Steve Stanlee
| Birth name | Steve Zygowicz |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 29, 1920 Chicago, Illinois |
| Died | July 2, 2010 (aged 90) Lake Geneva, Wisconsin |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Steve Stanlee Paul Stanlee |
| Billed weight | 232 lb (105 kg) |
Steve Zygowicz (February 29, 1920 – July 2, 2010), better known by his ring name of Steve Stanlee, was an American professional wrestler from the late 1940s through the 1960s. He was the younger brother of professional wrestler Gene Stanlee.
Steve served with Gene in the U.S. Navy during World War II and entered the professional wrestling circuit after the war. From 1947 to 1948, Stanlee wrestled under the ring name Paul Stanlee for Georgia Championship Wrestling. He competed against such wrestlers as Tom Mahoney and Bobby Roberts, winning the majority of these matches. Like his brother Gene, Steve took the nickname "Mr. America" for his chiseled physique, bleached his hair blond, and wore dazzling sequined jackets to the ring. Gene and Steve did train together and had a couple of runs as a tag team, but the two generally stayed on separate career paths. Notably, Steve wrestled Lou Thesz for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on October 27, 1950, two full years before his brother faced Thesz.
After his stint in Georgia, Stanlee competed in Toronto, Ontario. He worked as a jobber, putting over other wrestlers, such as Al Korman and Pat Flanagan. In the early 1950s, Stanlee wrestled in the Northeastern United States. Wrestling in New York and New Jersey, he received occasional pushes, challenging for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on several occasions.
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