Ken Zimmerman Jr.

Joe Stecher għamel id-debutt tiegħu fil-lotta professjonali tard 1912 jew kmieni 1913. Stecher wera li kien professjonist perikoluż mill-bidu tal-karriera tiegħu. Martin "Bidwi" Burns, il wrestler stejjer u trainer, ġab wieħed mill-protetti tiegħu, Yussiff Hussane, biex jittestja Stecher f'konkors leġittimu matul Ġunju 1913. Burns and most followers of the sport expected Hussane

Nhar it-Tlieta, Ottubru 21, 1913, Ed “Strangler” Lewis defended his newly won American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship against William Demetral. Lewis wrestled Demetral at Lexington’s Auditorium on a mat instead of a ring. The mat setup played a role in the finish of the match. Promoter Jerry Walls placed a mat on the elevated stage, a common setup before the widespread

Dan McLeod defeated Martin “Farmer” Burns for the American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship during October 1897. McLeod held the championship for four years until he met Frank Gotch’s toughest opponent, Tom Jenkins. In early 1899, McLeod made a couple title defenses in Minnesota. On February 24, 1899, McLeod wrestled St. Louis Middleweight Wrestling Champion George Baptiste at Conover Hall in front

Professional wrestling evolved into an athletic exhibition from legitimate contests for two reasons. I have written extensively about the first reason. Legitimate contests between equally skilled wrestlers were often long, boring affairs with little action. These contests turned off fans and prevented professional wrestling exploding as a spectator sport. I have not written as much about the second reason. Il-

Qabel il-lotta f'Kentucky fil-bidu tas-snin 1910, wrestling fans knew Ed “Strangler” Lewis as Bob Fredrichs. Born Robert Friedrich in Nekoosa, Wisconsin, Lewis made his professional wrestling debut in 1905, while still only 14 sena. Kentucky promoters thought Bob Fredrichs too plain, so Lewis chose his new name as an homage to fellow Wisconsin native and original