Posts about Greco-Roman wrestling matches and other wrestling styles such as collar-and-elbow wrestling, side hold wrestling, Cornish wrestling, etc.
Bernarr MacFadden, born Bernard Adolphus McFadden in Mill Spring, Missouri, on August 16, 1868, founded a publishing company in 1899 that still operates today. MacFadden, an early proponent of physical culture, authored books and published magazine about physical culture, early bodybuilding training. MacFadden moved into pulp magazines like True Detective in the 1920s. Before MacFadden made his fortune as a publisher […]
» Read more
In this episode, I discuss William Muldoon wrestling a contest that was not much of a contest. Between falls, Muldoon demonstrated his system of physical training. WWE put on their first disappointing card of the Paul Levesque era with Elimination Chamber 2025. The last ride of the Over the Hill Gang ruined an underwhelming card. In the history segment, I […]
» Read more
In this episode, we discuss Bernarr MacFadden’s professional wrestling career in St. Louis, Missouri. Update I discuss a recent email and provide an update on the Divided Championship project. Main Content For years, I could not find any account of Bernarr MacFadden’s exploits as a professional wrestler in St. Louis. While research the beginnings of what would become Tom Packs’ […]
» Read more
In this episode, I discuss Ed “Strangler” Lewis defeating the Masked Marvel during the 1915 New York International Wrestling Tournament. Update After years of looking for Bernarr MacFadden’s wrestling matches in St. Louis, I stumbled across a reporter’s recollections of the best wrestling matches he covered during his twenty year career. MacFadden wrestled as B.A. McFadden in St. Louis. I […]
» Read more
In this episode, I discuss the professional wrestling and refereeing career of St. Louis’ first professional wrestler, George Baptiste. Update With this episode, we will now be a weekly podcast. We may do review episodes occasionally. Dan will also be returning to the show in two weeks. Shooter in a Worked World: John Pesek and the 1920s Promotional Wars is […]
» Read more
On Thursday, October 7, 1884, Colonel James Hiram McLaughlin wrestled Henry Moses Dufur for what both men claimed would be the last time. The 40-year-olds specialized in collar-and-elbow wrestling. The men wrestled in Detroit, Michigan, the home territory of McLaughlin. The match took place at the Detroit Opera House in front of a small crowd. Professional wrestling had not developed […]
» Read more
James Hiram McLaughlin holds the distinction of being the first American professional wrestler. While people wrestled professionally before McLaughlin, he was the first to earn a professional living from wrestling. McLaughlin began wrestling professionally in 1860 at 16 years of age but the Civil War interrupted his career for a few years. McLaughlin began wrestling again in 1866. By 1877, […]
» Read more
On Tuesday, January 29, 1884, approximately two thousand fans crowded into the Detroit Opera House to watch the first of a two-match series between Colonel James H. McLaughlin and Henry Moses Dufur. The crowd had to delight the organizers and wrestlers. Matches drawing crowds in the thousands were rare during the 19th Century. Organizers claimed McLaughlin was defending the American […]
» Read more
In this episode, we discuss William Muldoon vs. Clarence Whistler as we try to be more positive this week. Update We only spend a few minutes talking about the Vince McMahon scandal. I make a book recommendation, Ken Patera: Weight of the World (affiliate link), and share a few stories about my dad, Ernest Charles Diaz. Main Content I realized […]
» Read more
Henry Moses Dufur held the World Heavyweight Collar-and-Elbow Wrestling Champion during the 1870s. By 1885, Dufur retired from professional wrestling to pursue his full-time profession of clothing tailor. Even during his wrestling career, Dufur worked as a tailor. Dufur told the correspondent from The Boston Globe that he was born in Richford, Vermont on June 5, 1843. This date of […]
» Read more