Did Muldoon Duck McMahon?

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On March 22, 1881, Greco-Roman World Wrestling Champion William Muldoon met Collar-and-Elbow World Champion John McMahon at the Terrace Garden in New York City.  Muldoon and McMahon met in a best-two-out-of-three-falls match. The first fall was conducted by Greco-Roman rules.  The second fall would be contested using collar-and-elbow rules.  The last fall would be decided via what The New York

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William Muldoon Defeats Local Wrestler

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William Muldoon, the World Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion and physical culture proponent, came to Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 15, 1884 to face the local wrestler Fred Bauer.  The match took place at the local Turnvereine Hall in Los Angeles.  Muldoon was so confident of victory that he stipulated that he would throw Bauer ten times within an hour or he

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William Muldoon Promotes Health System

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In a testament to his foresight and vision, the World Wrestling Champion William Muldoon was preparing to be a fitness trainer even while at the height of his powers as a wrestler.  Muldoon held the championship from 1880 until he retired in 1890.  During his reign, he often gave exhibitions to attract attention to his way of training. The Saturday,

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William Muldoon Prepares to Be Champion

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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

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Evan “The Strangler” Lewis Available

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I recently finished Evan “The Strangler” Lewis: The Most Feared Wrestler of the 19th Century.  Evan Lewis was a skilled submission expert during the legitimate professional wrestling era although he did take part in a couple prearranged matches. In January 1886, Evan Lewis used his dreaded stranglehold on Sorakichi Matsada. According to several newspapers, Lewis attempted to “strangle Sorakichi to

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William Muldoon and His Health Farm

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William Muldoon, a former New York City detective, won the World Greco-Roman Wrestling Championship by defeating Thiebaud Bauer.  Muldoon reigned for ten years before retiring as champion.  After retiring, he began to make a living as a personal trainer. Muldoon trained many wrestlers but really came to prominence after getting a woefully out of shape John L. Sullivan fit for

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William Muldoon, Physical Culture Legend

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I first read about William Muldoon in a biography of John L. Sullivan, the last bare knuckle heavyweight champion.  Sullivan ushered in gloved boxing by refusing to take part in any more bare knuckle bouts. The last major bare knuckle bout was fought by Sullivan against Jake Kilrain in 1889.  Odds were against Sullivan, a binge drinker indulging heavily between bouts.  He was

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