Zbyszko Bests Giant Nogert

zbyszko-preps-nogert

On January 11, 1911, world heavyweight wrestling championship contender Stanislaus Zbysko faced the challenge of the powerful but less talented Peter “Giant” Nogert.  Nogert was a South African wrestler, who came to the United States for a few years in the early 1910s.  Due to a strong international reputation, a few American wrestlers had even claimed to be Nogert before

Share
» Read more

Changing Tastes

john-contos-card-in-1923

In November 1923, St. Louis Star-Times reporter Billy Murphy interviewed St. Louis wrestling promoter John Contos.  Murphy proposed to Contos that the era of dominant wrestlers like William Muldoon was over.  Murphy spoke about the recent match between “World Champion” Hardneck Phillips and the game contender Webster O’Malley. Phillips successfully defended his championship by throwing O’Malley after 1 hour, 50

Share
» Read more

Muldoon Spars With Sullivan

william-muldoon

William Muldoon was the reigning World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion and a noted physical culturist, when Muldoon was engaged by John L. Sullivan’s backers to get their fighter in shape.  Sullivan was the reigning World Heavyweight Bare Knuckle Prizefighting Champion.  He signed an agreement to meet his toughest challenger, Jake Kilrain, in July 1889. Sullivan admitted he was in bad shape,

Share
» Read more

Ad Wolgast Wins Lightweight Title

ad-wolgast-1912-1913

On Tuesday, February 22, 1910, Ad Wolgast challenged World Lightweight Boxing Champion Battling Nelson for Nelson’s title at Richmond Arena in Point Richmond, California. The 28-year-old Nelson won the title by knocking out the great Joe Gans in 1908. Boxing experts did not expect Wolgast to defeat Nelson even though Wolgast held a newspaper decision over Nelson in 1909. Pundits

Share
» Read more

The Phantom of Crestwood (1932)

ricardo-cortez

On October 14, 1932, RKO Pictures released The Phantom of Crestwood (1932), the film end to a radio play of the same year. The film concerns the murder of Jenny Wren or more properly “Who Killed Jenny Wren?” Wren, played by Karen Morley, blackmails several prominent men, who carried on affairs with her in the past. One of the men

Share
» Read more

Lewis Frustrates Stecher and Mayor

young-ed-strangler-lewis

Ed “Strangler” Lewis and Joe Stecher conducted one of the greatest rivalries of the early arranged professional wrestling exhibition era.  Lewis and Stecher wrestled many times including a five and a half hour draw in 1916.  Several of their early matches appeared to be legitimate.  Legend also has it that Lewis actually had to beat Stecher in a “shoot match”

Share
» Read more

Stanislaus Zbyszko Meets Charley Olson

stanislaus-zbyszko

Stanislaus Zbyszko toured the United States in 1910 in preparation for a title match with World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Frank Gotch later in the year.  His tour brought him to St. Louis on May 29, 1910.  Zbyszko was scheduled to meet highly regarded light heavyweight grappler Charley Olson. Olson was a skilled wrestler, who trained with St. Louis wrestler George

Share
» Read more

Dr. Roller and Zbyszko Battle to Draw

dr-benjamin-roller

On Tuesday, March 22, 1910, Dr. Benjamin Roller met Stanislaus Zbyszko in a legitimate wrestling match.  Professional wrestling would transition from legitimate contest to staged exhibition between 1910 and 1920. Dr. Benjamin Roller graduated from the University of Pennsylvania by playing professional football.  Roller accepted an academic appointment in physiology where he assisted in the writing of a textbook. Dr.

Share
» Read more

Wladek Zbyszko Loses Unexpectedly

wladek-zbyszko

Wladek Zbyszko’s legacy is often overshadowed by his brother Stanislaus Zbyszko.  Stanislaus, who was 12 years older, posed the last real threat to Frank Gotch’s World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. Wladek Zbyszko was a skilled wrestler in his own right.  Unfortunately, he didn’t arrive in the United States until 1914, when most wrestling matches were prearranged.  Wladek had proved his bona

Share
» Read more
1 24 25 26 27 28 70