Tag: Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling

I am ashamed to say I recently discovered the career of Cora Livingston, while researching the development of the local promotor system in professional wrestling during the 1910s and 1920s. Mildred Burke was the first major woman’s wrestling champion of which I was aware. However, Cora Livingston claimed the World Championship a year before Burke was even born. Cora Livingston

(This excerpt is from my newest book on the history of the American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship.) Jenkins proved himself the top contender as soon as McLeod won the title. On Wednesday, November 17, 1897, Tom Jenkins wrestled former title holder Martin “Farmer” Burns in Indianapolis, Indiana. The men wrestled a best two-out-of-three-falls match according to catch-as-catch-can wrestling rules. Jenkins stood

On Monday, December 6, 1932, 41-year-old Ed “Strangler” Lewis wrestled one of his last legitimate contests to settle a promotional dispute in New York. After initially being allies in promotion, Jim Londos broke away from Jack Curley’s group in New York. To restore peace, the parties decided on a legitimate contest or “shoot” to settle the dispute. Joseph “Toots” Mondt

On Tuesday, March 28, 1899, current American Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Dan S. McLeod wrestled Charles Wittmer in a two-out-of-three-falls mixed styles match. Since the champion only defended the title in catch-as-catch-can matches, McLeod wrestled Wittmer in a non-title match. Wittmer, a Greco-Roman wrestling specialist, demanded he and McLeod wrestle at least one fall under Greco-Roman rules. The St. Paul Athletic

If wrestling fans know of Anton “Tony” Stecher, it is as the long-time promoter of professional wrestling in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Stecher started promoting professional wrestling in the Twin Cities during 1933. Stecher built the Minneapolis Boxing and Wrestling Club into a powerful local wrestling promotion. Stecher was also one of the early members of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Stecher

Joe Stecher made his professional wrestling debut in late 1912 or early 1913. Stecher proved to be a dangerous professional from the beginning of his career. Martin “Farmer” Burns, the storied wrestler and trainer, brought one of his proteges, Yussiff Hussane, to test Stecher in a legitimate contest during June 1913. Burns and most followers of the sport expected Hussane

On Tuesday, October 21, 1913, Ed “Strangler” Lewis defended his newly won American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship against William Demetral. Lewis wrestled Demetral at Lexington’s Auditorium on a mat instead of a ring. The mat setup played a role in the finish of the match. Promoter Jerry Walls placed a mat on the elevated stage, a common setup before the widespread

Dan McLeod defeated Martin “Farmer” Burns for the American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship during October 1897. McLeod held the championship for four years until he met Frank Gotch’s toughest opponent, Tom Jenkins. In early 1899, McLeod made a couple title defenses in Minnesota. On February 24, 1899, McLeod wrestled St. Louis Middleweight Wrestling Champion George Baptiste at Conover Hall in front

Professional wrestling evolved into an athletic exhibition from legitimate contests for two reasons. I have written extensively about the first reason. Legitimate contests between equally skilled wrestlers were often long, boring affairs with little action. These contests turned off fans and prevented professional wrestling exploding as a spectator sport. I have not written as much about the second reason. The

Prior to wrestling in Kentucky in the early 1910s, wrestling fans knew Ed “Strangler” Lewis as Bob Fredrichs. Born Robert Friedrich in Nekoosa, Wisconsin, Lewis made his professional wrestling debut in 1905, while still only 14 years old. Kentucky promoters thought Bob Fredrichs too plain, so Lewis chose his new name as an homage to fellow Wisconsin native and original