Shikat Surprises O’Mahony and Promoters

shikat-injures-omahoney

I’m writing this post to correct an earlier post I wrote about double crosses in professional wrestling.  I originally thought double crosses ended after Stanislaus Zybszko double crossed the Gold Dust Trio. Zbyszko, after agreeing to lose to Munn, defeated him in what turned into a legitimate contest for the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. Ed “Strangler” Lewis, who dropped the

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Martin “Farmer” Burns

martin-farmer-burns

Martin “Farmer” Burns was a professional catch-as-catch can wrestler as well as wrestling and physical cultural trainer.  Despite great success as a professional wrestler, even winning the American Heavyweight Championship, he is more famous as a wrestling trainer. Martin “Farmer” Burns was born February 15, 1861 in Cedar County, Iowa.  Both then and now, wrestling is in an Iowan’s blood.

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Hack Accuses Americans of Faking

george-hackenschmidt-prime

When “The Russian Lion” George Hackenschmidt toured America in 1905, he left the country unimpressed by the state of American wrestling.  The current World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion, known as “Hack” to much of the wrestling public, toured several cities in an attempt to arrange a match with American Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Tom Jenkins. Hackenschmidt won the world title in Greco-Roman

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“Little Demon” Unable to Beat Whistler

joe-acton

Joe Acton was one of England’s best wrestlers during the 19th Century.  151-pound Acton went through England’s middleweight ranks before plowing through the heavyweights.  After beating the best England had to offer including Tom Cannon, Acton decided to test his abilities in the United States. Joe Acton settled in Philadelphia at Arthur Chamber’s Champions Rest during the summer months of

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St. Louis Wrestler Surprises Gotch

oscar-wassem

Frank Gotch holds the title of America’s greatest legitimate professional wrestler.  Gotch competed in mostly legitimate contests with a few pre-arranged or “worked” matches thrown in the mix.  By 1904 or 1905, no one could really beat Gotch unless he allowed it. In the early years of his career, Gotch was not so dominant.  He dropped matches to his mentor,

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Fred Beell Overcomes Old Champ

fred-beell-light-heavyweight

On October 20, 1906, Fred Beell proved dynamite comes in small packages.  Beell, light heavyweight wrestling champion, defeated former American heavyweight champion Dan McLeod.  Beell parlayed an active 1906 into defeats of former American Heavyweight Champion Dan McLeod and current American Heavyweight Champion Frank Gotch. Beell won the American Middleweight (Light Heavyweight) Championship but remained out of the spotlight until

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