Hans Schmidt, born Guy LaRose, one of the top heels in the early days of wrestling on national television, passed away on Saturday at the age of 87.

Schmidt was one of pro wrestling's biggest drawing cards during the heyday of the Fred Kohler promotion out of Chicago that ran weekly on the DuMont Network. Schmidt parlayed that exposure as a German heel, although he was actually from Quebec, to being able to work nationally and Kohler's outfit being able to garner a strong percentage of the gate to get him. At one time he was believed to have been one of the highest paid athletes in the country.

In the 2011 balloting for the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, Schmidt game three votes shy of being elected, and had come close in balloting for the last several years.

LaRosa had been hospitalized the past few weeks with fluid in his lungs. His funeral will be on Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Credit  : http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/118-daily-updates/25838-hall-of-fame-candidate-legendary-heel-schmidt-passes-away-at-87

Thanks to Dominick Valenti for these links on Hans Schmidt

http://www.garywill.com/wrestling/canada/schmidt.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Schmidt_(wrestler)