Born and raised in Algona , Iowa , Bob Geigel played many sports in high school and placed second in the Iowa State High School Wrestling Championships at heavyweight in the late 1940s. While competing at the University of Iowa , Geigel lettered four times in football and three times in wrestling and was third in the NCAA championships at 191 pounds in 1948. He spurned a professional football offer to try pro wrestling, and began his career in Florida . He was a pro star for nearly three decades. Geigel won numerous titles, including the U.S. heavyweight championship, and he also held half of the NWA and AWA world tag team titles. After he was through competing in the ring, Geigel became a very successful promoter in the Kansas City area.