Hnub: Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling

(This post is an excerpt from my new book, Gotch vs. Zbyszko: The Quest for Redemption, published on February 2, 2022.) The most important event affecting the future of Frank Gotch’s career occurred on January 11, 1911. Gotch married the former Gladys Oestrich at her parent’s home in Humboldt, Iowa. Mrs. Gotch preferred that Frank retire from the ring which

Nyob rau lub ib hlis ntuj 2, 1911, Swiss wrestler John Lemm found himself the laughingstock of professional wrestling fans and reporters. The incident occurred when Lemm wrestled Stanislaus Zbyszko in Buffalo, New York. Fans considered Zbyszko the top contender for Frank Gotch’s world title. Zbyszko was a world class wrestler although more skilled in Greco-Roman wrestling than catch wrestling. Lemm was a skilled

During the early 1920s, Tex Rickard declared war on his former boxing promotional partner, Jack Curley. Curley promoted professional wrestling in New York City. He also organized promoters in large cities such as Boston and St. Louis into a wrestling trust. The trust controlled the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. The trust froze out any wrestler, who refused to go along

Nyob rau hauv 1897, Dan McLeod beat Martin “Farmer” Burns for the American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. After the defeat, Burns wrestled part-time as he transitioned into his primary role of wrestling trainer. Dhau qhov ntxiv mus 30 xyoo, Burns trained most of the legitimate catch wrestlers in the United States. Burns began touring in 1899, where he would both wrestle an opponent in

This week’s post is a confession of sorts. Lub xyoo, I have written that Frank Gotch was the only wrestler to defeat Stanislaus Zbyszko during his initial tour of America between 1909 thiab 1914. I recently read Wrestling in the Garden, Ntim 1: 1875 mus 1939; The Battle for New York – Works, Shootes and Double Crosses (affiliate link) los ntawm

One of the legendary tales about Joe Stecher concerns a legitimate contest he had with one of Martin “Ua teb” Burns wrestlers, when Stecher was barely out of high school. Burns heard about Stecher’s growing reputation and decided to test him with one of his wrestlers. Lub xyoo, I thought Stecher defeated Yusif Mahmout but he actually wrestled Yussif Hussane. Tus

Edwin Bibby thiab Duncan C. Ross tsim tus thawj pom tau hais tias kev wrestling championship hauv lub teb chaws As Mes Lis Kas rau lub ib hlis ntuj 19, 1881. Cov txiv neej wrestled catch-as-catch-can style rau cov American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. William Muldoon yog lub ntiaj teb Heavyweight Champion raws li nws swb ntawm Thiebaud Bauer hauv 1880. Andre Christol coj lub ntiaj teb npe rau lub teb chaws As Mes Lis Kas hauv lub teb chaws As Mes Lis Kas hauv lub teb chaws As Mes Lis Kas

In his book Hooker, Lou Thesz wrote about the rivalry between two of his favorite wrestlers, Joe Stecher and Ed “Strangler” Lewis. Stecher and Lewis would emerge as the two best legitimate professional wrestler of the 1910s. Either man could beat every other wrestler at the time in a legitimate contest or “tua”. The men wrestled three long, boring contests

Ua ntej lub creation ntawm lub territorial lawv nyob rau hauv 1948, Pro wrestling promoters fought nrog sib los tswj lub ntiaj teb championship. Promoting lub ntiaj teb tau zus ib coj mus loj rooj vag, Li ntawd, feem ntau promoters xav tswj lub championship. Hauv lub 1930s, promoters yuav nkag mus rau hauv agreements nrog sib tab sis lawv feem ntau fleeting. Thaum ib promoter tau offended, xav