William Louis Gilzenberg (October 14, 1901 – November 15, 1978)[1] was an American booker, boxing promoter and wrestler in the New York and New Jersey areas. Gilzenberg is noted for being the very first on-screen authority at the World Wide Wrestling Federation, becoming the first president of the WWWF in June 1963.[2][3][4][5] He held the position until his death in 1978,[6] at which point he was succeeded by Hisashi Shinma.[7] Gilzenberg was also a boxing promoter in New Jersey.[8]
Willie Gilzenberg | |
|---|---|
| Born | William Louis Gilzenberg October 24, 1901 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | November 15, 1978 (aged 77) South Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) |
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Gilzenberg died from cancer at age 77 on November 15, 1978, in a hospital in South Miami, Florida. He was 77.[9]
A few weeks after his death, Gilzenberg was inducted by the Veterans Boxing Social Club in Belleville, New Jersey.[citation needed] In 2010, he was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame.[10]
References edit
- ^ "Willie Gilzenberg - Facts @ Wrestlingdata.com". wrestlingdata.com. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
- ^ Sullivan, Kevin (2014). WWE 50: Celebrating 50 years of Sports Entertainment. BradyGames. ISBN 978-1-4654-1923-1.
- ^ "Willie Gilzenberg". www.justbringingtheraw.com.
- ^ "The Crazy True Story Of How WWE Became A Billion Dollar Business – GO Social".
- ^ D. K. (29 September 2020). WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment New Edition. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-7440-3510-0.
- ^ Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009). WWE Encyclopedia: Updated & Expanded. DK. p. 118. ISBN 978-0-7566-9159-2.
- ^ Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. DK. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
- ^ https://www.legacyofwrestling.com/GilzenbergBio.html Willie Gilzenberg Biography, from LegacyOfWrestling.com
- ^ McGowen, Deane (November 16, 1978). "Gilzenberg, 77, Sports Promoter". New York Times. New York, new York. p. 19.
- ^ "WILLIE GILZENBERG – New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame".