The original announcer, Neal Van Ells, became an instant local celebrity as narrator of the Studio Wrestling programs of the early 1950s. He was then followed in that job by Omar Williams.
The programs were filmed in those early days and were later distributed to 30 other television stations throughout the country.
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For this edition of Vintage Dayton, we went into the archives for the story of wrestling inside local TV studios and the colorful characters who were part of it.
More on local TV history
• Phil Donahue’s origin story in Dayton: The iconic broadcaster started his show here in 1967
• 11 kids TV shows that entertained generations of Dayton children, from Uncle Orrie to Clubhouse 22
Did you know?
Here are a few great Dayton history facts we’ve learned from our stories:
• The very first game of what is now known as the NFL was played right here in Dayton on Oct. 3, 1920, in Triangle Park where the Great Miami and Stillwater rivers join in the DeWeese-Ridgecrest neighborhood.
• If you owned a grand piano, glamorous furs, or valuable paintings in the early 1900s, you would only entrust their care to Bimm Fireproof Warehouse.
• Seeing a great movie on the big screen is always a special experience. Here’s a look at old movies theaters we miss.
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Thank you for reading.