SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Angelo Mosca
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A young Angelo Mosca |
REAL NAME: Angelo Mosca
BORN: Waltham, Mass.
6'4", 310 pounds
ALIASES/NICKNAMES: King Kong, The Mighty Hercules
Angelo Mosca is a legend in Canada, mainly for his rough and tumble football career and his ability to stay in the spotlight. He started in the CFL in 1958, but in 1969 started wrestling part-time during the off-season. A couple of years later, he retired from the gridiron wars to take up being King Kong Mosca full-time. His biggest successes came in Florida, Georgia and southern Ontario, though he had successful runs throughout the world.
His son Angelo Jr. briefly tried the mat game, but didn't stick. In the late 1980s, he took up promoting. There were two MoscaManias in Hamilton's Copps Coliseum featuring the stars of the NWA, and a Canadian off-shoot of the NWA called Pro Wrestling Canada. He's done a number of commercials and TV and film work.
Feature stories
October 7, 2011: Mosca's autobiography a 'must-read' for CFL and wrestling fans
September 28, 2011: Mosca's autobiography an experiment in publish-on-demand
September 14, 2011: The two sides of Angelo Mosca
September 18, 2008: Mosca marks 50 years in Canada
October 27, 1985: Old King Kong; Mean wrestler and footballer Angelo Mosca goes gentle into new worlds
Memories
I remember when Bill Watts was in a match and Mosca jumped him and
put him in the Mosca full nelson and caused Watts to bleed from the neck.
Of course Watts lost consciousness.
jakensue
I remember Mosca during the late 70 at Maple Leaf Gardens tossing Greg
Valentine around like a toy, not kicking out but pressing him off, also
saving Dusty Rhodes' title from John Studd.
Sheldon & Janice Socket
I remember once at the Gardens, the best place ever to see wrestling in
Toronto, Mosca's partner was a no show, cannot remember
who, so Jake the Snake Roberts took the no show's place against Ivan
Koloff and somebody else. Well the match went on ,like they do, Mosca at
the time was feuding with Koloff, The Snake was in the ring with Koloff
on his knees, going backwards begging Ivan not to hurt him, suddenly he
smiles, reaches behind him, tags in Mosca, Angelo cleans house after the
win, Jake grabs the mike and says "well big nasty we got them......."
I also remember cleaning the crowd in MOSCA!! chants and seeing Ang come
back to life on my call...
SEAN "BIGNASTY"
I remember many years ago watching King Kong Mosca have a fight couldn't
call it a wrestling match against Chief Wahoo Mcdaniel on Mid Atlantic
Wrestling and they fought in and out of the ring with anything they
could get their hands on and totally destroyed the announcers table and
the Mid Atlantic Set.
Martinsville,Va
I remember nailing Mosca with a cup of ice in Camden, South Carolina
after he was thrown out of the ring fighting Paul Jones. It left a big
red mark on his chest and hurt him probably more than any fake hold
ever did.
Merri Bradley
I met Angelo in Florida in the 80's he was one of the smartest, and funniest
people I ever knew.
the Ly sisters
I was at a Mosca Mania event in Hamilton's Copps Coliseum. The main event was Ric Flair, at the time a bad guy, against Dusty Rhodes, the
'good guy'. Fans in Hamilton saw things differently with everyone cheering for Flair. As the wrestlers and referee picked up on this, it appeared
that they changed their roles mid-match for one of the most entertaining events I have seen. Mosca was perhaps at his best as a promoter.
J.P.
I can remember one the greatest matches I ever saw was King Kong Mosca vs
The Iron Sheik in a steel cage at Maple Gardens during the early eighties.
It was for the Canadian title which The Sheik had. Both combatants were
covered in blood, but King Kong won the title after throwing The Sheik head
first into the cage. The Gardens went nuts! After the win, many of the
wrestlers from the back came to the ring to congratulate the new champion.
It was a sight I will never forget.
Sean Dumond
I had the pleasure and you could call it that to work on 4 different
shows with Angelo when he was with the AWA. He was great to work with, I
remember one time my back went out during our match I let him know and
he said no problem and gave me his King Kong running slam and put it
back in, he saved me a trip to the chiropractor. Thanks again Angelo.
Your brother of the ring Ravishing Race Bannon.
I can remember when my father introduced me to Angelo Mosca all I
thought of was how big he was when he shook my hand .As it turned out he
and my father were wrestling together in the states at the
time. (Oklahoma I think or maybe N.C.) Well I haven't seen him in a
couple of years but I'm sure he's doing well.
If you read this
periodically Ang, hello from Victor Rosettani Jr. and family.
During the mid seventies while I was in high school I formed an Angelo Mosca fan club. I wrote to the Hamilton Tiger Cats and asked them to send me materials about his playing days as a linebacker. I received newspaper clippings that included a picture of Mosca licking a cow. I showed the picture to Ric Flair who in turn showed it to Mosca. Flair jokingly told Mosca that he had obviously been " Big Nasty" for a long time!
jaydogghhhthegame
I remember the first time I became a Hamilton Tiger-Cat fan as well one Angelo Mosca. It was the fall of '72. I had just
finished watching the greatest football game I have ever watched. There old number 68, was bleeding but yet after
winning the Grey Cup and saying that he was going to retire and wrestle full time. It was that picture I remember, it was
that moment that I knew I was a Hamilton Tiger-Cat fan and a fan of the man who would be known as "King Kong
Mosca" from that point on.
grumpy_ole_bastard
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