Title History
- NWA Texas Heavyweight title defeating The Mummy (June 15, 1962);
- NWA Texas Heavyweight title defeating Sweet Daddy Siki (April 26, 1963);
- (Toronto) International Tag Team titles w/John Paul Hennig defeating Johnny Valentine & Bulldog Brower (July 25, 1963);
- (Toronto) International Tag Team titles w/John Paul Hennig defeating Johnny Valentine & The Beast (September 19, 1963);
- (Toronto) International Tag Team titles w/John Paul Hennig defeating Professor Hiro & Fred Atkins (1963);
- NWA (Detroit) World Tag Team titles w/Bobo Brazil defeating ????? & ????? (1965);
- WWA (Indianapolis) World Heavyweight title defeating Baron Von Raschke (February 4, 1972);
Career Highlights
In The Beginning:
- January 30, 1924: Art Thomas was born in Gurdon Arizona..
- Art Thomas moved to Wisconsin when he was young after his mother died to live in an orphanage..
- Art Thomas became a wrestler after a stint in the U.S. Navy, but he started out as a body builder..
- Sailor Art Thomas started out as a heel, but is best remembered as a lovable fan favorite..Sailor Art Thomas engaged in a bitter feud with Boris Malenko in Florida during 1966 and 1967.. After losing a brutal Russian Chain Match to the violent Russian, Art Thomas interferes in a televised Florida Title match, helping challenger Johnny Valentine win the title. but after the match Valentine attacks Thomas, causing the sailor to quip to Gordon Solie that he traded one monster for another!
NWA Capital:
- January 24, 1961– NWA Capital: Art Thomas defeated Al Smith..
- February 27, 1961– NWA Capital: Art Thomas defeated Red Grupe..
- March 27, 1961– NWA Capital: Art Thomas & Sweet Daddy Siki defeated Taro Sakura & Haru Sasaki..
- June 12, 1961– NWA Capital: Art Thomas defeated Red Grupe..
- June 23, 1961– NWA Capital: Art Thomas & Sweet Daddy Siki defeated Roy Heffernan & Al Costello..
- June 30, 1961– Art Thomas & Sweet Daddy Siki & Johnny Valentine beat Red Berry & Al Costello & Roy Heffernan in Chicago..
- July 7, 1961– Art Thomas & Dick Steinborn & Sweet Daddy Siki beat Angelo Savoldi & Lou Albano & Tony Altimore in Pittsburgh..
- July 28, 1961– NWA Capital: Don Curtis & Mark Lewin defeated Art Thomas & Sweet Daddy Siki..
- July 29, 1961– NWA Capital: Buddy Rogers defeated Art Thomas to retain the NWA World Heavyweight title..
- August 4, 1961–Pittsburgh: Art Thomas & Sweet Daddy Siki & B.Sammartino beat Great Scott & Angelo Savoldi & Moose Cholak..
- October 16, 1961– NWA Capital: Art Thomas & Bruno Sammartino beat Don Curtis & Mark Lewin..
- November 13, 1961– NWA Capital: Art Thomas & Sweet Daddy Siki defeated Great Scott & Angelo Savoldi..
- March 19, 1962– NWA Capital: Art Thomas defeated Angelo Savoldi..
- May 7, 1962– Buddy Rogers defeated Art Thomas in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania..
- May 12, 1962– NWA Capital: Art Thomas & Johnny Valentine defeated Pampero Firpo & Karl von Hess..
- August 24, 1962– NWA Capital: Killer Kowalski defeated Art Thomas..World Wide Wrestling Federation:
- January 31, 1963– Art Thomas defeated Buddy Austin by DQ in Cleveland, Ohio..
- February 4, 1963– Art Thomas defeated Skull Murphy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania..
- March 16, 1963– WWWF: John & Chris Tolos defeated Art Thomas & Dory Dixon..
- March 18, 1963– The Shadow defeated Art Thomas in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania..
- March 25, 1963– WWWF: Hans Mortier defeated Art Thomas..
- October 12, 1963– Art Thomas defeated Great Mephisto in Utica, New York..
- September 6, 1963– Art Thomas defeated Baron Gattoni in Buffalo, New York..
- September 27, 1963– Art Thomas & Billy Red Lyons beat Hans Schmidt & The Beast in a Best of 3 Falls Match in Buffalo, New York..
- November 8, 1963– Mike & Doc Gallagher defeated Art Thomas & Black Orchid in Buffalo, New York..
- November 22, 1963– Art Thomas defeated Great Mephisto in Buffalo, New York..
- February 26, 1965– Art Thomas defeated Mario Fraterolli in Buffalo, New York..
- March 12, 1965– Art Thomas defeated Johnny Carr in Buffalo, New York..
- April 2, 1965– Art Thomas & Ilio DiPaolo defeated Frank Martinez & Moose Cholak in Buffalo, New York..
- April 17, 1965– The Beast, Johnny Powers & The Student defeated Art Thomas, Andy Robins & Tony Parisi in Detroit, Michigan..
- August 2, 1965– WWWF: Art Thomas & Bobo Brazil defeated Gorilla Monsoon & Bill Watts..
- August 7, 1965– WWWF: Art Thomas & Bobo Brazil beat Smasher Sloan & Waldo Von Erich..
- January 14, 1966– Art Thomas defeated Magnificent Maurice in Buffalo, New York..
- January 13, 1967– The Mongol defeated Art Thomas in Buffalo, New York..
- February 3, 1967– Terry & Ron Garvin defeated Art Thomas & Donn Lewin in Buffalo, New York..
- March 6, 1967– WWWF: Bruno Sammartino defeated Art Thomas..
- April 21, 1967– Hans Schmidt defeated Art Thomas in Buffalo, New York..
- September 28, 1968– WWWF: Art Thomas, Victor Rivera & Bruno Sammartino defeated Joe Thomas, Virgil the Kentucky Butcher & Baron Scicluna..
- February 26, 1972– WWA: Art Thomas defeated Baron Von Rashcke to win the WWA World Title in Detroit, Michigan..AWA & WWA:
- September 1, 1972–AWA Soldiers Field: Art Thomas defeated Hans Hermann
- January 6, 1973– WWA: Art Thomas & Bob Ellis defeated Baron Von Raschke & Blackjack Mulligan..
- January 27, 1973– WWA: Baron Von Raschke defeated Art Thomas..
- November 10, 1973– WWA: Art Thomas & Luis Martinez defeated Great Saki & Mark Manson..
- August 27, 1976–AWA Comisky Park: Art Thomas defeated The Bounty Hunter 1 by DQRetirement & Death of Art Thomas:
- Art Thomas’ career spanned over 30 years and he wrestled all over North America as well as Japan..
- March 20, 2003: Sailor Art Thomas passed away due to cancer at the age of 79..
- ~~~Sadly, Art Thomas was diagnosed with cancer only a month before his death..