Why do wrestlers work matches instead of wrestling competitive contests? The second legitimate contest between Joe Stecher and Ed “Strangler” Lewis at the Omaha, Nebraska Fairgrounds on Tuesday, July 4, 1916, can answer the question definitively. The contest bored the fans to tears as Lewis avoided Stecher for the duration of the match. Go into the match, fans expected to […]
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In this episode, I discuss the July 4, 1916 match between Earl Caddock and William Demetral in Anita, Iowa. Update Divided Championship is available and already had a handful of sales despite not promoting the book yet. I review AEW, WWE, and the UFC possibly hosting a White House event on July 4, 2026. I recommend Warrior (Cinemax 2019 series) […]
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In this episode, I discuss the murder of a professional wrestler in the 1860s, who gamblers thought worked a match to bilk them out of gambling money. Update I knew J.H. McLaughlin wrestled professionally in the late 1860s. I finally found a match between McLaughlin and Homer Lane. Homer Lane won the match. Divided Championship is now available on Amazon […]
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In this episode, I discuss the limited damage exposes have done to the worked nature of professional wrestling. Main Content I started thinking about this week’s topic while watching Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950). The movie starts out with Bud Abbott as a wrestling promoter/booker talking with two pro wrestlers about “the script.” The wrestlers are portrayed […]
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In this episode, I discuss the first father-son professional wrestlers, Bob Managoff and Bobby Managoff, Jr. Update I have tentatively scheduled The Divided Championship for June 22, 2025. Main Content Robert M. Manoogian was born in Armenia on April 15, 1883. Manoogian wrestled as Bob Managoff and Bob “Turtle” Fredericks. He was not known as Bob Managoff, Sr. until he […]
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Wrestling fans know Tom Jenkins as Frank Gotch’s toughest opponent and a multiple time American Heavyweight Wrestling Champion. In 1899, Jenkins was campaigning for a match with current American Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Dan McLeod. To further boost his chances of securing a match with McLeod, Jenkins wrestled Ernst Roeber at the League Ballpark in Cleveland, Ohio on Tuesday, July 4, […]
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In this episode, I discuss finding the deciding contest between Ed “Strangler” Lewis and Joe Stecher. I also discuss why the myth about Joe Stecher’s 1925-1928 World Title reign persist. Update I found the contest between Ed “Strangler” Lewis and Joe Stecher where Lewis finally defeated Stecher. I will be slowly rebuilding the website over the next two to three […]
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In this episode, I discuss why promoters liked to schedule big cards for holidays. Update The reach of the podcast continues to amaze me. Besides the United States, listeners have downloaded episodes in the Netherlands, Seychelles, Turkey, Canada, Germany, Finland, United Kingdom, Japan, Austria, Estonia, France, Ireland, and Poland. I will try to release more episodes going forward. Main Content […]
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In this episode, I discuss the professional wrestling career of NFL great Bronko Nagurski. I give some facts from Dan’s bio, discuss how he ended up being the regular co-host, and his contributions to the increased frequency of the episodes.
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During June 1927, the Illinois state legislature rocked the professional boxing and professional wrestling worlds when a subcommittee started investigating the state athletic commission. The legislature believed that promoters were putting on “fake” contests in both sports. Before the committee concluded its work, it suspended the boxing and wrestling licenses of 130 athletes. These revelations further disillusioned wrestling fans aggravated […]
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