Leroy Michael McGuirk (December 13, 1910 – September 9, 1988) was an American amateur and professional wrestler, and wrestling promoter.
In an attempt to prevent a collision, Clay locked the car's brakes, and McGuirk was thrown against the front windshield.
This led to another Oklahoman, Danny Hodge, rising to prominence in the Junior Heavyweight field, and who by 1960, became the principal headliner for McGuirk.
[4] By 1953, McGuirk was the primary booker for the junior heavyweight champion, while coordinating talent from southwestern Missouri to Little Rock, across Oklahoma, and into parts of Texas.
In the May 10, 1953 edition of the Tulsa Daily World, McGuirk said "He has a fine chance to get into the big money brackets.
Said territory also included Joplin and Springfield, Missouri, Shreveport, Louisiana, plus Wichita Falls, and Tyler, Texas.
[8] Avey left wrestling to concentrate on his role as senior vice president of the Farmers and Merchants State Bank.
[9] One of the biggest issues McGuirk faced was the tension that occurred due to sporadic visits by world champion Buddy Rogers in the early 1960s.
[10] McGuirk had many people who worked for him as matchmaker: Leo Voss, Sam Menacker, Rip Tyler, Wayne Martin, and George Scott.
Of all those people, Cowboy Bill Watts played a big part in McGuirk's promotion, both positively and negatively.
On July 22, 1978, their joint promotion of a wrestling show at the Louisiana Superdome drew an estimated 31,000 fans and a gate of $140,000.
While Watts incorporated Mid-South Sports Inc. and had agreements Jim Barnett, Eddie Graham, Fritz Von Erich, and Vincent J. McMahon that made the promotion thrive.
Both eventually worked for the World Wrestling Federation: Blair as one half of the tag team The Killer Bees, and Mike McGuirk as an in-ring announcer.