Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Ed “Strangler” Lewis was scheduled to meet former champion Stanislaus Zbyszko at the St. Louis Coliseum on Thursday, December 14, 1922 but the match was almost called off due to disagreements over the selection of a referee. It was only after the intercession of St. Louis promoter John Contos that both men agreed to St. Louis
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/fa8auy/Episode_247r7qx.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIn this episode, I discuss the career of unknown World Champion Jim Browning. Update I recently made thirteen of my non-fiction books available to bookstores and libraries in paperback. I hope you will see them in your local bookstore or library soon. Main Content While reading about the double-crosses of the early 1930s, I
Polish wrestler and strongman Stanislaus Zbyszko first came to the United States in 1909 to campaign for a shot at World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Frank Gotch. He received and lost the match in a legitimate contest during 1910. Zbyszko continued wrestling for a few more years and actually won the World Greco-Roman Heavyweight Wrestling Championship in 1914 from hated rival
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/w5zan5/Episode_239uf6l.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIn this episode, I discuss professional wrestling matches conducted under Sumo Rules in the 1880s. Update While I hate UFC merging with WWE, you do have to salute Vince McMahon selling his company for more than it’s worth. Vince also managed to stay in charge of the company. Vince McMahon won the promotional wars
On Tuesday, December 12, 1916, local favorite, John “The Nebraska Tigerman” Pesek wrestled fellow shooter, Al “Dutch” Mantell, in a worked match. Pesek recently trained with fellow Nebraska wrestler and recognized World Champion Joe Stecher prior to this match. Pesek developed a notorious reputation for shooting with other wrestlers. However, Pesek was a 22-year-old up-and-comer still learning to wrestle, when
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/spskyr/Episode_22b5y7p.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIn this episode, my cousin Dan and I discuss the evolution of pro wrestling since the late 1970s and its influence on our fandom. We agreed wrestling had to change because of the emergence of cable television. One of the wrestling companies was going to go national. Although they did not necessarily have to
In the early 1880s, Sorakichi Matsuda, or Matsada in most American newspapers, traveled to the United States to wrestle professionally. Japan did not have a developed professional wrestling circuit, so Matsuda thought he would bring the sport back to Japan after an apprenticeship in the United States. After training for a while, Matsuda signed an agreement to wrestle the first
In 1880, William Muldoon would become World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion in the Greco-Roman style after defeating Thiebaud Bauer, the reigning champion. Before he would accomplish this feat, Muldoon had to pay his dues and prepare for the title tilt with Bauer. In 1876, Muldoon caught the attention of former bare knuckle prizefighting world champion John Morrissey. Morrissey was a former
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/e6nq7d/Episode_21a0s9w.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIn this episode, I discuss the short but impactful career of the original Terrible Turk, Yusuf Ismail. Update Endeavor recently bought World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and merged it into a company with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Merging a worked exhibition with legitimate contests may not be the great idea Endeavor envisioned. Main Content
Oscar Wasem started his career in St. Louis, Missouri under the tutelage of George Baptiste. Wasem was a good enough wrestler that Wasem defeated a young Frank Gotch in 1901. Wasem, the St. Louis Champion, pinned Gotch, the Iowa Champion. While Gotch went on to be America’s greatest legitimate professional wrestler, Wasem remained a solid journeyman. Wasem supplemented his professional