Ed Francis

Real Name - Edmund Charles Francis

Lifespan - ?/?/1926

Occupational Background - Merchant Marine, Pro-Wrestler, Rancher, Air Race Promoter, Aerial Tour Guide

Mentor(s) - Don Owen

Promotional Background - Hawaii(`62-`79)

Peak Years - 1960s

Place in History - When “Gentleman” Ed Francis borrowed money from Don Owen to buy out Al Karasick, his experience from a decade as a journeyman wrestler and his alliance with Lord James Blears was what it took to escalate the Hawaiian territory to its greatest heights.  Francis had a hardscrabble youth in Depression-era Chicago before serving in the Coast Guard during World War II.  After the war, he, like so many others, found his calling in the crazy world of pro-wrestling.  Ed Francis worked both sides of the fence with names big and small from Ohio to Texas and Calgary to Portland.  It was in Don Owen’s Pacific Northwest territory that Ed Francis found his most success in the ring.  Battling with the likes of Bill Savage, Shag Thomas and Tony Borne, he was one of area’s top stars for several years before settling Hawaii.  Not yet forty, Francis partnered up with Lord Blears to buy into the Hawaiian territory in 1962.  The two used their connections to attract top talent to the island.  They also secured a television deal and were soon running regular shows.  “50th State Wrestling” became not just a popular show, but a cultural touchstone that is still remembered decades later.  While Francis and Blears used the model of building their big house shows with engaging television shows that promoted the talent, Hawaii took it to an extreme.  They featured interviews disproportionately to actual in-ring action, but it was a successful formula.  Curtis Iaukea talking with his back to the camera, Johnny Barend puffing away on a cigar, Ripper Collins mispronouncing islands and towns and on and on.  The characters that the TV produced were charismatic and intriguing and when they mixed with each other it drew.  Their product was strong enough to hold off competition by Roy Shire’s San Francisco office when it was at its peak.  Eventually, 50th State Wrestling cooled off and they closed up for a time.  When they returned, Hawaii relied heavily on homesteading stars, those traveling to and from Japan or Australia and those willing to have a prolonged vacation.  Ed Francis also used his two sons, Bill and Russ, the latter of whom went on to a very successful NFL career.  The promotion survived into the late 1970s, but changing arenas, their product cooling off and the increasing costs of bringing in talent all contributed to Francis and Blears selling off their interests.  Ed Francis went back to the mainland and took up ranching and later airplane tours of the Grand Canyon.  He released his biography in recent years, which is filled with outrageous stories and tales from the heyday of 50th State Wrestling.