Hefner’s name invariably pops up when South African wrestling is discussed. Here’s his story. (found on line).
HEFER, Johan Daniel (Bull) (*Rusplaas, Fauresmith, 25 December 1912-
Johannesburg, 3 July 1984), professional wrestling promoter, was the only child of Johan Daniël Hefer and his wife, Petronella Smit.
After completing his schooling in Fauresmith, Hefer joined the South African Railways in Bloemfontein and started wrestling as an amateur. From 1931 to 1941 he was the amateur heavyweight wrestling champion. In 1936 he tried unsuccessfully in Johannesburg to be included in the Springbok team for the Olympic Games. In 1938 he settled in Windhoek, South West Africa (Namibia) where he gave body-building and fitness classes. After the Second World War (1939-1945) he opened a gymnasium in Cape Town and in 1947 he started promoting professional wrestling as the Cape Town agent and co-promoter for Henri Irslinger of Johannesburg.
This association lasted until Irslinger's death in 1954.
Hefer then settled in Johannesburg, where he was a promoter until his death. As co-promoter and promoter over a period of almost four decades, Hefer arranged hundreds of tournaments in southern Africa and undertook many journeys overseas to negotiate with wrestlers.
Hefer promoted well-known wrestlers such as Gerrie de Jager, Percy Hall, Manie Maritz, Willie Liebenberg, Jan Wilkens and Manie van Zyl, as well as several wrestlers with imaginative pseudonyms such as Wild Man of the Kalahari, Red Rebel, Boerseun and Apollo. Many of his tournaments had an international atmosphere because he invited overseas wrestlers to South Africa.
These wrestlers included Ali the Cruel Turk; the Greeks Tarzan Taborda, Andreas Lambraskis and John Kostas, the Portuguese Carlos Rocha; and the Americans Sampson Burke and Zoro the Great.
Professional wrestling received a setback in 1959 as a result of restrictive legislation that prohibited most of the spectacular holds and antics that had accounted for the sport's popularity in the past. From 1965 Hefer was instrumental in reviving interest in this sport by introducing Jan Wilkens to the public. In 1975 Hefer's career reached a climax when he arranged a series of three fights between Wilkens and Don Leo Jonathan, the American holder of the world title. Wilkens won the series and Hefer continued as promoter of the world champion's fights.
Generally known as 'Bull' because of his powerful build, Hefer was good-natured and flamboyant, but also eccentric at times. With his husky voice and very seldom without his large pipe or long cigar, he was a popular figure in the wrestling world. The entertainment and excitement that his tournaments provided for thousands of wrestling enthusiasts gave him great satisfaction. He died after suffering two strokes and was buried on his farm Wonderfontein in the Fauresmith district. Hefer was married to Ellen Sophia Wilhelmina Coertzen in 1935. They had a son and three daughters.
Thanks John