Stu Hart Kept A Picture Of Wrestling Pioneer Luther Lindsay In His Wallet
Of all who trained in the sacred Hart Family Dungeon, only one man submitted Stu Hart. That man became Hart's best friend, and his picture would be the only one Hart carried in his wallet. His name was Luther Goodall, better known to professional wrestling fans as Luther Lindsay.
The two met while Lindsay was playing in the Canadian Football League (CFL). Impressed with Lindsay's strength and athleticism, Hart trained him for professional wrestling. Not only could Lindsay escape Hart's best submission holds, he also could easily apply and trap Hart in them. In his book "Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling," Heath McCoy told the story of Hart trying to fake out Lindsay by saying he heard the phone ringing, to which Lindsay told Hart he would have to call the person back.
Frequently billed as the U.S. Colored or Negro Heavyweight Champion, Lindsay was only allowed to compete against (and travel with) fellow Black wrestlers such as Shag Thomas, Sailor Art Thomas, Woody Strode, Dory Dixon, Jack Claybourne, and Bearcat Wright due to segregation laws in the United States. In July 1953, Lindsay became the second Black wrestler to challenge for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship when he wrestled Lou Thesz to a time-limit draw in Tacoma, Washington. In his book "Hooker," Thesz wrote: "[Lindsay was] without question the best black wrestler ever" and was "a hell of a talent and a hell of a man."
Lindsay's trailblazing legacy
In May 1955, Lindsay defeated Roger McKay in a tournament final in Salem, Oregon to win the inaugural NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship, becoming the first Black singles champion in the seven-year history of the NWA. Later that year, Lindsay competed in Texas' first interracial match when he faced Duke Keomuka.
Lindsay became the first Black wrestler to oppose a white wrestler in the Bible Belt when he faced Ron Wright in Kingsport, Tennessee on January 27, 1965. Due to fear of rioting, the National Guard was brought in, but it was for naught, as Lindsay was the beloved fan favorite against the hated Wright.
On February 21, 1972, Lindsay passed away during his match against Bobby Paul at Park Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. After hitting a diving splash, Lindsay failed to respond when the referee checked on him and was pronounced dead in the locker room as a result of a heart attack. He was 47.
In his trailblazing career, Lindsay challenged for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship 26 times against Thesz, Billy Watson, Dick Hutton, Pat O'Connor, Buddy Rogers, Gene Kiniski and Dory Funk Jr. Lindsay won numerous territorial championships, and defeated Thesz in a singles match and the legendary Rikidozan in a tag team match. In 2017, Lindsay was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Legacy Wing.
Information in this article was used from Heath McCoy's "Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling" book and Mark Long's article on HistoryofWrestling.com.