He held the belt for several months until he lost it to Lorenzo Parente they both continuously lost and regained the title in the span of a year during their feud. Six months later, he defeated Matsuda to regain the title. After holding the title for over four years, he eventually dropped the title to longtime rival Hiro Matsuda. Hodge was a perennial NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion, holding the title eight times for a total of over ten years, longer than anyone else. Hodge became McGuirk's principal headliner, and by 1962, Hodge was making upwards of $80,000 a year. On July 22, 1960, Hodge defeated Savoldi for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship at the Stockyards Coliseum in Oklahoma City. Savoldi required 70 stitches at a local hospital, while Hodge's father was arrested. Hodge's father entered the ring during a boxing match on May 27, 1960, between Hodge and Savoldi, and stabbed Savoldi with a penknife. Hodge's first major feud was with National Wrestling Alliance Junior Heavyweight Champion Angelo Savoldi. Trained by Leroy McGuirk and Ed "Strangler" Lewis, Hodge made his debut as a professional wrestler on October 9, 1959. He was the first amateur wrestler to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. In addition to his collegiate wrestling career, Hodge also won three Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) national championships in freestyle wrestling, as well as winning one in Greco-Roman wrestling in 1956 at 174 pounds. He was a three-time Big Seven conference champ at 177 pounds (1955–1957), and won the 177-pound title at the NCAA championships those same three years, pinning all three of his finals opponents. As a collegiate wrestler for the University of Oklahoma, Hodge was undefeated at 46–0, with 36 pins and reportedly was never taken off his feet during his collegiate career. At Perry High School in Oklahoma, Hodge won the 165-pound title at the state tournament in 1951. Hodge started wrestling by the age of 13. Hodge was raised by his grandfather, who drank a lot and beat Hodge frequently. His home burned down when he was 9, and his mother suffered severe burns over 70 percent of her body, necessitating 52 blood transfusions. Early life ĭaniel Allen Hodge was born and raised in Perry, Oklahoma, the son of an alcoholic father and a mother who dealt with severe depression. He said his strength was due to having double tendons in his hands. He was famous for the ability to crush apples with one hand, a feat which he demonstrated live on ESPN during the 2006 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Hodge was born and raised in Perry, Oklahoma, where he continued to live. The Dan Hodge Trophy is the college wrestling equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. amateur wrestling Hall of Fame, for his three NCAA titles and Olympic silver medal, and the pro wrestling Hall of Fame, as a seven-time NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion. Daniel Allen Hodge (– December 24, 2020) was an American amateur and professional wrestler, who also had a brief professional boxing career.
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