Happy Birthday to those who have passed on and to those great wrestlers still with us:
In Memoriam:
Bill Mercer 1926
Angelo Mosca 1937
Happy Birthday:
Nickla Roberts (64)
Tommy Dreamer (55)
Mark Coffey (36)
Chris Bey (30)
RIP Memorial: We stop & remember those who have passed on this day and gave themselves to the business for us, the fans. We salute you and thank you.
Buddy Lee 2-13-1993 at the age of 60
The Life and Career of Angelo Mosca
Angelo Mosca’s early years were marked by adversity in a large, tumultuous family. The second oldest of four boys and seven girls, he grew up in a segregated, working-class New England neighborhood where his Italian immigrant father and mother, who had African-American heritage on her side, struggled with alcoholism. This led to neglect and abuse, prompting Mosca to run away from home at age 16. Despite these challenges, Mosca excelled in football as a teenager, attracting college scouts with his 6-foot-5, 265-pound frame.
He attended the University of Notre Dame on a scholarship but was expelled for bookmaking activities. Transferring to the University of Wyoming, he faced further dismissal for alleged theft involving typewriters and cameras. Nevertheless, Mosca persevered and graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in business administration, setting the stage for his professional athletic pursuits.
Drafted in the 30th round (350th overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1959 NFL Draft, Mosca opted for the CFL, signing with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1958. His career spanned multiple teams, including the Ottawa Rough Riders (1960–1961) and a brief stint with the Montreal Alouettes (1962), before returning to Hamilton from 1962 to 1972. His career spanned multiple teams, including the Ottawa Rough Riders (1960–1961) and a brief stint with the Montreal Alouettes (1962), before returning to Hamilton from 1962 to 1972.
Mosca’s accolades are extensive: he was a five-time Grey Cup champion (1960 with Ottawa; 1963, 1965, 1967, and 1972 with Hamilton), a two-time CFL All-Star (1963, 1970), and a five-time CFL East All-Star (1960, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1970). He finished as runner-up for the CFL’s Most Outstanding Lineman Award twice (1963, 1970) and participated in a record nine Grey Cup games, tied with teammate John Barrow. His No. 68 jersey was retired by the Tiger-Cats in 2015, and he was ranked No. 37 on TSN’s Top 50 CFL Players list.
However, Mosca’s career was not without controversy. In the 1963 Grey Cup, his late hit on BC Lions running back Willie Fleming, who was out of bounds, sidelined Fleming and helped secure Hamilton’s victory, earning Mosca the moniker of the “meanest” player in the CFL. This incident resurfaced in 2011 when, at a CFL alumni luncheon, Mosca fought former Lions quarterback Joe Kapp, striking him with a cane; the viral altercation highlighted Mosca’s enduring tough-guy persona. Inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1987, the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2013, Mosca’s football legacy is one of grit and glory.
Following his football retirement, Mosca fully embraced professional wrestling, a pursuit he had dabbled in part-time since 1959 under the guidance of Montreal promoter Eddie Quinn. Billed at 6 feet 4 inches and 319 pounds, he wrestled across North America until 1986, often as a villainous heel before turning babyface in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His ring names included King Kong Mosca, King Mosca, and Angelo Mosca Sr.
Mosca competed in promotions like the American Wrestling Association (AWA), Stampede Wrestling (where he teamed with “Superstar” Billy Graham), and in the Carolinas against stars such as Ric Flair, Wahoo McDaniel, and Ivan Koloff. In 1981, he joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as a brutal heel, challenging champion Bob Backlund and feuding with Pat Patterson after attacking him with a water pitcher during a TV taping. He later served as a color commentator for WWF events in Ontario from 1984 to 1985 and promoted NWA events in the region, including the successful “Moscamania” card in 1986 that drew 12,000 fans.
His wrestling achievements include the NWA Florida Global Tag Team Championship (with Bobby Duncum), NWA Columbus Heavyweight Championship, NWA Macon Heavyweight Championship, and NWA Tri-State Brass Knuckles Championship. He was inducted into the Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1995 and honored by the Cauliflower Alley Club in 1996, though he was also named Worst Television Announcer by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter in 1984. Mosca briefly managed his son, Angelo Mosca Jr., in the WWF.
Mosca’s personal life included two marriages; his first wife, mother to his two children, died of cancer, while his second wife, Helen, whom he met in 1996 and married in 1998, passed away from a heart attack after 20 years together. He resided in Hamilton and St. Catharines, Ontario, and authored the autobiography Tell Me To My Face in 2011. In his later years, Mosca appeared in commercials and made public relations appearances for the CFL and businesses. He joined a 2016 class action lawsuit against WWE over brain injury risks, which was dismissed in 2018.
Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2015, Mosca spent his final years at Maccassa Lodge in Hamilton, where he died at age 84.
Thank You for Reading
I’m Tony Richards, Pro Wrestling Historian, Author and Storyteller. I share pro wrestling historical items in each issue of the Time Tunnel Pro Wrestling History Newsletter. Thanks for reading! If you enjoy my information on select events, matches and insights, please share it with folks you think might like to be a subscriber!
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Thank you Patrick, that is exactly what my objective is. I like to take someone from the entire territory era (1925 to 1990) and spotlight them so they can be remembered. This feature is in The Daily Chronicle. I write longer and more in-depth features from time to time in the paid content. I really appreciate your comment. I opened it up this morning while having coffee and you made my day. Most of all I appreciate you as a subscriber. Have a great day.
I love these bios on people who were never the biggest stars and therefore often forgotten. I always thought Mosca was a great intense promo