View source for Dick Hutton

{{short description|American amateur and professional wrestler (1923–2003)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox professional wrestler
|name        = Dick Hutton
|image       = Dick Hutton - Olympic Auditorium Wrestling News 31 January 1962 (cropped).jpg
|image_size  =
|caption     = Hutton in 1962
|birth_name  = Richard Heron Avis Hutton
|names       = Dick Hutton
|height      = 5 ft 10 in
|weight      = 235 lb
|birth_date  = {{Birth date|1923|10|4|mf=y}}
|death_date  = {{death date and age|2003|11|24|1923|10|4|mf=y}}
|birth_place = [[Amarillo, Texas]], U.S.
|death_place = [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]], U.S.
|billed      =
|trainer     = [[Ed Lewis (wrestler)|Ed Lewis]]
|debut       = 1952
|retired     = 1964
|alma_mater  = [[Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College]]
}}
{{MedalTableTop|name=|image=|imagesize=|alt=|caption=}}
{{MedalSport |  [[Collegiate wrestling|Collegiate Wrestling]]}}
{{MedalCountry | }} [[Oklahoma State Cowboys wrestling|Oklahoma A&M]]
{{MedalCompetition|[[NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships|NCAA Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1947 NCAA Wrestling Championships|1947 Champaign]]| Heavyweight}}
{{MedalGold|[[1948 NCAA Wrestling Championships|1948 Bethlehem]]| Heavyweight}}
{{MedalGold|[[1950 NCAA Wrestling Championships|1950 Cedar Falls]]| Heavyweight}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1949 NCAA Wrestling Championships|1949 Fort Collins]]| Heavyweight}}
{{MedalBottom}}

'''Richard Heron Avis Hutton'''<ref>[https://www.olympic.org/richard-heron-avis-hutton Olympic Games - Richard Heron Avis Hutton]</ref> (October 4, 1923 – November 24, 2003) was an American amateur and professional wrestler. He was a three-time NCAA champion and, as a professional, held the [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship]], making him a one-time [[Professional wrestling championship#World championships|world champion]] in [[professional wrestling]].

== Early life ==
Hutton was born in [[Amarillo, Texas]] to Bailey and Gladys Hutton. He had one brother, Jerald Hutton. His family later moved to [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]] where he became a two-time state finalist for [[Webster High School (Tulsa, Oklahoma)|Daniel Webster High School]]. Later on Dick joined the U.S. Army and was a veteran of World War II. He attended [[Oklahoma State University–Stillwater|Oklahoma A&M]].

While at Oklahoma A&M he was the [[NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships|NCAA wrestling]] champion three times, in 1947, 1948 and 1950. In 1949, he lost in the finals to [[Verne Gagne]], a future [[professional wrestler]]. In total he was a four-time NCAA finalist, four-time [[All-America]]n and three-time NCAA champion.

Also while at Oklahoma A&M, he went to compete at the [[1948 Summer Olympics]], where he finished 7th in the heavyweight division in [[freestyle wrestling]].

== Professional wrestling career ==
Hutton made his debut in 1952, in a loss against [[Bill Longson]].<ref name="Fighttimes">{{cite web |url=http://www.fighttimes.com/magazine/magazine.asp?article=715 |title=We Lose Dick Hutton |author=Cameron, Dave |date=June 2007 |work=From The Archives |publisher=Fighttimes.com |access-date=September 14, 2011}}</ref> Hutton left Tulsa, as it was primarily a territory for light-heavyweight wrestlers, and went to Texas.

While in [[Columbus, Ohio]], in a territory run by Al Haft, Hutton would wrestle members of the audience. Beating Hutton would've earned the fan $1,000. No one ever won.

Hutton developed a friendship with [[Lou Thesz]]. After several competitive training contests with Hutton, Thesz considered him to be the best wrestler he'd ever faced and chose Hutton to be the next NWA World Champion, winning the title from himself. On November 14, 1957, in [[Toronto]]'s Maple Leaf Gardens 10,000 people saw Hutton beat Thesz for the belt after 35:15, when Thesz submitted to an abdominal stretch.

He teamed regularly with [[Gene Kiniski]] in Toronto.

On January 9, 1959, after a championship reign of 421 days, Hutton dropped the belt to [[Pat O'Connor (wrestler)|Pat O'Connor]].

Hutton never really had much other success in professional wrestling. He was criticised by some people for having a lack of charisma with poor drawing ability.<ref name="Fighttimes"/> However, many other wrestlers praised his wrestling ability.<ref>Symkus, Ed and Vinnie Carolan. ''Wrestle Radio U.S.A.: Grapplers Speak''. Toronto: ECW Press, 2004. (pg. 185) {{ISBN|1-55022-646-0}}</ref>

Hutton was forced into retirement because of heart trouble and other injuries.

== Personal life ==
Hutton was married to Katherine. He died on November 24, 2003, at the age of 80.

== Championships and accomplishments ==
=== Amateur wrestling ===
* '''[[NCAA|National Collegiate Athletic Association]]'''
** NCAA Wrestling Championship (3 times) - in 1947, 1948, and 1950
** NCAA Hall Of Fame Inductee
* '''[[Oklahoma State University]]'''
** Oklahoma State University Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee
** [[National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum|National Wrestling Hall of Fame]] Inductee
* '''[[Olympic Games]]'''
** 1948 Olympic Freestyle Wrestling - seventh place

=== Professional wrestling ===
* '''[[50th State Big Time Wrestling]]'''
** [[NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship]] (1 time)<ref name=Jan19F4W>{{cite web | url=https://www.f4wonline.com/other-wrestling/daily-pro-wrestling-history-0118-ivan-koloff-defeats-bruno-sammartino-wwwf-title | title=Pro wrestling history (01/18): Ivan Koloff defeats Bruno Sammartino for WWWF title | date=January 18, 2019 | access-date=January 18, 2019 | work=[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter|Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online]] | first=Brian | last=Hoops}}</ref>
* '''[[Cauliflower Alley Club]]'''
**Other honoree ([[Cauliflower Alley Club#1994|1994]])
* '''[[George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame]]'''
** Class of 2000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2003/08/04/153447.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20180731222221/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2003/08/04/153447.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 31, 2018|title=Ventura given Museum's top honour|website=Slam! Wrestling|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]|date=August 4, 2003|access-date=November 6, 2018}}</ref>
* '''[[Maple Leaf Wrestling]]'''
** [[NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship]] ([[NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship#Title history|1 time]]) - with [[Hard Boiled Haggerty]]
* '''[[National Wrestling Alliance]]'''
** [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship]] ([[List of NWA World Heavyweight Champions|1 time]])
* '''[[NWA Western States Sports]]'''
** NWA North American Tag Team Championship ''(Amarillo version)'' (1 time) - with [[Dory Funk]]
** [[NWA World Tag Team Championship (Amarillo version)|NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Amarillo version)'']] ([[NWA World Tag Team Championship (Amarillo version)#Title history|2 times]]) - with Dory Funk<ref name=NWATagAmarilloWeb>{{cite web | url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tx/w/nwa/wt-world-t.html | title=National Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Titles [W. Texas] | work=Wrestling-Titles | accessdate=February 21, 2017}}</ref>
* '''[[Worldwide Wrestling Associates]]'''
** [[WWA International Television Tag Team Championship]] ([[WWA International Television Tag Team Championship#title history|1 time]]) - with [[Sammy Steamboat|Sam Steamboat]]
* '''Other titles'''
** Ohio Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130115073337/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2003/11/25/268319.html Article on Dick Hutton]}}
* {{professional wrestling profiles}}
*{{commons category-inline}}

{{NWA World Heavyweight Championship}}
{{NWA World Tag Team Champions (Amarillo version)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hutton, Dick}}
[[Category:1923 births]]
[[Category:2003 deaths]]
[[Category:American male professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:American male sport wrestlers]]
[[Category:NWA World Heavyweight Champions]]
[[Category:Oklahoma State Cowboys wrestlers]]
[[Category:Oklahoma State University alumni]]
[[Category:Olympic wrestlers for the United States]]
[[Category:Professional wrestlers from Texas]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Amarillo, Texas]]
[[Category:Stampede Wrestling alumni]]
[[Category:Wrestlers at the 1948 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:20th-century male professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:20th-century American professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Champions]]
[[Category:NWA Canadian Tag Team Champions (Calgary version)]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]