Angelo Mosca

Infobox NFL player


Color=#c7cad0
fontcolor=#000080
Caption=
ImageWidth=
DateOfBirth=March 13, 1938
Birthplace=Waltham, Massachusetts, U.S.
DateOfDeath=
Deathplace=
College=University of Notre Dame
Position=Defensive tackle
DraftedYear=1959
DraftedRound=30 / Pick 350
(By the Philadelphia Eagles)
Career Highlights=Y
CFLAllStar=
Awards=
ProBowls=
DatabaseFootball=
PFR=
years=1958-1959
1960-1961
1962
1963-1972
teams=Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Ottawa Rough Riders
Montreal Alouettes
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
CollegeHOF=
CFHOF=24&player=Mosca,%20Angelo

Angelo Mosca (b. March 13, 1938 in Waltham, Massachusetts) is a former Canadian Football League player and professional wrestler. He is also known by the wrestling nicknames King Kong Mosca and The Mighty Hercules. Mosca has a son, Angelo Jr., who also wrestled.

Career

Mosca attended Notre Dame University and was drafted by the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles in 1959 in the 30th round (350th overall.) He had already decided to play in the CFL, in 1958 and 1959 for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He moved to the Ottawa Rough Riders for 1961 and 1962, and the Montreal Alouettes in 1963. He played his remaining years, 1964 to 1972 in Hamilton. He was a 5 time all star.

Angelo played in 9 Grey Cup games, more than any other player in CFL history, winning 5 (one with the Ottawa Rough Riders and four with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.) He is famous (or more aptly infamous) for the 51st Grey Cup game out-of-bounds and late hit on B.C. Lions star Willie Fleming. The hit was considered by many to be a deliberate attempt to knock Fleming out of the game. With Fleming out of the game, the Tiger-Cats went on to with the Grey Cup and Angelo Mosca's reputation as being the meanest professional football player was solidified. It was a reputation he later promoted as the notorious professional wrestler "King Kong" Mosca.

Source: Heroes of the Game, A History of The Grey Cup - Stephen Thiele, Moulin Publishing 1997

Following his retirement, Mosca had a short run as a broadcaster for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He would leave the broadcast booth to manage his son's career.

He has lived in and around Hamilton for many years. Angelo currently lives in St. Catharines, Ontario with his wife, Helen, a real estate agent.

Championships and accomplishments

"Professional Football"
*Canadian Football League:*Canadian Football Hall of Fame (Class of 1987:*The CFW ranked him # 37 of the Top 50 players of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN.

"Professional Wrestling"
*American Wrestling Association:*AWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

*Championship Wrestling from Florida:*NWA Florida Bahamian Championship (1 time):*NWA Florida Global Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bobby Duncum:*NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

*Georgia Championship Wrestling:*NWA Columbus Heavyweight Championship (1 time):*NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship (1 time):*NWA Macon Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

*Maple Leaf Wrestling:*NWA Canadian Heavyweight Champion "(Toronto version)" (5 times)

*Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling:*NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Championship (2 times)

*NWA San Francisco:*NWA United States Heavyweight Champion "(San Francisco version)" (1 time)

*NWA Tri-State:*NWA Tri-State Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time)

*Stampede Wrestling:*Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time):*Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/ab/hof.html |title=Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (1948-1990) |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*World Wrestling Council:*WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

*Pro Wrestling Illustrated:*PWI ranked him # 305 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.

*Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards:*Worst Television Announcer award in 1984

References

External links

* [http://www.canoe.ca/SlamWrestling/mosca.html Angelo Mosca]
* [http://bodyslamming.com/other/angelomosca.html Other Superstars - Angelo Mosca]
* [http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=14251 Historica History by the Minute profile]
* [http://www.footballhof.com/famers/player.asp?id=154 Canadian Football Hall of Fame page]