Hans Schmidt is a very memorable wrestler for my generation. However, Schmidt was active in the 50's in fact, and I'm so young that I don't know his best days. Why do I remember him ? The reason is in a confusion of Japanese pro-wrestling in those days.
In 1971, Antonio Inoki was banished from JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING, and he established NEW JAPAN. But because JAPAN PRO had already joined hands with NWA, Inoki could not invite American wrestlers. He noticed Canada and small territories in USA. And then Tiger Jeet Singh, Johnny Powers, and some other wrestlers fought against Inoki.
Then Hans Schmidt visited to Japan with Brute Bernard in 1975. They were the first famous wrestlers who joined in NEW JAPAN. To tell the truth, both of them were past their prime, but Inoki treated them as the aces of foreign wrestlers. In fact, their fighting spirits were very good.
Hans Schmidt was good at Back Breaker Drop, Japanese fans think that was created by Schmidt, and we call it Schmidt-style Back Breaker. In Japan, his nickname was the cook in hell, it might be from his cruel atmosphere and the gimmick of the Nazis.
Hans was a dirty son of a bitch and I loved seeing him lose---which I will admit didn't happen that much! Would have given anything to see Abby the butcher SLICE UP this dirty Kraut and the original Shiek burn his face up---I really hated this NAZI!
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