Billy Varga
William Joe Varga[1] (January 10, 1919 – January 11, 2013), billed as Count Billy Varga, was an American professional wrestler and actor. He was born to Rose and Joe Varga; his father was a professional wrestler in Europe known as Count Joseph Varga and taught his son wrestling at the age of five. He attended Hollywood High School and graduated from the University of Southern California. Varga won the world's light-heavyweight title in 1941 and later joined the Navy until he arrived home in 1947. Varga's wrestling career began to fall apart in the 1970s as he was busy in television and movie work.[2][3]
| Billy Varga | |
|---|---|
Varga in the 1960s | |
| Birth name | William Joe Varga[1] |
| Born | January 10, 1919[2] Cleveland, Ohio, United States[2] |
| Died | January 11, 2013 (aged 94)[2] Burbank, California, United States[3] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Billy Varga[2] Count Billy Varga[2] |
| Billed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2] |
| Billed weight | 200 lb (91 kg)[2] |
| Trained by | Joe Varga[2] |
| Debut | 1930s |
| Retired | 1970s |
Personal life edit
Varga married Rosabelle Varga who died in 1992. He resided in Northridge, California.[1] He had three sons, Billy, Courtland and Royce, all of whom preceded him in death, and five grandchildren. He suffered from Alzheimer's disease by the beginning of 2005 and died in 2013.
Filmography edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Alias the Champ | Wrestler | |
| 1949 | Bodyhold | Marvelous Milton | |
| 1953 | The Abbott and Costello Show | The Big Guy | |
| 1953 | Miss Sadie Thompson | Marine | Uncredited |
| 1955 | Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops | Guy outside theater that throws Bud | Uncredited |
| 1960 | Shotgun Slade | Snag | Episode: "The Smell of Money" |
| 1961 | It Started in Tokyo | Mark | Uncredited |
| 1962 | Convicts 4 | Guard #7 | |
| 1962 | The Jack Benny Program | Himself | Episode: "The Story of Jack Referees Wrestling Match" |
| 1964 | The Munsters | Strangler Murphy | Episode: "Herman the Great" |
| 1965 | Burke's Law | The Count | Uncredited, Episode: "Who Killed the Strangler?" |
| 1973 | Oklahoma Crude | Cook | |
| 1976 | Ellery Queen | Security Guard | Episode: "The Adventure of the Tyrant of Tin Pan Alley" |
| 1980 | Raging Bull | Ring announcer - Third Robinson Fight | |
| 1985 | Grunt! The Wrestling Movie | Coach Rocko | |
| 1985 | Pro Wrestling Finishing Holds Vol. 1 with Gene LeBell | Self | |
| 1986 | Bad Guys | Referee | |
| 1986 | Stewardess School | Fight Manager | |
| 1991 | Alligator II: The Mutation | Announcer | (final film role) |
Championships and accomplishments edit
- 50th State Big Time Wrestling
- NWA Hollywood Wrestling
- NWA International Television Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Hardy Kruskamp (2 times) and Mario LaPentero (1 time)
References edit
- ^ a b c . Holy Cross Mortuary. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ a b c d e f g h i "Count Billy Varga was star of screen, ring". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on February 19, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b "Count Billy Varga, Actor and Wrestler, Dies at 94". The Hollywood Reporter. January 18, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
External links edit
- Billy Varga at IMDb
- at Cauliflower Alley Club
- Billy Varga's profile at Cagematch.net