Belief No Longer Suspended

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On December 14, 1915, the International Wrestling Tournament was coming to a close.  A featured match revealed promoter Samuel Rachmann was manipulating outcomes to keep interest in his tournament. After the wrestling public lost complete interest in the tournament during its opening few months in the spring, Rachmann introduced one of the most successful gimmicks in professional wrestling history.  Rachmann

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After the Thin Man (1936)

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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) released After The Thin Man (1936), the sequel to the popular Thin Man (1934), on Christmas Day 1936. The film is one of 14 films William Powell and Myrna Loy made together. Powell and Loy play Dashiell Hammet’s characters Nick and Nora Charles respectively. Nick Charles formerly worked as a private detective before marrying the wealthy heiress Nora.

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Lurich Throws Losson

georg-lurich

Georg Lurich made his reputation as a professional wrestler competing in European Greco-Roman wrestling tournaments.  When Lurich travelled to the United States to ply his trade, he made the transition to catch-as-catch-can wrestling, the dominant style outside of Europe. Lurich adapted well to this style and earned a shot at the World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion, Frank Gotch, in Gotch’s last

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Rudy Robert Takes First Title

bob-fitzsimmons

Bob “Rudy Robert” Fitzsimmons was an English boxer, who won the undisputed middleweight, heavyweight and light heavyweight world championships, at the turn of the 20th Century.  Often mistaken for an Australian because he started his boxing career there, Fitzsimmons traveled to the United States in 1890 to campaign for the middleweight championship. Fitzsimmons stood just under 6 feet tall but

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Belgian Bloodies German Wrestler’s Nose

alex-aberg

On May 21, 1915, the International Wrestling Tournament began in New York.  Samuel Rachman promoted the event as a way to showcase European Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion Alek Aberg.  Rachman believed Aberg was the natural successor to World Wrestling Champion Frank Gotch, who retired in 1913. On the first day of the tournament, nationalistic feelings about World War I popped up

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Lewis “Triumphs” in Fake Match

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The April 12, 1887 edition of the St. Paul Daily Globe carried a story about the bout between feared professional wrestlers, Evan “Strangler” Lewis and “Little Demon” Joe Acton.  Other wrestlers feared Lewis’ ability as a submission expert particularly his abilities with the stranglehold.  Joe Acton, while undersized at 150 pounds, was a ferocious wrestler. The bout should have been

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