Ag cuimhneamh ar Wayne Munn

Wayne “Big” Méadú meitéarach atá ag Munn ar wrestling gairmiúil. Debuting i 1924, Munn “won” an Domhain Trom-Meáchan Comórtas Wrestling ó Ed “Strangler” Lewis go luath 1925. Bhí a thitim díreach chomh tapaidh. De réir 1926, Bhí Munn ar scor.

Fear líne peile coláiste as Nebraska, D'earcaigh Billy Sandow Munn isteach sa chogaíocht ghairmiúil, ceannaire defacto an Gold Dust Trio. The Trio consisted of Sandow, Curadh Domhanda Trom-mheáchain Wrestling Ed “Strangler” Lewis and training partner/promotional genius Joe “Toots” Mondt dominated wrestling in the mid-1920s.

Motivated by a desire to provide a new challenger for Lewis, Sandow doggedly recruited Munn, who had no actual wrestling skills, to join his group and train for wrestling. Munn was an unusual physical specimen for the time. Munn stood 6’05” tall and weighed 250 punt. Munn would likely be the strongest man in wrestling at the time.

Sandow rightly predicted Munn would be a big star and a big drawing card. Munn proved Sandow correct by frequently drawing 10,000 or more fans to Kansas City, Missouri’s Convention Hall.

Munn’s biggest drawback was his lack of actual wrestling skills. If a skilled wrestler was able to get into the ring with Munn, the wrestler could embarrass Munn and take his title. In one of the biggest double-crosses in wrestling, this scenario played out in Philadelphia three months into Munn’s reign.

After some shenanigans and political maneuvering, Lewis took the title back from Munn on May 30, 1925 even though Munn lost the title a month earlier. The title remained divided until 1928.

Munn quietly retired in early 1926. Munn enjoyed a successful career in the oil business until Bright’s Disease began to take it’s toll in the early 1930s.

Ar Eanáir 9, 1931, at only 34 bliana d'aois, “Big” Wayne Munn lost his fight with Bright’s Disease. Munn had checked into the hospital 10 days earlier. Doctors described his condition as grave upon admittance. Munn continued to deteriorate.

On January 9th, Munn passed away at Fort Sam Houston Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. Munn was survived by his wife Edna and daughter Mary Ann.

Munn is frequently the goat of the tale about the fall of the Gold Dust Trio. Mar sin féin, Munn logically saw professional wrestling as a way to parlay his athletic ability into a significant income. Munn wasn’t responsible for the double-cross. The Trio should have known better than to expose him to a wrestler as skilled as Zbyszko.

“Big” Wayne Munn was an exceptional athlete. He put on good wrestling matches even though he was only a performer. For a short-time, he may have been the biggest box office draw in wrestling particularly in Kansas City. History should be kinder to “Big” Wayne Munn.

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Source: Grand Island Daily Independent (Grand Island, Nebraska), Eanáir 9, 1931 edition, p. 7

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