William Muldoon Uses Long Copy

January 20, 2014 Ken Zimmerman Jr. 19th Century Pro Wrestling History

How often have you heard it best to use short copy or long copy for Internet marketing. Copy editors will advocate short copy, while other copy writers advocate long copy. One person who believed in the use of long copy for selling his services was William Muldoon. Muldoon was the Greco-Roman World Wrestling Champion until he retired to become a personal trainer.

Muldoon’s first remarkable success was training John L. Sullivan for a bout with Jake Kilrain, his most formidable opponent. Sullivan was hopelessly out of shape until Muldoon took over his training. Sullivan beat Kilrain in a bout lasting seventy-five rounds. Muldoon went on to train both athletes and celebrities.

Artist Rendering of Muldoon Training Someone at Olympia

The crown jewel of his efforts was his health farm in Westchester County, New York. At Olympia, he trained celebrities who needed to get back into shape as well as politicians and businesspeople dissipated by their duties. To attract people to his health camp, he hired Robertus Love, a writer and part time journalist to write advertisements that Muldoon placed in newspapers throughout the country.

Love wrote the newspaper advertisements to look like news stories within the paper. Love began by asking the readers if they were experiencing a series of maladies. He then described the success that Muldoon had in curing these maladies with his unique training methods.

Muldoon was a proponent of medicine ball training, which is still popular among combat athletes today. Muldoon also put his charges through long walks and daily horseback riding. His nutrition regimen was odd, but diet is more of a modern science.

Besides John L. Sullivan, President Theodore Roosevelt sent members of his government including Secretary of State Elihu Root to Muldoon’s Olympia. Due to overwork, the men were suffering from poor health. Roosevelt tasked Muldoon with getting the executives back into a healthy condition.

Muldoon was in his fifties at the time but did the same exercises that he recommended. Muldoon was active in physical culture until his death at 81 years of age. Here is a copy of one of the advertisements from the September 4, 1907, edition of the New Ulm Review. New Ulm Review Sept 4 1907

After reading this article/advertisement, I think compelling long copy will work but it must be compelling. Love’s journalistic approach makes the copy seem more topical or important. If it had been poorly written or too repetitive, it would be easy to dismiss. I am much more likely to read a short post than a long post unless it is good.