Billy Varga

William Joe Varga[1] (January 10, 1919 – January 11, 2013), billed as Count Billy Varga, was an American professional wrestler and actor. He was born to Rose and Joe Varga; his father was a professional wrestler in Europe known as Count Joseph Varga and taught his son wrestling at the age of five. He attended Hollywood High School and graduated from the University of Southern California. Varga won the world's light-heavyweight title in 1941 and later joined the Navy until he arrived home in 1947. Varga's wrestling career began to fall apart in the 1970s as he was busy in television and movie work.[2][3]

Billy Varga
Varga in the 1960s
Birth nameWilliam Joe Varga[1]
Born(1919-01-10)January 10, 1919[2]
Cleveland, Ohio, United States[2]
DiedJanuary 11, 2013(2013-01-11) (aged 94)[2]
Burbank, California, United States[3]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Billy Varga[2]
Count Billy Varga[2]
Billed height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Billed weight200 lb (91 kg)[2]
Trained byJoe Varga[2]
Debut1930s
Retired1970s

Personal life

Varga married Rosabelle Varga who died in 1992. He resided in Northridge, California.[1] He had three sons, Billy, Courtland and Royce, all of whom preceded him in death, and five grandchildren. He suffered from Alzheimer's disease by the beginning of 2005 and died in 2013.

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1949Alias the ChampWrestler
1949BodyholdMarvelous Milton
1953The Abbott and Costello ShowThe Big Guy
1953Miss Sadie ThompsonMarineUncredited
1955Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone KopsGuy outside theater that throws BudUncredited
1960Shotgun SladeSnagEpisode: "The Smell of Money"
1961It Started in TokyoMarkUncredited
1962Convicts 4Guard #7
1962The Jack Benny ProgramHimselfEpisode: "The Story of Jack Referees Wrestling Match"
1964The MunstersStrangler MurphyEpisode: "Herman the Great"
1965Burke's LawThe CountUncredited, Episode: "Who Killed the Strangler?"
1973Oklahoma CrudeCook
1976Ellery QueenSecurity GuardEpisode: "The Adventure of the Tyrant of Tin Pan Alley"
1980Raging BullRing announcer - Third Robinson Fight
1985Grunt! The Wrestling MovieCoach Rocko
1985 Pro Wrestling Finishing Holds Vol. 1 with Gene LeBell Self
1986Bad GuysReferee
1986Stewardess SchoolFight Manager
1991Alligator II: The MutationAnnouncer(final film role)

Championships and accomplishments

References
  1. "Obituary for William Joe Varga". Holy Cross Mortuary. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. "Count Billy Varga was star of screen, ring". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  3. "Count Billy Varga, Actor and Wrestler, Dies at 94". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
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