The Kurt Von Hess Legacy Collection

Born William Earl Terry in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (1942–1999), the man known as Kurt Von Hess became one of the most notoriously hated and highly successful "foreign menace" villains in the history of professional wrestling. Debuting in the mid-1960s, Von Hess dominated the territory era, selling out arenas across the globe as a textbook "German Heel." He was so effective at drawing fan hatred that he was once described as one of the most convincing villains of his generation.

Von Hess’s career was primarily defined by his incredible success in the tag team division. He and his longtime partner, Karl Von Schotz, were one of the most dominant and despised tag teams in the Detroit-area NWA territory and across Maple Leaf Wrestling, often headlining events at Maple Leaf Gardens. Together, they were multi-time NWA World Tag Team Champions, winning titles across North America, including the NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version) a record five times.

A true international road warrior, Kurt Von Hess wrestled for major promotions including Maple Leaf Wrestling (Toronto), Stampede Wrestling, and even toured New Japan Pro-Wrestling where he held the NWA North American Tag Team Championship. He consistently stepped into the ring with Hall of Famers, proving his toughness and skill until his retirement in 1989. His legacy as one of the hardest-hitting and most reliable villains of the classic territory days continues to be celebrated today.