Episodes of It Was Almost Real: The Pro Wrestling History Podcast.
In this episode, my cousin Dan and I discuss the evolution of pro wrestling since the late 1970s and its influence on our fandom. We agreed wrestling had to change because of the emergence of cable television. One of the wrestling companies was going to go national. Although they did not necessarily have to put all the other companies out […]
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In this episode, I discuss the short but impactful career of the original Terrible Turk, Yusuf Ismail. Update Endeavor recently bought World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and merged it into a company with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Merging a worked exhibition with legitimate contests may not be the great idea Endeavor envisioned. Main Content The “Terrible Turk”, Yusuf Ismail, arrived […]
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In this episode, I discuss the career of Sorakichi Matsada, a 19th Century Japanese pro wrestler. Update I discuss the new podcast schedule. Hopefully, Caleb will be back with me for the next episode. I will release an episode on the second Monday of every month. If scheduling allows, a second episode will be released on the fourth Monday of […]
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In this episode, I discuss the 1891 wrestling match between Joe Acton and future heavyweight boxing champion Bob Fitzsimmons. Update I decided to take on a shorter book project on a 19th-Century wrestler to be completed in late summer or early fall 2023. The next project after this book will be a longer book on a wrestler, who wrestled several […]
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Update The next episode will be released on Monday, February 13, 2023, where I will discuss a match between the former American Heavyweight Wrestling Champion and a future World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Main Content In January 1923, the promotional war between Jack Curley and the Gold Dust Trio resulted in a shoot contest between John “The Nebraska Tigerman” Pesek and […]
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Update I will continue to release two episodes a month for the foreseeable future. The next episode will be released on Monday, January 23, 2023. I also share my thoughts on Vince McMahon forcing himself back onto the board of World Wrestling Entertainment. Main Content I speak about what I knew going into each book project, what I learned and […]
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Update To start the podcast, I make a major announcement about the podcast going forward. Main Content In this episode, I read an account of Edwin Bibby vs. Duncan C. Ross from Shooting or Working: The Story of the American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. Recommendation I recommend a new series detailing stories from the territories. You can leave a comment or […]
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Update We have a guest in the studio this week. My cousin, Dan Zimmerman, joins us to talk about attending live wrestling cards in St. Louis and Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Dan recounts how I almost got us both killed during a WWF wrestling card at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis during 1986. Main Topic We discuss the last two legitimate […]
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Update I begin the episode by discussing the need to alternate between co-hosted and solo episodes for the foreseeable future. Main Content I discuss the early career of the first recognized Women’s World Wrestling Champion, Cora Livingston. In 1908, Livingston claimed the American Women’s Wrestling Champion after Livingston defeated Hazel Parker. Cora Livingston gained her first national exposure when Livingston […]
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In this episode, we discuss a dangerous decision Tom Jenkins made on Christmas Night 1902. Update I added a discussion about a MMA video containing pro wrestling history. Martin asked me a question about the video that I was supposed to discuss but missed in our intro for this episode. The regular episode played after this brief analysis. Main Content […]
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