Karl Davis (wrestler)

A native of Columbus, Ohio, Davis attended Ohio State University and graduated in 1928 with a degree in civil engineering and physical education. A standout athlete in basketball, baseball, football, Davis was a four-sport letterman and selected as an All-American fullback in 1927–28. He pursued a career in professional sports and played for both the Philadelphia Yellowjackets and the St. Louis Cardinals. ==Professional wrestling career==

While still attending OSU, Davis began wrestling professionally in order to pay his way through school. He initially used the assumed name of "Joe Lawrence" Davis required a total of 46 stitches (17 on the inside and 29 on the outside) on his lower lip. The fan, a government tax collector, Davis was also one of June Byers' initial trainers, and who was discovered by women's wrestling manager Billy Wolfe while facing Davis in an intergender match at one of Morris Siegel's "Friday Night Wrestling" shows in Houston. At age 41, Davis took up acting and made his feature film debut with a small role in the 1949 film Mighty Joe Young. Initially only in small, uncredited roles, he began to appear in cast lists from 1951 and received regular roles in both film and TV for a decade. appearing with fellow wrestlers Jules Strongbow and Tiny Roebuck at the Church of the Open Door for a Youth for Christ rally in June 1956, and was also ordained as a Pentecostal minister. In his later years, Davis was critical of the pro wrestling industry as it began to focus more on "gimmick characters", such as Gorgeous George and Classy Freddie Blassie, designed to appeal to television audiences. He cited this as one of the reasons for retiring from wrestling in 1957. ==Retirement and later years==

In 1962, Davis founded the private security firm Desert Security Patrol to protect homes and businesses in Hesperia, California. He had previously served 9 years as a patrolman with the Houston Police Department while wrestling for the Gulf Athletic Club. Within a few years, his company had a staff of six patrolmen and a radio operator. and, in August 1965, Davis personally captured a burglary suspect following a high speed chase. He was also an avid golfer and won numerous trophies competing in country club tournaments. At the time of his death, Davis was living alone, destitute and surviving on social security having lost most of his money through bad investments over the years. ==Personal life==

Davis married his first wife, Virginia Rexine Dye, on October 8, 1928. They had three children, Nancy Jean (1929–1995), Mona Lee (1929–1995) and Carl Jr. (1931–1994), before separating in the mid-1940s. He had two more children from a second marriage prior to marrying his third wife, Clara Louise Deburn (1927–2001) in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1956. Fellow wrestler Hans Schnabel served as his best man. Davis became the stepfather of her three children Bobbie (born 1948), Michael Steven (born 1953) and Ronald Bruce (1955–1998). ==Filmography==

==Championships and accomplishments==

• Gulf Athletic Club • Southern Heavyweight Championship (Texas version) (3 times) • Texas Heavyweight Championship (1 time) ==References==