Evan Lewis’ Stranglehold

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This post was formally a podcast broadcast in 2015.  In this episode, I discuss what Evan “The Strangler” Lewis’ hold would be called today. Main Content – When I first heard of the stranglehold or “hang hold” of Evan “The Strangler” Lewis, it sounded like a guillotine choke.  However, several sources I checked described it as a rear naked choke. Lewis

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Kilrain Battles Godfrey in Brutal Fight

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On Friday, March 13, 1891, Jake Kilrain fought George Godfrey at the California Athletic Club in San Francisco, California. The men fought for a trophy and $5,000. The men entered the ring at 9:52 p.m. William Muldoon, former World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion, seconded Kilrain, who Muldoon trained for this fight. Muldoon trained Kilrain’s opponent, John L. Sullivan, for their 1889

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Counter-Espionage (1942)

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Columbia Pictures’ Lone Wolf series, starring Warren Williams as Michael Lanyard, is one of my favorite “B” film series. Williams played the debonair jewel thief, who somehow always ends up helping the police solve a series of crimes. Counter-Espionage (1942) begins with Lanyard stealing top secret plans from Sir Stafford Hart’s safe. Scotland Yard’s Inspector Stephens rushes to the scene

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Blackburn and Langford Go Distance

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Charles Henry “Jack” Blackburn achieved his greatest fame as the trainer of World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Joe Louis from 1934 to 1942.  Louis is widely considered to be one of the top three to five heavyweights in professional boxing history and some consider him the best heavyweight fighter.  “Jack” Blackburn developed the talents of the young champion and helped him

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Zbyszko Double Crosses Trio

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Rarely does one fundamentally alter their profession but Stanislaus Zbyszko did just that on April 15, 1925 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Zbyszko defeated Wayne Munn in one of the last shoot (not staged) professional wrestling matches in the United States.  It was a shoot or legitimate match because Zbyszko double crossed the “Goldust Trio” wrestling promotion and beat Munn for the

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Sam Langford KOs Battlin’ Jim Johnson

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On Tuesday, December 12, 1916, Sam Langford defended the “Colored World Heavyweight Boxing Championship”, which he won from Sam McVea in February 1916.  Between 1904 and 1919, the best African-American boxers, or black Canadians like Langford, were stuck fighting each other for “Colored” Championship. If a white fighter did fight them, it was only to develop their own reputation to

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Corsair (1931)

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Roland V. West directed fourteen films in his career. Critics consider three of his films to be excellent. West directed the silent thriller The Bat in 1926. West directed his most acclaimed film, Alibi (1929), which resulted in an Oscar nomination for his friend Chester Morris. In 1930, West and Morris again collaborated on his last classic, The Bat Whispers,

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Jeffries KOs Jackson

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James J. Jeffries dominated American heavyweight boxing from 1899 to 1904.  After winning the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship from Bob Fitzsimmons in 1899, Jeffries made 9 successful title defenses during the next five years.  He retired undefeated in 1905 before be lured back for an ill-fated comeback against the great Jack Johnson. Jeffries didn’t win his bouts with superior boxing

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How Did Alex Aberg Die?

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I decided to start 2020 by using two examples from professional wrestling to discuss why you would change a historical account you wrote in the past.  In writing history, you are limited by the available sources on the subject matter.  Primary sources like diaries, official records and autobiographies are very valuable.  Other sources like newspapers are good as well but

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