Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
On Thursday, March 31, 1881, 200 fans filtered into New York’s Turnverein Hall to watch Clarence Whistler wrestle Henry Moses Dufur in a three-out-of-five-falls catch-as-catch-can wrestling match with both wrestlers wearing jackets. The promoters used the rules and jackets to even the chances of each wrestler to win. Clarence Whistler specialized in Greco-Roman wrestling. Whistler took World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion
When the great Jack Johnson defeated Tommy Burns for the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship, the boxing establishment started searching for a “white hope” to defeat Johnson. In desperation to find someone to defeat Johnson, promoters and sports writers started lobbying former World Heavyweight Champion James J. Jeffries to end his retirement to fight Johnson. Jeffries retired undefeated in 1905. After
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/gwes2cubjemajn78/Episode_708px2e.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIn this episode, I discuss the recently discovered film of the 1908 match between George Hackenschmidt and Joe Rogers. Update I give a health update on Dan and talk about the upcoming podcast schedule. Main Content A film company recently restored a 1908 wrestling film between George Hackenschmidt and Joe Rogers, Part 1 and
On Friday, March 11, 1932, wrestlers George Tragos and Rudy Dusek faced boxers, Stanley McRae and Tom Pivac in wrestler versus boxer bouts. It took the fans longer to get to their seats than it took the combatants to complete the bouts. The men fought the pair of bouts in Memphis, Tennessee at the Auditorium. Fans know George Tragos, a
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/ezswfi6nskgzp6hb/Episode_69arvtq.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIn this episode, we discuss Martin “Farmer” Burns training James J. Jeffries for his bout with Jack Johnson on July 4, 1910. Update Dan and I talk about my new project and how an earlier writer unfairly portrayed Joe Stecher’s world title run from 1925 to 1928. Shooter in a Worked World is available
On August 2, 1947, Max M. King Productions released Killer Dill (1947), a crime film that professional wrestler Mike Mazurki plays “Little Joe”, a henchman playing both sides of a gang feud. Stuart Erwin stars as Johnny “Killer” Dill, a lingerie designer and salesperson, who people mistake for a gangster. After accidentally involving himself in a gang war, his
Jim Londos developed into professional wrestling’s biggest box office star during the 1930s. Londos wrestled main events against Ed “Strangler” Lewis and Jim Browning at baseball stadiums. These matches drew crowds of more than 30,000 fans for the first time since the second Gotch vs. Hackenschmidt in 1911. When Londos wrestled in Greece, Londos drew crowds estimated to be at
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/w8xx4379qy8ai3ti/Episode_68be7jw.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIn this episode, I discuss the beginnings of the regular St. Louis wrestling promotion in 1921. I also discuss the Mr. McMahon documentary on Netflix. Update Due to illness and medical appointments, we are a little late on releasing the episode this week. Shooter in a Worked World: John Pesek and the 1920s Promotional
Professional wrestlers dying in the ring is rare but occasionally happens. In 1936, 5,000 wrestling fans in Washington, D.C. inadvertently booed a dead man at the end of the Mike Romano vs. “Irish” Jack Donovan match at Griffith Stadium on Thursday, June 25, 1936. The 40-year-old Romano was putting Donovan over in a worked match. Newspapers inaccurately reported Romano as
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/san6f9gun6iekev6/Episode_678y2ti.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIn this episode, Dan and I get caught up on all the news that is unfit to print. We save the history topic for the end of this episode. Time Stamps WWE News – 7:00 AEW News – 17:15 Divided Championship Period between 1925 and 1928 – 41:10 Shooter in a Worked World has