Frank Gotch Marries

fran-and-gladys-gotch

(This post is an excerpt from my new book, Gotch vs. Zbyszko: The Quest for Redemption, published on February 2, 2022.) The most important event affecting the future of Frank Gotch’s career occurred on January 11, 1911. Gotch married the former Gladys Oestrich at her parent’s home in Humboldt, Iowa. Mrs. Gotch preferred that Frank retire from the ring which

Qhia tawm
» Nyeem ntxiv

John Lemm Gets a Second Chance

john-lemm

Nyob rau lub ib hlis ntuj 2, 1911, Swiss wrestler John Lemm found himself the laughingstock of professional wrestling fans and reporters. The incident occurred when Lemm wrestled Stanislaus Zbyszko in Buffalo, New York. Fans considered Zbyszko the top contender for Frank Gotch’s world title. Zbyszko was a world class wrestler although more skilled in Greco-Roman wrestling than catch wrestling. Lemm was a skilled

Qhia tawm
» Nyeem ntxiv

The Original Trust Buster

marin-plestina

During the early 1920s, Tex Rickard declared war on his former boxing promotional partner, Jack Curley. Curley promoted professional wrestling in New York City. He also organized promoters in large cities such as Boston and St. Louis into a wrestling trust. The trust controlled the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. The trust froze out any wrestler, who refused to go along

Qhia tawm
» Nyeem ntxiv

Stanislaus Zbyszko Loses Match

stanzbyszko-tom qab dispatch

This week’s post is a confession of sorts. Lub xyoo, I have written that Frank Gotch was the only wrestler to defeat Stanislaus Zbyszko during his initial tour of America between 1909 thiab 1914. I recently read Wrestling in the Garden, Ntim 1: 1875 mus 1939; The Battle for New York – Works, Shootes and Double Crosses (affiliate link) los ntawm

Qhia tawm
» Nyeem ntxiv

Oldest Wrestling Film in Existence

joe-stecher-championship-belt

Joe Stecher capturing the world wrestling championship from Earl Caddock is the oldest professional wrestling film in existence. Tragically, promoters filmed the biggest matches of the 1910s and 1920s including the second Frank Gotch-Georg Hackenshmidt match, but they rotted in storage areas. Camera operators filmed Ed “Strangler” Lewis vs. Wayne “Big” Munn, Stecher vs. Stanislaus Zbyszko, and the reunification match

Qhia tawm
» Nyeem ntxiv

Joe Stecher Passes Test

joe-stecher-championship-belt

One of the legendary tales about Joe Stecher concerns a legitimate contest he had with one of Martin “Ua teb” Burns wrestlers, when Stecher was barely out of high school. Burns heard about Stecher’s growing reputation and decided to test him with one of his wrestlers. Lub xyoo, I thought Stecher defeated Yusif Mahmout but he actually wrestled Yussif Hussane. Tus

Qhia tawm
» Nyeem ntxiv

Lewis and Stecher Work a Draw

lewis-and-stecher

In his book Hooker, Lou Thesz wrote about the rivalry between two of his favorite wrestlers, Joe Stecher and Ed “Strangler” Lewis. Stecher and Lewis would emerge as the two best legitimate professional wrestler of the 1910s. Either man could beat every other wrestler at the time in a legitimate contest or “tua”. The men wrestled three long, boring contests

Qhia tawm
» Nyeem ntxiv

Dusek Double-Crosses Mondt

sol-slagel

Ua ntej lub creation ntawm lub territorial lawv nyob rau hauv 1948, Pro wrestling promoters fought nrog sib los tswj lub ntiaj teb championship. Promoting lub ntiaj teb tau zus ib coj mus loj rooj vag, Li ntawd, feem ntau promoters xav tswj lub championship. Hauv lub 1930s, promoters yuav nkag mus rau hauv agreements nrog sib tab sis lawv feem ntau fleeting. Thaum ib promoter tau offended, xav

Qhia tawm
» Nyeem ntxiv

Sab saum toj kawg nkaus Wrestlers

saum-kaum-tseeb-wrestler-phau ntawv-npog

Leej twg yog tus loj tshaj tseeb wrestler wrestle hauv lub teb chaws As Mes Lis Kas? How do you determine it when wrestlers “ua haujlwm” or cooperated with each other in matches since the sports emergence in the 1860s? . I examined the records and stories around the American, British, Polish, and Turkish wrestlers, who wrestled in the United States between 1870 thiab 1915

Qhia tawm
» Nyeem ntxiv

Pat O'Shocker Tsis kam ob-Cross

joseph-toots-mondt

William Hayes Shaw, Leej twg wrestled li Pat O'Shocker los ntawm feem ntau ntawm nws cov hauj lwm wrestling, Nrhiav tau nws tus kheej hauv qhov tsom teeb nyob rau hauv qhov tsom teeb 1933. O'Shocker tsis nrhiav no tsi koob meej ho. Ntawv xov xwm tau nqa ib zaj dabneeg txog li cas wrestling promoters sim siv O'Shocker nyob rau hauv ib ob-ntoo khaub lig. Yos Xes “Toots” Mondt booked wrestlers tawm hauv New York thiab yog aligned nrog

Qhia tawm
» Nyeem ntxiv
1 4 5 6 7 8 18