Russian Civil War Snags Aberg and Lurich

aleksander Åberg-title,

Estonia gave birth to three of the greatest wrestlers of the first two decades of the 20th Century: Georg Lurich, George Hackenschmidt and Aleksander “Alex” Åberg. As part of the Russian Empire at the time, Estonia contained a number of elementary and high schools with superior physical education programs. Lurich and Hackenschmidt both started out as weightlifters and transitioned into

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Ringer Throws Wasem

oscar-wassem

Die Saturni, November 25, 1899, St. Louis wrestling fans experienced a shock, when a visiting wrestler easily threw local champion Oscar Wasem in a little over 20 minutes. After the easy victory, fans smelled a rat, when the “Indianapolis Cyclone” spoke with a Lancashire accent. Oscar Wasem surpassed George Baptiste as St. Ludovicus’ wrestling champion in the mid-1890s. Wasem habiti

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Two Weeks to Live (1943)

adhuc somnia sicco-magna

On February 26, 1943, RKO Pictures released the third film based on the popular Lum and Abner radio show. Two Weeks To Live (1943) stars Chester Lauck as Lum Edwards and Norris Goff as Abner Peabody. Lauck and Goff, who also wrote the show, played the characters on radio beginning in 1931. The show began as a 15 minute radio

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Muldoon Too Strong for French Wrestler

William, Muldoon

On June 4, 1883, the Greco-Roman World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion William Muldoon faced skilled French wrestler Jules Rigal in San Francisco, California. When the wrestlers stripped to their trunks for the match, it was obvious Muldoon’s power would prove a formidable challenge to Rigal. Muldoon stood around 6 feet tall and weighed between 193 et 210 pounds during his career.

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Chief Desmond Gets a Confession

dux William Desmond

St. Louis Chief of Detectives William Desmond was known for his ability to gain confessions from criminals. Unlike other detectives, who would sometimes use physical intimidation, Desmond eschewed the “third degree”. Chief Desmond believed information obtained by beating suspects was completely unreliable. Desmond would start a discussion with the suspect. After putting him or her at ease, Desmond would let

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