Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
Ernest Roeber was an accomplished Greco-Roman wrestler. William Muldoon, the World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion from 1880 to 1889, wanted Roeber to take over from him as World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion. However, the world title would continue to be disputed until George Hackenschmidt won several Greco-Roman Tournaments in Europe during 1901. Yusuf Ismail, the Terrible Turk, was considered one of the
Yukio Tani arrived in England at the turn of the 20th Century. Tani spread ju-jitsu by taking part in challenge matches against professional wrestlers. As part of these challenge matches, Tani demonstrated ju-jitsu. Through the success of these challenges and demonstrations, Tani saw many students sign up to train with him. One of Tani’s best English students used the stage
On June 2, 1915, the International Wrestling Tournament in New York City entered its second week of competition. Some of the tournaments big names were wrestling on this night. Alex Aberg, George Lurich and Wladek Zbyszko would all compete. It was Zbyszko who made the biggest impression. The first match involved two lesser talents, Pierre Le Colosse and Wilhelm Berner.
On March 22, 1919, Ed “Strangler” Lewis met Wladek Zbyszko for the vacant World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. In a surprise victory, Zbyszko defeated Lewis to claim the title. Unfortunately for Wladek Zbyszko, he would only have a cup of coffee with the belt. A month or two later, Zbyszko lost the title to Joe Stetcher. This match was most likely
I’m writing this post to correct an earlier post I wrote about double crosses in professional wrestling. I originally thought double crosses ended after Stanislaus Zybszko double crossed the Gold Dust Trio. Zbyszko, after agreeing to lose to Munn, defeated him in what turned into a legitimate contest for the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. Ed “Strangler” Lewis, who dropped the
Stanislaus Zbyszko toured the United States in 1910 in preparation for a title match with World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Frank Gotch later in the year. His tour brought him to St. Louis on May 29, 1910. Zbyszko was scheduled to meet highly regarded light heavyweight grappler Charley Olson. Olson was a skilled wrestler, who trained with St. Louis wrestler George
On February 26. 1914, Stanislaus Zbyszko beat Alex Aberg for the World Greco-Roman Heavyweight Wrestling Championship in Boston, Massachusetts. Zbyszko came to the United States in 1909 to campaign for Frank Gotch’s World Catch-as-Catch Can Championship. Wrestling insiders considered Gotch’s title the World Championship. Zbyszko could not beat Gotch in 1910. Before they had a rematch, Frank Gotch retired in
On May 11, 1931, Fritz Lang’s classic film M (affiliate link) was released in Berlin, Germany. Besides being on most lists for the top 100 films of all time, Fritz Lang believed his finest film was M (1931). The film is the story of a series of child murders that are occurring in Berlin. The police are determined to catch the killer
On October 25, 1915, Aleksander “Alex” Aberg won the World Greco-Roman Heavyweight Wrestling Championship from Wladek Zbyszko, the brother of Aberg’s former foe. In 1914, Stanislaus Zbyszko defeated Aberg for the World Greco-Roman Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. Stanislaus Zbyszko returned to Europe. It is doubtful Wladek Zbyszko could make a claim to his brother’s championship. Promoter Sam Rachmann probably created this
Martin “Farmer” Burns was a professional catch-as-catch can wrestler as well as wrestling and physical cultural trainer. Despite great success as a professional wrestler, even winning the American Heavyweight Championship, he is more famous as a wrestling trainer. Martin “Farmer” Burns was born February 15, 1861 in Cedar County, Iowa. Both then and now, wrestling is in an Iowan’s blood.