Willie Gilzenberg
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
October 24, 1901
- Businessman, booker, professional wrestler
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. |
| Occupations |
|
William Louis Gilzenberg (October 14, 1901 – November 15, 1978)[1] was an American booker, boxing and wrestling promoter 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]
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 on December 2, Gilzenberg was inducted by the Veterans Boxing Social Club in Belleville, New Jersey.[8] In 2010, he was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame.[10]