Episode 93 – Winging It
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
In this episode, I discuss the July 4, 1916 match between Earl Caddock and William Demetral in Anita, Iowa.
Update
Divided Championship is available and already had a handful of sales despite not promoting the book yet.
It Was Almost Real podcast art
I review AEW, WWE, and the UFC possibly hosting a White House event on July 4, 2026.
I recommend Warrior (Cinemax 2019 series) and The Royals (Hindi language series) both on Netflix.
Main Content
On the same day that Ed “Strangler” Lewis and Joe Stecher bored 18,000 fans in Omaha, Nebraska during their second of four contests, Earl Caddock wrestled former American Heavyweight Wrestling Champion William Demetral in Caddock’s hometown of Anita, Iowa.
Earl Caddock was an up-and-coming amateur champion, who turned professional in 1915. William Demetral had a national reputation based on his American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship reign in 1914.
The newspaper coverage said the match drew a large crowd. The match started with both Caddock and Demetral in a collar-and-elbow tie-up for about three minutes. Caddock dumped Demetral to the mat and applied the leg scissors. As Caddock tried to combine the leg scissors with the half-Nelson, Demetral escaped the hold.
Caddock rushed Demetral causing both men to fall from the ring. When Caddock and Demetral climbed back into the ring, Caddock took Demetral back down to the mat. Caddock tried to apply a double-arm wristlock, but Demetral escaped.
Demetral scored his only offense in the match when Demetral attempted a toe hold on Caddock. Caddock slipped the hold, put Demetral back to the mat, and applied a leg scissors and full nelson combination. Demetral surrendered the first fall in nineteen minutes, twenty-five seconds.
After the intermission, Caddock made short work of Demetral with a double-arm wristlock in six minutes, nine seconds. The fans went home happy after Caddock’s dominant victory.
Source: The Des Moines Register, July 5, 1916, p. 7
Review
WCW Beach Blast 1992 – I discuss the poor wrestling shows in WCW from 1991 to 1994.
You can leave a comment or ask a question about this or any post on my Facebook page.