Danny McShain 

Real Name - Dan McShain

Lifespan - 10/30/12 - 7/14/92

5'8" 200 lbs. - Alvin, TX

Athletic Background - Boxing

Teacher(s) - n/a

Aliases - Danny McShane

Peak Years - 1940s-1950s

Place in History - Danny McShain's career spanned an exceptional 34 years from the dark days of the Depression through the Golden Age of early television up to the hottest period of regional wrestling.  It is a career that parallels men like Lou Thesz and Buddy Rogers, but McShain is rarely mentioned in the same breath as those men.  "Dangerous Danny" though has an undeniable influence on the sport in those years as it shifted from a worked sport to an entertaining sport.  He was a swaggering bad guy with an air of Hollywood leading man, a willingness to bleed excessively and a propensity for drawing heat.  He found great success as a frequent challenger to and holder of the NWA Light Heavyweight Championship.  In the 1930s and 40s, there were a number of territories that primarily used light (or junior) heavyweights and McShain tended to travel between these.  From Los Angeles to Mobile and Kansas City to Buffalo, Danny McShain drew everywhere he went, but he is often most closely associated with Texas wrestling.  This is where his wild, bloody approach caught on and influenced a generation.  Working gimmick matches like "tar and feather" matches, barbed wire matches and battling over brass knuckles belts, Danny McShain's influence in Houston and Amarillo is obvious to anyone aware of their legacies.  He may not have been the best or most credible athlete, but he was all-action and could work with a wide variety of opponents.  His lengthy career and flashy style took its toll as he was crippled up, wheelchair-bound and suffering from Alzheimer's in his final years.