to a job well done. “That’s after major wins,” he said.
One of his tales was about his first international competition, in Russia. “I didn’t know that people cheated,” admitted Gable. Behind in his match, it was ended two minutes early. “I could’ve gotten mad,” he added, but instead became more determined — and never got behind on points in a match ever again. (Though he joked that the refereeing could be a “little shaky” at meets in Oklahoma, too.)
Gable has always had high praise for professional wrestlers — “you’re about entertainment” — and greatly appreciates what the professional wing and the passionate fans bring to the museum. In pro terms, he put over Gable Steveson, another amateur star who is now in NXT.
Jim Miller, the Dan Gable Museum Director, called Thursday’s event the “pre-game party” for the various activities this weekend, including the induction ceremony on Saturday, live podcasts, and an Impact Pro Wrestling show. Himself an accomplished amateur, Miller said it was a “bad-ass family reunion.”
The only inductee into the Tragos/Thesz Hall of Fame this year is the late Gary Albright, and his widow, Monica, and cousin, Vanessa (Roman Reigns’ sister) were in attendance when a set of drawings was revealed. Albright was an outstanding amateur wrestler, winning the Montana State high championship in 1980 and earning runner-up status in 1981, finishing with a 55-2 record. In college, he competed for the University of Nebraska, where he was a Big 8 Champion and runner-up in the NCAA championship 1984, and earned 3rd place at the NCAA championships in 1986. Albright was also successful on the international stage, competing on the United States freestyle and Greco-Roman teams. He then turned his attention to professional wrestling, where he competed in Stampede Wrestling, UWFI, and All-Japan Pro Wrestling.
A number of awards will be given out too:
- Lou Thesz Award: Bill DeMott
- Frank Gotch Award: Haku
- Brisco Spotlight Award: Les Thatcher
- Impact Award: Rock Riddle
- Jim Melby Award: Tom Burke
- Trainer’s Award: Boris Malenko
- Tragos Award: Sara McMann
- Gordon Solie Award: Conrad Thompson
Some of the other names in attendance include Bob Roop, Colt Cabana, Tommy “Wildfire” Rich, Gerry Brisco (who went to hospital Thursday night with suspected exhaustion), John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL), D-Von Dudley, James Beard, Wes Brisco, “The Boogie Woogie Man” Jimmy Valiant, Baron Von Raschke, Demolition Ax, Lord Zoltan, Nord the Barbarian/Berserker, Thunderbolt Patterson, Ric McCord, Joe Malenko, and more.
TOP PHOTO: Dan Gable with his namesake beer at the start of the Tragos/Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame induction weekend on Thursday, July 20, 2023. Photo by Greg Oliver
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