Les Thornton obit

Former NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion Les Thornton Passes Away

 

He was not on the list.

Former NWA and World Junior Heavyweight Champion Les Thornton passed away aged 84 on February 1, according to PWInsider.

Thornton was from Manchester, England has had an extensive career working IN Great Britain, Japan, European and North American. At one stage he was considered one of the best junior heavyweights in the world simultaneously holding both the WWF and NWA World Junior Heavyweight titles, and would later hold NWA title five times.

WrestlingNewsSource.com sends out our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Les Thornton.

Thornton participated in cricket, football, boxing and rugby as a youth. He served in the British Navy, being stationed in Korea, where he continued boxing. Thornton later played professional rugby before being convinced to give pro wrestling a try by wrestler Bomber Bates. Thornton trained at Billy Riley's gym in Wigan, known infamously as the Snake Pit, where he built his foundation in amateur and catch wrestling. During his career, he was considered one of the best junior heavyweights in the world at one time simultaneously holding both the WWF and NWA World Junior Heavyweight titles, and would later hold NWA title five times. He had matches against Tiger Mask, Gino Hernandez, The Cobra, K J Anderssen, Dynamite Kid, Terry Taylor, Gerald Brisco, Al Madril and Tatsumi Fujinami. As a result of the hostile takeover by the WWF of Georgia Championship Wrestling, Thornton joined the WWF, but in the "Hogan Era" as it stood, Thornton was used as a jobber and would help develop young wrestlers, including Mick Foley. Thornton was Mick Foley’s tag team partner in Foley's first ever WWF match against The British Bulldogs. Against heavyweights he fought Harley Race, Billy Robinson, Gene Lewis, Pedro Morales and Dory Funk Jr. He was known for his stiff forearm uppercuts, over the knee backbreakers and suplexes. Near the end of his career, he formed his own promotion in Calgary called Canadian Independent Wrestling Federation (CIWF), which included wrestlers like Ricky Fuji and Big Titan, among others.

 

Championships and accomplishments

All Japan Pro Wrestling

World's Strongest Tag Determination League Technique Award (1980) - with Billy Robinson

Championship Wrestling from Florida

NWA Florida Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Georgia Championship Wrestling

NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Tony Charles

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling

NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Middle Atlantic States Wrestling

MASW National Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

National Wrestling Alliance

NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (6 times)1

NWA Big Time Wrestling

NWA Texas Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Tony Charles

NWA Hollywood Wrestling

NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

NWA Mid-America

NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

NWA New Zealand

NWA British Empire Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship (New Zealand version) (1 time)

Pacific Northwest Wrestling

NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Moondog Mayne

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

PWI ranked him # 320 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003

Ring Around The Northwest Newsletter

Tag Team of the Year (1977) with Lonnie Mayne

Southeastern Championship Wrestling

NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Stampede Wrestling

Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 1995)

Western States Sports

NWA Western States Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Jerry Kozak

World Wrestling Council

WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times)