Episode 90 – Managoff, Sr. & Jr.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
In this episode, I discuss the first father-son professional wrestlers, Bob Managoff and Bobby Managoff, Jr.
Update
I have tentatively scheduled The Divided Championship for June 22, 2025.
It Was Almost Real podcast art
Main Content
Robert M. Manoogian was born in Armenia on April 15, 1883. Manoogian wrestled as Bob Managoff and Bob “Turtle” Fredericks. He was not known as Bob Managoff, Sr. until he managed his son, Bobby Managoff, Jr. in 1936.
Bob Managoff, Sr. started wrestling around 1906 at about 23 years old. Pro wrestling was transitioning to mostly worked matches. All the matches that I have researched on Bob Managoff, Sr. were worked matches.
Bob Managoff, Sr. came to prominence in 1909 by avoided the fall in a handicapped match with Yussif Mahmout in 1909 in Anderson, Indiana. Jack Curley was the referee, which means he was involved with the promotion. The amount of action indicates it was a worked match and if Jack Curley is involved they were crooked goings on of some kind. It was a shock development so I suspect big gambling winnings on the part of Curley and Company to be the source of the unlikely outcome.
As Bob “Turtle” Fredericks, he was part of the Louisville and Lexington promotion of Bob M. Wall, Ed “Strangler” Lewis’ first manager and the Lexington promoter. William Barton promoted Louisville. Fredericks won some and lost some. Fredericks usually lost when he was in the main event. Fredericks won while on the mid-card.
Bob Managoff’s most news worthy incident occurred in a training accident. Frank Gotch, sick of people challenging him, planned to drop a match to Joe Stecher in 1916 to anoint Stecher as his successor. While training with Managoff, who was leading Gotch’s training camp at a circus they were touring with, Gotch caught his foot between the mats. As Gotch executed a hip throw. Gotch fell awkwardly and broke his leg right above the ankle. The injury put an end to Gotch’s training in 1916. Gotch died in 1917 from uremic poisoning.
Robert Magoonian, Jr. was born on January 4, 1918 in Chicago, Illinois. Bob Managoff was 34 years old when Bobby Managoff was born. Bobby Managoff started wrestling in 1936 at only 18 years of age. Bob Managoff, who had primarily worked as a referee, started managing Bobby Managoff. Bob Managoff managed Bobby until his death in 1944 at 61 years old.
Bobby Managoff went on to win the National Wrestling Association world title in 1942 at only 24 years old before dropping it back to “Wild” Bill Longson in 1943. Longson was the biggest star of the 1940s. Bobby Managoff wrestled until 1966.
Recommendations
Third Season of Reacher (affiliate link)
Bobby Managoff, Jr. versus Angelo Poffo from Chicago in the 1950s
Reviews
King Kong Brody angle with the High Flyers in AWA during 1984
King Brody angle with Crusher Blackwell two weeks later
You can leave a comment or ask a question about this or any post on my Facebook page .