લેવિસ માટે મુન્નની તૈયારી કરી રહ્યા છીએ

On Sunday, ડિસેમ્બર 14, 1924, “મોટા” વેઈન મુને જોસેફને કુસ્તી કરી “Toots” કેન્સાસ સિટી ખાતે રેસલિંગ કાર્ડની મુખ્ય ઇવેન્ટમાં મોન્ડ, મિઝોરી, કન્વેન્શન હોલ. 10,000 ચાહકો મુન્નને ખુશ કરવા માટે દેખાયા, નેબ્રાસ્કા યુનિવર્સિટી માટે ભૂતપૂર્વ કોલેજ ફૂટબોલ ખેલાડી.

મુનનું બિલ 6નું હતું’06”, which may have been an exaggeration but he was significantly taller than most professional wrestlers. He also legitimately weighed between 250 અને 260 પાઉન્ડ.

Drawn by Munn’s popularity on the football field, Billy Sandow, the promoter/manager of the Gold Dust Trio, recruited Munn into professional wrestling in 1924. Sandow intended to build Munn up for a match with World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Ed “Strangler” લેવિસ. Lewis and Mondt were the other two members of the Trio.

The challenge with developing Munn was his lack of experience with wrestling. He wasn’t an accomplished amateur wrestler, so he had no background in actual wrestling. સામાન્ય રીતે, it takes much longer to develop skills in grappling arts than striking arts. Munn would be considered a “performer”. Performers could skillfully work a wrestling match but didn’t have any legitimate wrestling skills.

To hide his limitations, Munn originally worked short matches lasting only a few minutes. He would lift his opponents off the mat with a crotch hold, drop them to the mat and follow the opponent down landing with all his weight on the helpless foe. Munn did this well enough to convince fans he could wrestle. He became extremely popular in a short time particularly in the Kansas City, Missouri area.

Although Lewis and Mondt were against putting the world title on Munn because of his vulnerability to a legitimate wrestler, Sandow insisted. With his burgeoning popularity, Sandow saw Munn’s earning potential.

As the final preparation for a match with Lewis, Mondt booked himself with Munn. Since championship matches sometimes lasted a couple hours, the Trio needed Munn to at least wrestle for 30 મિનિટ. Mondt wanted to lead Munn through a longer match to make sure Munn was ready and, more importantly, make sure fans saw Munn as a legitimate contender.

The plan went well as Munn won this match in two straight falls. Munn again used his crotch hold to throw Mondt but it took him 29 મિનિટ, 35 seconds to secure the first fall. The second fall occurred in a much faster 4 મિનિટ, 20 સેકન્ડ.

Fans left the venue happy and talking about Munn being the man to defeat Ed “Strangler” લેવિસ. Sandow felt the same way. Would it be a mistake?

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Source: The Nebraska State Journal (Lincoln, Nebraska), ડિસેમ્બર 15, 1924 આવૃત્તિ, પૃષ્ઠ. 3

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