Ralph "Ruffy" Silverstein

Who is Ralph "Ruffy" Silverstein?

Ralph "Ruffy" Silverstein was a champion American wrestler, both as an amateur and a professional. In his prime, Ruffy weighed 225 pounds and stood 5'-8" tall. In college he wrestled for the University of Illinois and, in 3 years of varsity competition, did not lose a match, He became the 1935 and 1936 Big Ten champion, the 1936 NCAA champion and an All-American in 1935. He was a member of the 1936 U.S. Olympic team but, because the Olympics were held in Nazi Germany, Silverstein was one of several Jewish athletes who boycotted that year's Olympics.

An expert in wrestling fundamentals, Silverstein was one of the first to blaze the transitional trail from collegiate to professional wrestling. Straight-laced Silverstein won the Illinois State Championships in his first event as a pro, a victory which laid the groundwork for his celebrated professional career. Undefeated for many years, he ultimately won two AWA World Titles and was twice the WLW Television Champion. To many people, Silverstein represented an honest and clean style of pro wrestling, traits that were fast disappearing as the sport grew in popularity. Silverstein's favorite and signature wrestling move was the "Falling Arm Drag".