Frank Talent
Frank Talent (né Tallett; 1936 – September 8, 2011) was a former political figure and journalist in the Philadelphia area, best known for his time as a Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission representative who oversaw boxing and professional wrestling.
Early life
[edit]Francis R. Tallett was an orphan born in 1936 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who attended school at St. Joseph's House for Homeless Industrious Boys.[1]
Politics
[edit]Talent unsuccessfully challenged Harry Jannotti for the vacant 7th District Philadelphia City Council seat in 1969.[1] He worked as an officer for Philadelphia Municipal Court, and later as a public relations representative of Mayor Frank Rizzo.[1] William J. Lederer of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives commended Talent for his charitable work in a 1973 proclamation.[2]
The Public Record featured a regular gossip column where Talent would publish political news under his pseudonym of "The Snooper".[3]
Athletic commission
[edit]In the 1980s, Talent was appointed acting representative of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission.[4] A fan of professional wrestling, he enjoyed being part of the shows and served as ring announcer for World Wrestling Federation events at the Spectrum.[4]
Talent was seen as an ally of hardcore wrestling, as he willingly turned a blind eye to many things Extreme Championship Wrestling did at ECW Arena that violated state regulations, including their excessive use of blood.[5]
Talent hosted a weekly radio program called Frank Talent's Pro Wrestling and Pro Boxing Radio Show on WNJC in 2005.[6][7]
Following his death, Combat Zone Wrestling held a ten-bell salute for Talent before their show at the former ECW Arena on September 10, 2011.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Frank Talent, 75, publicist and promoter". Inquirer. September 12, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ "Commending Mr. Frank Talent" (PDF). Pennsylvania State Legislature. January 23, 1973. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ "We'll Miss You, Snooper". Issuu. September 15, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ a b "PHILADELPHIA WRESTLING ERA COMES TO AN END WITH PASSING OF PA COMMISSION'S FRANK TALENT". PWInsider.com. September 8, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ "The View From Down Here – Learning About ECW – Inside Pulse". Inside Pulse. May 27, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ "InsidePULSE Indy Report – Week of 7.6.5 – Inside Pulse". Inside Pulse. July 6, 2005. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ "AS I SEE IT 8/9: Not "sanitized for your protection"...in Delaware, that is..." pwbts.com. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ Nemer, Paul (September 11, 2011). "CZW 9/10 ECW Arena results: MASADA vs Ryuji Ito". Wrestleview. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
External links
[edit]- Frank Talent at IMDb
