Phil Melby

Phil Melby lays claim to being the last student trained by Jim Londos before this legendary wrestler left Arizona to invest in a  farm in California. Born Paul Gottlieb, he was given the name to be a "brother" to Bill Melby with  mutual consent.

Melby traveled to various  parts of the USA and was also a major draw as a heel, teaming with Rudy Navarro along the Mexican border. Though he made the circuits, he was  always returning to Arizona both to wrestle and work at other successful businesses in daylight hours.

Among the people he wrestled in Arizona from the 1950s through the 1980s were Chuck Karbo, Gene Anderson, Killer Kane, Don Arnold, Dr Jerry Graham, Lou Thesz, The Comancheros, Henry Pulusso, John Shane, Gorgeous George, Jim Wright, Mongol Lu Kimm and Lord Leslie Carlton, with whom he had a bloody feud.  

Melby's last match came in Phoenix in 1986 when he teamed with Reggie Parks to take on The Mongolian Stomper and Tony Hernandez.

For a brief time, Melby held the "North American Championship" recognized by the Arizona promotion from the 1940s into the 1960s, which was held by such notables as Buddy Rogers and Don Arnold.

An interesting side note on Melby. He also worked on weekends as a train robber at Legend City amusement park in Tempe for a time. The incident is recapped in my book on defunct amusement parks, When The  Laughter Dies Away. http://www.lulu.com/content/1223686

Throughout the 1990s. Melby was nicknamed "The Comeback Kid" when he defied death to emerge from a stroke, a heart attack and a battle with cancer. Clearly, his greatest victories came after retirement!