Steve Novak, Preston Steele and Nick Crane Make Up KSWA HOF 2019

Steve Novak, Preston Steele And Nick Crane Are The Newest Inductees Into The KSWA Hall Of Fame

By Thomas Leturgey

The Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA) Hall of Fame is the longest-running Independent Professional Wrestling ceremony of its kind in the sport. Dating back to 2008, some 30 men and women have been honored with induction. From Joe Abby and Frank Durso in that inaugural year to Donna Christiantello in 2010, to Bruno Sammartino in 2012, J.J. Dillon and Nick Busick in 2015 and friends Brian Hildebrand and Cody Michaels in 2018, the award ceremony has become one of the most anticipated of the KSWA calendar. This year, three accomplished grapplers join the ranks that also include George “The Animal” Steele, “Chilly” Bill Cardille, “Jumpin’” Johnny DeFazio and Angie Minelli.

Steve Novak

[As originally published in the Pittsburgh Current.]

Rudy Shemuga walked into the Lawrenceville tavern with only the slight use of a cane. He recently spent time in a hospital from a fall, and on November 24 Shemuga will be 87, so the walking stick isn’t unexpected. His accompanying friend, Dan Zigowski, carries a mailing envelope stuffed with programs, photos and newspaper clippings.

Very few living professional wrestlers competed in the early 1950’s, and Pittsburgh’s own Rudolph M. Shemuga is one of them. As “Steve Novak,” Shemuga is also one of the few who battled the likes of The Swedish Angel, Angelo Cistoldi and “Gorgeous George” among others. And chances are you have never heard of the grappler from Lawrenceville.

Born to Croatia’s Joseph and Fredricktown’s Susan Ulicne Shemuga, Rudy grew up in his family’s Cabinet Way home. He didn’t play football like a lot of aspiring athletes of the day. “I was needed at the house,” he said. Rudy got the wrestling bug as he and friends routinely jumped the fence at Millvale’s Zivic Arena to watch wrestling cards of the 1940’s.

After graduating from Schenley High School, Shemuga traveled west to California and its “original” Muscle Beach in Santa Monica. Rudy worked the second shift at Douglas Aircraft, which freed his mornings and afternoons for workouts. It was there that a wrestling promoter told him about training schools in Seattle. Youthful and always looking for ways to better himself, Shemuga uprooted himself again and went to the Northwest.

In the early days, someone thought Shemuga resembled Walter “Killer” Kowalski and was originally pitched as his cousin “Rudy.” That ridiculous idea never stuck (and as luck would have it, Rudy never met The Killer). In Portland, a promoter of a show at the Labor Temple asked him what his ring name was going to be, and “out of the blue,” he selected “Steve Novak.” The all-American name stayed with him for the rest of his career.

According to wrestlingdata.com, on December 15, 1952, and as politicians were trying to iron out the Korean Conflict, Novak defeated Paul DeGallas in the squared circle. On December 19, Steve fell to Bronko Lubich. In the December 22, 1952 issue of the Eugene, Oregon Guard newspaper, it was reported that Luigi Macera defeated Novak in one fall. A week later, Dale Kiser bested Steve. Once 1953 rolled around, Novak was wrestling regularly throughout Oregon.

In July 1953 Novak wrestled Ben and Mike Sharpe (the father of famed WWF journeyman “Iron” Mike Sharpe) in tag team competition. He called them the hardest-hitting guys he faced. “They could beat the crap out of you,” he said with a laugh. In September of that year, Novak would take on Mike Dibiase, the adoptive father of WWF Hall of Famer “The Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase.

Even as he traveled throughout Oregon, Montana, California and into Texas and other destinations, Novak was always billed as from Pittsburgh. Some newspaper reports opined that his 6’3,” 235-pound stature was “too tall” for wrestling, but maybe better for basketball. He was called “the Battling Bohemian,” and “The Tall Matador from Pittsburgh.” Novak shutters at those nicknames.

“I was always a good guy,” he says. There was never a swerve to turn Steve Novak against the fans. Novak says he wrestled on television in Chicago many times later in his career; one newspaper article refereed to him as a “TV Star.” In a related brush with celebrity, Novak tells a story of how North East promoter Toots Mondt took him aside in the late 1950’s and said they were interested him Steve for a huge Hollywood epic. Novak had publicity photos taken and he went through other procedures. In the end, he wasn’t cast in the Oscar-winning Ben Hur. “Charleton Heston beat me by a smidge,” Novak continues with a huge roar of laughter.

Instead it was back to more of the same. “We focused on wrestling,” he said. Novak traveled a lot by car, and even train, but rarely by plane. “I loved it when the money was good,” he joked.

Novak traveled everywhere, including to the southern states where he competed for a version of the NWA tag team championship. A perpetual mid-card guy, Novak did participate in a Main Event six-man tag team match in August, 1953 with Roy Cooper and Sonny Kurgis versus Angelo Cistoldi, Lou Heiz and Pete Manus in Santa Cruz, California.

Novak battled the 6’6” Swedish Angel (not to be confused with Maurice Tillet the “French Angel” or Tor Johnson, the “Super Swedish Angel”) at least four times. “Once on an Indian Reservation in Great Falls, Montana,” he said. In one Charlotte, North Carolina 1954 showdown, Novak won by disqualification over the fearsome Angel. The Swedish Angel won over Novak later that same month in Asheville.

On March 23, 1962, Novak wrestled “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Wrestlingdata.com states that the match ended without a winner; however, Rogers kept the strap. Within the next year, Rogers would lose the NWA belt, recognized as the first WWWF champion and lose it to fellow Pittsburgh product Bruno Sammartino.

By the early 1960’s, Novak wrestled primarily in the northeast. And while he wasn’t one of the first to appear on WIIC-TV’s “Studio Wrestling,” he did appear in the early 1960’s, even before the likes of other local legends like Joe Abby, Frank Durso and “The Battman.”

Reaching his mid-30’s, Novak realized that he needed to think about his future. He retired from wrestling in 1965 and took a job with Equitable Gas. He became “Rudy” again and worked for 27 years, “first on the outside; I was fixing meters at the end” and enjoyed life with his long-time girlfriend Lana Florida. The two never married, and he treated her children from her first marriage as his own. Lana, a survivor of two Nazi Concentration Camps in WWII, died in 2009.

Although the records may not be complete, only Carlos Rocha (91 years old) and Samson Burke (89) are living professional wrestlers who were in matches before Novak’s debut in 1952. (In some records, “Stan” Novak was misidentified as Steve in 1949 and there was another Steve Novak in the late 1970’s). Both Rocha and Burke wrestled as early as January, 1950.

Today, Rudy still works out with light weights three times a week. He meets with a small group of friends for dinner, drinks and discussion every other week. Still a sharp conversationalist, Shemuga recently wolfed down a dinner, a beer and three coffees at 9 p.m. in that Lawrenceville tavern. Not six months ago, Zigowski noted, someone approached Rudy with a “You’re Steve Novak.” Of course, they talked Studio Wrestling. “It still amazes me,” said Shemuga.

Preston Steele

There’s no clowning around: Preston Steele is the newest inductee into the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA) Hall of Fame.

Pete Lucic started his professional wrestling career in 1987. Among his first matches were televised showdowns against Ax and Smash (Demolition), Butch Reed and a :50 loss to King Kong Bundy at the height of his career. When 1988 rolled around, Lucic dropped his birth name for the much more intimidating “Preston Steele.” According to Wrestlingdata.com, Steele and fellow Dominic DeNucci student Troy Martin (who would later also drop his name for Shane Douglas) defeated Dick Flanagan and Cactus Jack Foley (Mick to his friends) in front of 12,125 in Milano, Lombardo, Italy on January 23, 1988.

Whether he is Preston Steele or the villainous “Sheriff” Steele, the 6’4”, 240-pound muscular powerhouse has wrestled all over the world. In addition to Italy, the Youngstown, Ohio native has wrestled in Australia, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, England and Japan. He also took on foes at St. Mary’s in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood 31 years ago. Those shows included Dante DeNucci (KSWA Hall of Fame Class of 2018 member Cody Michaels), Cactus Jack, KSWA Hall of Famer, Class of 2013 “Luscious” Johnny Valiant and David Sammartino among others.

Again, according to Wrestlingdata.com, Preston Steele’s most frequent opponent has been fellow KSWA Hall of Famer (Class of 2012) Lord Zoltan/Ken Jugan. Steele’s wrestling resume is a “Who’s Who” of the squared circle. He’s taken on Corey Graves, KSWA Hall of Famer, Class of 2016 T-Rantula, “Nasty” Nick Crane, Lou Marconi, The Iron Sheik, Koko B. Ware, and KSWA’s Bubba the Bulldog to name several. At time, Steele was managed by KSWA Hall of Famer, Class of 2018 Mark Curtis (Brian Hildebrand) and current Manager of Champions Mayor Mystery.

Although he wrestled all over for many years, Lucic worked as a real-life Trumbull County (Ohio) Sheriff for 33 years. He retired in 2014 but continues to work in Private Security.

In recent years, Steele has trained his son, Johnny Mercury, in wrestling. The two have traveled extensively and worked one another on cards.

For 27 years, “Sheriff” Steele has helped raise money for the Men’s Sports Club at Beth Shalom Temple in Squirrel Hill. As a highlight of the low-tech, high-jinx luncheon, Steele usually enters into an arm-wrestling contest with attendees all to humorous conclusions. Steele always makes a point to wear a Cleveland Browns jersey in his final challenge to intimidate the Steelers fans in attendance. He’s also helped raise funds for youth through the Fraternal Order of Police in Ohio. In 2012, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum (then in Amsterdam, New York), designated Steele as a delegate for the Buckeye State. Preston Steele was listed in the PWI Top 500 for six of the seven years between 1991 and 1997 (1994 was the only year he wasn’t chosen).

And although he still continues to wrestle, the end of in-ring action is ending for the veteran. A nagging hip requires surgery and will force retirement.

Nick Crane

“You’re never really retired (in wrestling),” commented Nick Crane on the telephone recently from his home, which may or may not be in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. “Canada’s National Treasure” is the newest inductee into the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA) Hall of Fame.

Not always, “Nasty,” Crane began his wrestling career in Western Pennsylvania under the tutelage of “Gentleman” Joe Perri in Penn Hills and Verona. Crane had been a fan of Hulk Hogan, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and the other big names of the day. He trained and soon found himself on one of Perri’s events at Squaw Valley Park in Fox Chapel. On July 4, 1990, Crane wrestled his first match against another young athlete, Paul Atlas.

Crane would continue to train and work with KSWA Hall of Famer (Class of 2017) Perri and others throughout the years. He would be managed by Perri and Roderick Rondell in his early days. “Mark Curtis (aka KSWA Hall of Famer, Class of 2018) was one of the guys who would stop in,” he said. In October, 1990 at a City Limits show in Pittsburgh’s eastern suburbs, he first met Lord Zoltan (KSWA Hall of Fame 2012) “Nasty” wrestled in other areas like Eastland Mall “until the money stopped” and Glassport, which had a successful federation for a short while.

Next up, Crane appeared with United States Championship Wrestling (USCW) in Washington, PA. There he wrestled such opponents as Todd Taylor, Mike Quackenbush and Dynamite Dean. According to Cagematch.net, Dynamite Dean defeated Crane for the USCW TV Championship at John F. Kennedy High School in Washington, PA.

Nick nearly became the APWF Heavyweight Champion in 1998 but he lost to Johnny Rayz in the semi-finals of a tournament in Punxatawney. Also, in the late 90’s, Crane wrestled Tom Brandi on a USCW television program and he took on the legendary Kamala with Kimchee.

In early, 2000, Crane locked in with Powerhouse Hughes’ CWF in Monongahela and the Mon Valley. Additionally, on May 20, 2000 Crane debuted with the KSWA when he matched up and was defeated by Kingdom James. On August 4, Crane defeated James by disqualification. Both matches were held at the KSWA’s first home at the Bloomfield VFW. It would also be the last KSWA match for Crane in a decade.

Crane would continue to be a CWF mainstay. He and fellow Lord Zoltan became tag team champions as “The French Ticklers.” Crane also wrestled Doink from time to time, “I always had fun with those matches,” he said.

Throughout the 2000’s, Crane was very busy with singles matches as well as tag team contests. He took on wrestlers like J-Ru and Powerhouse Hughes, and tagged as the Ticklers and The Foreign Xchange with The Specialist. He even went “home” to Canada and wrestled for Legend City Wrestling in St. Johns-Newfoundland, Canada.

Crane returned to the KSWA in September, 2010 for the Paul Scuillo Memorial event at the KSWA Arena. Doink the Clown and Dominic DeNucci defeated Crane and Zoltan in a tag team match.

In addition to being a CWF mainstay, Crane was a fixture at the Deaf Wrestlefest events. There he took on Doink at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf fundraiser in 2011 and represented the KSWA with Ali Kaida and Doink to face fellow KSWA Hall of Famer (Class of 2019) Preston Steele, his son, Johnny Mercury, as well as current KSWA Heavyweight Champion Dennis Gregory.

Beginning in 2012, Crane found a late surge in his career when he became a dependable member of the KSWA roster. Whether teaming with Sniper to cement “The Mercenaries” or steaming forward as a singles competitor, Crane earned the moniker “Canada’s National Treasure.” It was also then he and Sniper began to be thorns in Justin Sane and Lord Zoltan’s “Party Gras” sides.

On December 4, 2014 Crane met “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan at KSWA FanFest. Canada's Honorouable Liam Duchesne Lieutenant Viceroy of Québec and representative of Her Majesty’s government arrived to personally bestow Crane with his mother country’s “Medal of Exceptional Merit.” During the presentation, Duchesne was interrupted by Duggan, who was led to the ring by the Civil Air Patrol. During the subsequent match, the KSWA Krazies sang “God Bless America” as Duggan scored the pin and win. Nevertheless, Crane still officially holds Canada’s title of “Colonel in Chief.”

On June 13, 2015, Crane scored single’s gold when he defeated Super Ginger for the 5-Star Championship. Crane and his manager, Mayor Mystery, renamed the title the “5-Maple Leaf” Championship. Super Ginger won the title back on June 20, at Brawl Under the Bridge and the 5-Star name was reinstated.

On October 5, 2015, The Mercenaries became KSWA Tag Team Champions when they defeated “Big” Mike Malachi and Jack Massacre. They defended once successfully against Massacre and The Jester, before losing to Kris Kash and Shane Starr at KSWA FanFest on December 5, 2015.

FanFest, December 3, 2016 Crane was pinned by KSWA Owner Bobby O and lost the “Loser Must Retire” match. After the contest concluded, Mayor Mystery grabbed the microphone and called Crane the “Weak Link” in the Mercenaries and berated his client. Crane took matters into his own hands and clobbered Mystery to a ruckus ovation from the fans. Crane walked off into the sunset a KSWA favorite.

“It’s great to be inducted into the Hall of Fame,” he said. “I am very happy to be going in with Preston.” As for the Krazies, Crane said, “They are awesome. Whether they love you or hate you, they let you know it. Without them, it wouldn’t be the same.”

The KSWA Hall of Fame ceremony is part of the Joe Abby Memorial Tournament to be held on Saturday, March 30 at Spirit Hall in the Lawrenceville neighborhood within the city of Pittsburgh. Call 412-726-1762 for tickets or more information.