Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
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
On St. Patrick’s Day 1908, Martin “Farmer” Burns met the small but powerful Fred Beell. While both wrestlers weighed 165 pounds, “Farmer” Burns stood 5’11” to Beell’s 5’04”. The 32-year-old Beell had a big age advantage over the 47-year-old Burns though. Burns debuted in 1879, when Beell was 3-years-old. The men were scheduled for a match in Omaha, Nebraska, one
On the same day Joe Stecher wrestled Stanislaus Zbyszko for the recognized version of the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship in St. Louis, Ed “Strangler” Lewis challenged “Big” Wayne Munn for his disputed Michigan-Illinois World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. Lewis dropped the title to Munn in February 1925. In April 1925, Zbyszko defeated Munn in a famous double-cross. The match between Lewis and
Jake Kilrain is best known as the last and toughest challenger to John L. Sullivan in the last bare knuckle world championship fight. Despite Kilrain’s inability to beat John L. Sullivan, he had a successful career both before and after the bout with the mighty Sullivan. Fighting for 10 more years in gloved bouts, Kilrain was mostly successful but on
On a March night in San Francisco, heavyweight contender Marvin Hart proved pure aggressiveness could sometimes win a decision. After 20 rounds of boxing, referee Greggains, the only judge, awarded the decision over the great Jack Johnson to Hart. Hart met Johnson on March 28, 1905. Johnson entered the ring as the betting favorite. He also entered as one of
Evan “Strangler” Lewis was a scary competitor. Although he was not a large man at five feet, nine inches tall. Lewis weighed 170 pounds, Lewis’ mastery of submissions made him an equal or better of most wrestlers of his era. Jack Carkeek was a terrific wrestler but one match with Lewis almost caused him to retire. Lewis’ reputation was strongly
On April 7, 1914, 22-year-old Wladek Zbyszko met 22-year-old Ed “Strangler” Lewis would meet in the first of many matches between the two men. While they were supposed to be working the match, Lewis and Wladek Zbyszko struggled to work together. In the early 1920s, Lewis would drop his World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship to Wladek’s older brother Stanislaus Zbyszko. In
Frank J. Quinn, a local St. Louis attorney, served as the manager for professional wrestlers George Baptise, Charley Olson and Fred Beell. Originally an admirer of George Baptiste, who was a legend in the St. Louis neighborhood around Cook and Vandeventer Avenues. Baptiste would employ Quinn as his manger and later attorney for his tent and awning company. During his
Mike “Twin” Sullivan claimed the Welterweight World Boxing Championship, when he decisioned Honey Mellody in April 1907. Possessing both heavy hands and better than normal boxing skills, Sullivan claimed victories over the great Joe Gans and future Welterweight World Boxing Champion Harry Lewis during his career. Lewis won the welterweight title, when Sullivan could no longer make the 147 pound
In early 1916, Martin “Farmer” Burns, who trained and managed Frank Gotch to the World Heavyweight Championship, began denying that he developed current American Heavyweight Champion Joe Stecher. The claim seemed odd because Burns had been working with Stecher for several years. Burns helped prepare Stecher for his championship bout with Charlie Cutler in 1915. In a way, what Burns