Roy Shire

Shire began his professional wrestling career in 1950 in Ohio. Throughout his career he worked in many territories. His most title wins were in Texas. In 1957, Shire worked in New York City for Capitol Wrestling Corporation. It was there in 1959, he met Ray Stevens as Ray Shire{{Cite web|last=Mooneyham|first=Mike|date=May 19, 1996|title=Ray "The Crippler" Stevens: Bombs Away|url=http://www.mikemooneyham.com/1996/05/19/ray-the-crippler-stevens-bombs-away/|access-date=August 17, 2021|website=|publisher=The Wrestling Gospel According to Mike Mooneyham}} and formed the tag team the Shire Brothers. On August 6, 1959, the brothers won the NWA World Tag Team Championship from Dick the Bruiser and Angelo Poffo.{{Cite web|last=Von Slagle|first=Stephen|date=May 19, 2020|title=Ray Stevens|url=https://historyofwrestling.com/ray-stevens/|access-date=February 22, 2022|website=|publisher=History of Wrestling|language=en-US}} The Shire Brothers were involved in many famous angles until Roy moved on to become the promoter of Big Time Wrestling wrestling programs in San Francisco's Cow Palace.

One angle, which took place in Indianapolis on October 1, 1960, involved a "match" between boxer Archie Moore, a former World Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion, and the Shire Brothers. This match did not show Ray and Roy having any significant advantage over Moore. For one thing, the Shire Brothers were required to wear boxing gloves and follow the rules of boxing when they went against professional boxer Moore. Both Ray and Roy were "knocked out" in a matter of minutes. This match did not settle the argument as to who is the superior athlete, the professional boxer or the professional wrestler. A positive outcome of this "match" was the fans, who attended this event in large numbers, having the pleasure of seeing the long-awaited comeuppance of the arrogant and rule-breaking Shire Brothers.{{Cite web|last=Mooneyham|first=Mike|date=March 21, 2015|title=WWE Hall misses boat on Ray Stevens; Canvas King painting Macho Man|url=https://www.postandcourier.com/staff/mike_mooneyham/wwe-hall-misses-boat-on-ray-stevens-canvas-king-painting-macho-man/article_7134c57c-ebc8-527b-a057-e8c09fab5e95.html|access-date=February 22, 2022|website=|publisher=The Post and Courier|language=en}}

After sustaining a severe knee injury, NWA San Francisco wrestler "Professor" Roy Shire decided to move into promoting in direct competition with Malcewicz. In October 1960, Shire registered the Pacific Coast Athletic Corp. with the California State Athletic Commission over Malcewicz's objections.{{cite book|author1=Greg Oliver|author2=Steven Johnson|title=The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H-6DoPuiRkEC&pg=PA281|date=2010|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1-55490-284-2|pages=281}} Big Time Wrestling was an "outlaw" promotion that did not respect the territorial boundaries decreed by the NWA.{{cite book|author=Scott Beekman|title=Ringside: A History of Professional Wrestling in America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SzAHxRZtreQC&pg=PA101|year=2006|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-275-98401-4|pages=101}}

Shire would later begin producing a second weekly show, Big Time Wrestling this one airing on KOVR. Big Time Wrestling was originally hosted by Harris, then later by Hank Renner.{{cite book|title=San Francisco #6 Page #2|url=http://www.kayfabememories.com/Regions/sanfrancisco/sanfrancisco6-2.htm|work=KayfabeMemories.com|author=Vik Berry|access-date=November 17, 2017}}{{cite book|author=Ken White|title=Getaway Day|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Oo47BgAAQBAJ&pg=PA148|date=2014|publisher=Tate Publishing & Enterprises|isbn=978-1-62994-915-4|pages=148}}{{cite book|title=San Francisco #6 Page #1|url=http://www.kayfabememories.com/Regions/sanfrancisco/sanfrancisco.htm|work=KayfabeMemories.com|author=Vik Berry|access-date=November 17, 2017}}

Shire would ultimately prevail and NWA San Francisco folded in 1962.{{cite book|author=Superstar Billy Graham|author-link=Superstar Billy Graham|title=WWE Legends - Superstar Billy Graham: Tangled Ropes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T9AEDADI4_IC&pg=PT126|date=2010|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=978-1-4391-2179-5|pages=126}}{{cite book|author1=Superstar Billy Graham|author-link=Superstar Billy Graham|author2=Keith Elliot Greenberg|title=Superstar Billy Graham: Tangled Ropes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B4wHqptt_j8C&pg=PA99|year=2006|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=978-1-4165-0753-6|pages=98–99}}{{cite web|title=The legacy of Joe Malcewicz|author=Steven Johnson|url=http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2015/03/24/22306211.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925152148/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2015/03/24/22306211.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 25, 2015|work=Canoe.com|publisher=Postmedia Network|date=March 24, 2015|access-date=November 17, 2017}}

Big Time Wrestling promoted shows throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Its base was the Cow Palace, where it held shows each Friday.{{cite book|author=Ric Drasin|title=The Time of My Life|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5ubBDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT42|date=2017|publisher=Creators Publishing|isbn=978-1-945630-42-2|pages=42}} Together with his bookers, Johnny Doyle and later Red Bastien, Shire built the promotion around the principles of "action, high spots and realistic matches".{{cite book|author1=Jim Wilson|author2=Weldon T. Johnson|title=Chokehold: Pro Wrestling's Real Mayhem Outside the Ring|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=epCYZj7Li-AC&pg=PA351|date=2003|publisher=Xlibris|isbn=978-1-4628-1172-4|pages=351}}{{cite book|author=Don Savage|title=Carpenter: A Personal Look At Professional Wrestling|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dyqrKsLPxowC&pg=PA89|date=2012|publisher=iUniverse|isbn=978-1-4759-0703-2|pages=89–90}}{{Self-published inline|certain=yes|date=January 2018}} Shire positioned Ray Stevens as the promotion's main heel.{{cite book|author=George Schire|title=Minnesota's Golden Age of Wrestling: From Verne Gagne to the Road Warriors|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r8PjMDAUwSAC&pg=PA239|year=2010|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|isbn=978-0-87351-620-4|pages=239}}{{cite book|author=Larry Matysik|author-link=Larry Matysik|title=50 Greatest Professional Wrestlers of All Time: The Definitive Shoot|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TFFB1LAMbN8C&pg=PT190|date=2013|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1-77090-305-0|pages=190}}{{cite book|author=Tim Hornbaker|title=Legends of Pro Wrestling: 150 Years of Headlocks, Body Slams, and Piledrivers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UuGLDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT380|date=2017|publisher=Skyhorse Publishing|isbn=978-1-61321-875-4|pages=380}}{{cite book|author=Mike Rickard|title=Wrestling's Greatest Moments|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vDQQg4IBJPMC&pg=PT91|date=2010|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1-55490-331-3|pages=91}}

In August 1968, Big Time Wrestling became a member of the NWA. Shire served as vice-president of the organisation for a period in the early-1970s.{{cite book|author=Tim Hornbaker|title=National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Professional Wrestling|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=npQBhSTtvCsC&pg=PT336|year=2007|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1-55490-274-3|pages=311–313, 336}}{{cite book|title=Regional Territories: San Francisco|url=http://www.kayfabememories.com/Regions/sanfrancisco/sanfrancisco.htm|work=KayfabeMemories.com|access-date=November 17, 2017}}

KTVU cancelled Big Time Wrestling in 1970. In 1970, Shire secured a new deal with the Sacramento station KTXL, airing Big Time Wrestling at 19:00 PST on Saturday evenings. The show featured Hank Renner as play-by-play announcer.{{cite web|title=When 'Big Time Wrestling' came to Sacramento|url=http://www.valcomnews.com/?p=2950|work=Valley Community Newspapers|author=Marty Relles|access-date=November 12, 2017|date=January 20, 2011}} He was later joined by Pepper Martin as color commentator.{{cite book|author1=Pepper Martin|author-link=Pepper Martin (actor)|author2=Penny Lane|title=Shrapnel of the Soul and Redemption|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KPrbCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT124|date=2016|publisher=Page Publishing|isbn=978-1-68289-451-4|pages=124, 224}}

In 1980, Shire suffered a heart attack. A burned out Shire retired from promoting in January 1981 after Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association, through local promoter and former wrestler Leo Nomellini, moved into San Francisco. Shire's final show was a battle royal at the Cow Palace that reportedly drew $64,000 ({{Inflation|US|64000|1981|fmt=eq|r=-3}}).{{cite news|title='There is no such thing as an honest professional match': Former wrestler takes down sport|work=The Sacramento Bee|publisher=The McClatchy Company|date=April 24, 1984|author=Bill Conlin|quote=He suffered a heart attack in 1980, and his last promotion was a battle royal at the Cow Palace in January 1981. It drew $64,000, he said. I went out with a bang.}}{{cite book|author1=R. D. Reynolds|author-link=R. D. Reynolds|author2=Bryan Alvarez|author2-link=Bryan Alvarez|title=The Death of WCW|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G4aFAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT6|date=2014|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1-77090-642-6|pages=6}} In 1984, a disgruntled Shire gave an interview to The Sacramento Bee in which he broke kayfabe by acknowledging all the matches he promoted were staged.{{cite news|title=Wrestling promoter says he rigged memorial matches|work=The Sacramento Bee|date=April 25, 1984|author=Bill Conlin|publisher=The McClatchy Company}}

Shire retired in Sebastopol, California at his Toe Hold Ranch. He passed away on September 24, 1992 from a heart attack at 70.

• American Wrestling Alliance
• AWA Indiana World Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Ray Shire[https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=1514 AWA Indiana World Tag Team Championship] cagematch.net retrieve February 9, 2019
• Southwest Sports, Inc.
• NWA Texas Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Great Scott (1 time){{cite book| last1=Will | first1=Gary | first2=Royal | last2= Duncan | title=Wrestling Title Histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present | publisher=Archeus Communications | year=2000 | location=Pennsylvania | chapter=Texas: NWA Texas Tag Team Title [Von Erich] | isbn=0-9698161-5-4 | pages=275–276}}{{cite web| url = http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tx/tx-t.html | title = NWA Texas Tag Team Title [E. Texas]| accessdate = December 27, 2019 | work= wrestling-titles.com}}
• Western States Sports
• NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Amarillo version) (1 time)
• NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2009)

{{reflist}}

General

• {{cite news |date=September 24, 1992 |title=Roy Shire, a wrestler crowds love to hate |page=5 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-press-democrat-roy-shire-obituary/14709740/?locale=en-CA |work=The Press Democrat |location=Santa Rosa, California }}

• {{cite web|url=https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profile/roy-shire/|title=Roy Shire|website=Online World of Wrestling|access-date=2024-03-27}}
• {{cite web|url=https://www.wrestlingdata.com/index.php?befehl=bios&wrestler=6475 |title=Roy Shire - Facts |website=wrestlingdata.com|access-date=2024-01-17}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shire, Roy}}

Category:1921 births

Category:1992 deaths

Category:20th-century American businesspeople

Category:Professional wrestling promoters

Category:Professional wrestlers from Kentucky

Category:People from Georgetown, Kentucky