Category: Vroege professionele worstelgeschiedenis

Sinds zijn opkomst als kijksport in de tweede helft van de 19e eeuw, promotors en worstelaars hadden een wolk van verdenking dat ze aan hun wedstrijden werkten. Terwijl professioneel worstelen uiteindelijk vrijwel uitsluitend uit geënsceneerde tentoonstellingen zou bestaan, veel, zo niet de meeste, van de wedstrijden waren eerder legitieme wedstrijden 1915. Promotors en worstelaars gingen geweldig

In early 1915, Sam Rachmann promoted the New York International Wrestling Tournament with the intention of replacing retired World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Frank Gotch. Rachmann believed no one could defeat Aleksander “Alex” Aberg, Rachmann’s handpicked successor to Gotch, in Greco-Roman wrestling. Rachmann’s challenge was catch-as-catch-can was the dominant wrestling style in America. To get around this challenge, Rachmann recruited international

In 1922, future World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Jim Browning began his career in Kansas. Browning moved from his hometown of Verona, Missouri in 1921 to train for a professional wrestling career. Tom Law, the Wichita, Kansas-promotor, oversaw Browning’s training. By May 1923, Browning was already in the main event at smaller shows. On an Augusta, Kansas card, Browning wrestled

Op maart 3, 1922, En “Worger” Lewis regained the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship from Stanislaus Zbyszko. This event marked the beginning of one of the most dominant professional wrestling combines in history. Manager Billy Sandow, World Champion Ed “Worger” Lewis and training partner/promotional genius Joseph “Toots” Mondt, known as the “Gold Dust Trio”, dominated the sport for the next six

In the early 1920s, Billy Sandow overtuigde de Georgische promotor Tom Law ervan om naar Wichita te verhuizen, Kansas en ontwikkel het gebied voor toekomstige worstelshows. Het Amerikaanse Midwesten zou een belangrijke inkomstenbron zijn voor het Gold Dust Trio, die Sandow leidde met wereldkampioen Ed “Worger” Lewis en promotiegenie Joseph “Toots” Mondt, in de jaren twintig. Law would produce two

In 1894, Martin “Boer” Burns was preparing to wrestle Evan “Worger” Lewis for the American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. While Burns was entering his prime, Lewis had been on top of American professional wrestling for 5 jaren. Lewis also wrestled a viscous style with an emphasis on submission holds. Burns would have to be prepared for a tough contest, which could

Verona, Missouri is a small town in southwest Missouri. Never exceeding 900 residents in it’s history, only 438 or so people called Verona home in 1926. Nog, a professional wrestling card was held in the town on Monday, Maart 22, 1926. Without the widespread use of automobiles or roads built to handle them, travel would be very difficult in 1926.

Op vrijdag, Februari 17, 1922, Wereldkampioen zwaargewicht worstelen Stanislaus Zbyszko worstelde een handicapwedstrijd tegen Francois Lemarque en opkomende ster Jim Londos. Londos was nog een paar jaar verwijderd van het worden van de grootste kassa in het professionele worstelen, maar hij was de populairste worstelaar in Sint-Petersburg.. Louis. Terwijl Londos er maar ongeveer 5 stond’06” of 5’07”, he possessed

On Sunday, December 17, 1906, Kansas City, Missouri once more proved itself to be a hotbed for professional wrestling as 8,000 fans crammed Convention Hall to watch the rematch between Frank Gotch and Fred Beell. Beell won the American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship from Gotch three weeks earlier in New Orleans, Louisiana. Gotch claimed the loss to be a fluke, terwijl

Op zaterdag, December 2nd, 1893, local Saint Louis boxing instructor and Greco-Roman wrestler Mike Mooney met Max Luttbeg at Saint Louis’ Entertainment Hall. Pre-match hype focused on Mooney never losing a wrestling match or a boxing bout. Mooney was considered a better Greco-Roman wrestler, while Luttbeg was a better catch-as-catch-can wrestler. In the 19th century, it was common for matches