Happy Birthday to those who have passed on and to those great wrestlers still with us:
In Memoriam:
Dick Raines 1911
Chris Champion 1961
Happy Birthday:
Seiji Sakaguchi (84)
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.
Kurt Von Stroheim 2-17-1993 at the age of 69
Mike Awesome\The Gladiator 2-17-2007 at the afe of 42
Hurricane Smith 2-17-2016 at the age of 81
Nicole Bass 2-17-2017 at the age of 52
The Life and Career of Kurt Von Stroheim
Willi Kurt Rutkowsky was born on December 19, 1923, in Saugos, Lithuania, to a family of German heritage. His early life was profoundly shaped by the turmoil of World War II. As a young man of German descent in Eastern Europe, Rutkowsky was interned by the Nazis during the war, an experience that likely influenced his later wrestling gimmick.
After the war, he began his foray into professional wrestling in Germany around 1956, adopting the ring name Johnny Stein for his initial matches. This period honed his skills in the European wrestling scene before he emigrated to the United States to pursue greater opportunities.
Rutkowsky’s transition to American wrestling was facilitated by connections in the industry. By 1960, he had settled in Detroit, where he met his cousin, Walter Nurnberg, who would become his tag team partner. Nurnberg, born in 1928 in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada, had a background in minor league hockey until an ankle injury ended that career, leading him to wrestling by 1959. The cousins, despite not being brothers, were billed as such to enhance their familial tag team narrative.
In 1960, under the guidance of promoter Bert Ruby in Detroit’s Big Time Wrestling, Rutkowsky adopted the persona of Kurt Von Stroheim, while Nurnberg became Karl Von Stroheim. Together, they formed the Von Stroheims, a tag team that debuted with a villainous German gimmick. This was a common trope in postwar wrestling, where wrestlers like the Von Brauners and Kurt Von Hess portrayed stereotypical Prussian antagonists to draw heat from audiences still sensitive to wartime memories. The duo shaved their heads, sported mustaches, and wore black attire, embodying a militaristic, authoritarian image that made them instant heels.
The Von Stroheims quickly gained traction, wrestling across various National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) territories, including Hawaii’s 50th State Big Time Wrestling in Hawaii, Central States Wrestling in Kansas City, NWA Mid-America in Nashville, Jim Crockett Promotions in Charlotte, and Championship Wrestling from Florida in Tampa. Their in-ring style emphasized brute force and technical prowess, often using illegal tactics to reinforce their villainous roles. A notable early match captured on film was Kurt Von Stroheim’s bout against Paul Christy in Fred Kohler’s NWA Chicago in 1960, showcasing his aggressive approach.
The Von Stroheims’ partnership yielded significant success in the tag team division. They captured their first major title, the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship, on May 13, 1963, and regained it on January 16, 1964, after a brief loss. In July 1964, they won the NWA International Tag Team Championship, though they lost it later that month. Their momentum continued with the WWA Tag Team Championship in February 1965, followed by the NWA Florida World Tag Team Championship on October 23, 1965, and again on September 5, 1967. Internationally, they claimed the IWA World Tag Team Championship in Australia for Jim Barnett and Johnny Doyle in June 1967.
These victories solidified the Von Stroheims as a formidable force in territorial wrestling. However, the team disbanded permanently in 1967, just two months after their IWA win, as the cousins pursued individual paths. Kurt Von Stroheim transitioned to singles competition, where he achieved a notable milestone by earning a shot at Dory Funk Jr.’s NWA World Heavyweight Championship on March 4, 1969. Although he did not win the title, this challenge highlighted his credibility as a top-tier performer.
Watch:
Video: Kurt & Karl Von Stroheim vs Red Bastien & Mario Milano, Australia, 1967 (no audio, just raw film)
Following the breakup, Kurt Von Stroheim continued wrestling under his established name but also adopted new identities to refresh his character. He became the second incarnation of Kurt Von Brauner, teaming with the original Karl Von Brauner (Jimmy Brawner) in various promotions, including San Francisco. This role allowed him to extend the German villain archetype that had defined his career. He wrestled actively until around 1985, retiring at the age of 62. His longevity in the ring was remarkable, especially considering the physical demands of the era.
Meanwhile, his tag team partner Karl Von Stroheim continued under various monikers, such as “Dr. Death #1” and “The Untouchable #1,” retiring in the 1980s. Kurt’s post-wrestling life saw him working as a termite carpenter, a stark contrast to his in-ring persona.
Kurt Von Stroheim’s personal life remained relatively private, but his wartime internment and German roots added authenticity to his heel character. A false report of his death circulated in 1985, but he actually passed away on February 17, 1993, at the age of 69.
His cousin and partner, Karl Von Stroheim, died on August 13, 2006.
Von Stroheim’s legacy endures as a pioneer of the foreign heel gimmick in professional wrestling. His contributions to tag team wrestling and ability to draw crowds through controversy influenced future generations of villains.
One Thing I Learned About Dick Raines
He earned his infamous nickname “Dirty Dick” by being disqualified from matches over a thousand times during his career.
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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