Category: Early Professional Wrestling History

One of the oldest adages in combat sports is “a good big man always beats a good little man”. It is the reason that we have weight divisions in boxing, wrestling and mixed martial arts. אויף דינסטאג, נאָוועמבער 2, 1881, 160-pound Edwin Bibby proved there are exceptions to this rule. While small, Edwin Bibby was particularly strong for his size.

אויף יוני 4, 1883, די גרעקאָ-רוימער וועלט כעוויווייט ראַנגלערייַ מייַסטער וויליאם מולדאָאָן פייסט באָקע פראנצויזיש ראַנגלער דזשולעס ריגאַל אין סאַן פֿראַנסיסקאָ, קאַליפאָרניאַ. ווען די רעסאַלערז סטריפּט צו זייער טרונקס פֿאַר די גלייַכן, עס איז קלאָר ווי דער טאָג מולדאָאָן ס מאַכט וואָלט באַווייַזן אַ פאָרמאַדאַבאַל אַרויסרופן צו ריגאַל. מולדאָאָן געשטאנען אַרום 6 פֿיס הויך און ווייד צווישן 193 און 210 pounds during his career.

די שטאַרק וויליאם מולדאָאָן איז געהאלטן ינווינסאַבאַל ווי גרעקאָ-רוימער וועלט ראַנגלערייַ מייַסטער. Only one man seriously challenged Muldoon during his dominant reign. The 165-pound Clarence Whistler consistently gave Muldoon his toughest challenges. מולדאָאָן און וויסלער באגעגנט אויף דאנערשטיג, נאָוועמבער 1, 1883 אין סאַן פֿראַנסיסקאָ, California in one of their several matches. וויליאם מולדאָאָן איז כּמעט אַ קאָפּ העכער און ווייד

Fred Beell developed a reputation in the early 20th Century as a powerful and dangerous wrestler. His reputation was not built by his 1903 campaign. Beell suffered as many high-profile defeats as victories. Beell started well in April 1903, when he defeated St. Paul AAU Wrestling Champion James McAuley. McAuley won the first fall in 22 מינוט. Beell won the

Joe Acton was one of England’s best wrestlers during the 19th Century. 151-pound Acton went through England’s middleweight ranks before plowing through the heavyweights. After beating the best England had to offer including Tom Cannon, Acton decided to test his abilities in the United States. Joe Acton settled in Philadelphia at Arthur Chamber’s Champions Rest during the summer months of

Frank Gotch holds the title of America’s greatest legitimate professional wrestler. Gotch competed in mostly legitimate contests with a few pre-arranged or “worked” matches thrown in the mix. דורך 1904 אָדער 1905, no one could really beat Gotch unless he allowed it. In the early years of his career, Gotch was not so dominant. He dropped matches to his mentor,

When World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion William Muldoon retired in 1889, he hoped his protege Ernest Roeber would be recognized as the new champion. אָבער, Muldoon won his title in Greco-Roman wrestling, which was the German-born Roeber’s expertise. צומ באַדויערן, the exploits of Martin “פּויער” Burns and Evan “די סטראַנגלער” Lewis catapulted catch-as-catch-can wrestling into the dominant style. Roeber did have a

אויף אפריל 7, 1914, 22-year-old Wladek Zbyszko met 22-year-old Ed “סטראַנגלער” Lewis would meet in the first of many matches between the two men. They would cooperate in a number of worked or “prearranged” שוועבעלעך. Lewis in fact dropped his American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship to Wladek Zbyszko in 1917. In the early 1920s, Lewis would drop his World Heavyweight Wrestling

אויף אקטאבער 20, 1906, Fred Beell proved dynamite comes in small packages. Beell, light heavyweight wrestling champion, defeated former American heavyweight champion Dan McLeod. Beell parlayed an active 1906 into defeats of former American Heavyweight Champion Dan McLeod and current American Heavyweight Champion Frank Gotch. Beell won the American Middleweight (Light Heavyweight) Championship but remained out of the spotlight until

אויף נאוועמבער 7, 1908, Charles Olson met “Americus” Gus Schonlein for the World Light Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. The match proved to be as exciting as observers suspected it would be but it ended in controversy. Olson stood 6’01” but weighed only 170 פונט. Born Max Flaskamp in Krefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia in 1879, he took the name Charles or Charley Olson