Canadian pro-wrestler “Handsome” John Anson has passed away. He was 77-years-old.
Anson also wrestled as Karl von Schotz. He had been living in the Dominican Republic at the time of his death.
After debuting in Calgary’s Stampede Wrestling under his real name at age 17 against Ivan Koloff (“30 seconds to defeat,” recalled Anson), Anson got the call to go to Montreal, where they needed a German heel. One shaved head later, Anson became Karl von Shotz.
As von Shotz, Anson was a successful tag team wrestler, including multiple reigns as the Detroit version of the NWA tag team champs with Kurt von Hess.
But back home on the west coast, and in Stampede, he was still known as Handsome John Anson.
As a single, his greatest success came in Stampede Wrestling, where he was a two-time North American champ in 1976. He also held titles in Hawaii, Portland, Newfoundland and Japan.
“Stampede was unique,” Anson himself explained to Slam in 1998. Stu Hart was “an excellent promoter” and wrestlers wanted to come in to the territory to learn and improve their skills. “And Bret Hart used to carry my lunch bag,” he said.
Anson had four shots at the NWA World Title, against four different champs — Lou Thesz, Dory Funk Jr., Gene Kiniski and Harley Race — but never came away with the belt.
During his 13-year career, Anson went across Canada and the U.S., Hawaii and Japan and wrestled more than 6,000 matches.
“I was one of the few Canadians that went international,” explained Anson. “I did a lot of travelling around.”
He was almost always a bad guy, and Lord James Blears once called him the world’s most hated man. At times, he was managed by Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan and Eddie ‘The Brain’ Creatchman.
Anson wrestled for the last time in 1983 in Hawaii.
“I got in early, I got out early,” said Anson, “There were a lot of tough wrestlers, and it took its toll.”
He knows that he quit just a little too soon, as Vince McMahon was about to take the WWF national with the whole rock’n’wrestling connection. “I just quit too soon.”
After retiring from wrestling at only 35, Anson lived off the money that he had invested and owned a marina and a resort for a time near Vancouver.
He did give promoting in Ontario and Newfoundland a try in the ’80s with The Sheik (Ed Farhat) and Jack Kane but didn’t stick with it.
