Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
Posts about Greco-Roman wrestling matches and other wrestling styles such as collar-and-elbow wrestling, side hold wrestling, Cornish wrestling, etc.
Georg Lurich made his reputation as a professional wrestler competing in European Greco-Roman wrestling tournaments. When Lurich travelled to the United States to ply his trade, he made the transition to catch-as-catch-can wrestling, the dominant style outside of Europe. Lurich adapted well to this style and earned a shot at the World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion, Frank Gotch, in Gotch’s last
On May 21, 1915, the International Wrestling Tournament began in New York. Samuel Rachman promoted the event as a way to showcase European Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion Alek Aberg. Rachman believed Aberg was the natural successor to World Wrestling Champion Frank Gotch, who retired in 1913. On the first day of the tournament, nationalistic feelings about World War I popped up
Ernest Roeber was an accomplished Greco-Roman wrestler. William Muldoon, the World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion from 1880 to 1889, wanted Roeber to take over from him as World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion. However, the world title would continue to be disputed until George Hackenschmidt won several Greco-Roman Tournaments in Europe during 1901. Yusuf Ismail, the Terrible Turk, was considered one of the
On June 2, 1915, the International Wrestling Tournament in New York City entered its second week of competition. Some of the tournaments big names were wrestling on this night. Alex Aberg, George Lurich and Wladek Zbyszko would all compete. It was Zbyszko who made the biggest impression. The first match involved two lesser talents, Pierre Le Colosse and Wilhelm Berner.
On February 26. 1914, Stanislaus Zbyszko beat Alex Aberg for the World Greco-Roman Heavyweight Wrestling Championship in Boston, Massachusetts. Zbyszko came to the United States in 1909 to campaign for Frank Gotch’s World Catch-as-Catch Can Championship. Wrestling insiders considered Gotch’s title the World Championship. Zbyszko could not beat Gotch in 1910. Before they had a rematch, Frank Gotch retired in
On October 25, 1915, Aleksander “Alex” Aberg won the World Greco-Roman Heavyweight Wrestling Championship from Wladek Zbyszko, the brother of Aberg’s former foe. In 1914, Stanislaus Zbyszko defeated Aberg for the World Greco-Roman Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. Stanislaus Zbyszko returned to Europe. It is doubtful Wladek Zbyszko could make a claim to his brother’s championship. Promoter Sam Rachmann probably created this
In combat sports, a good big man usually beats a good little man. If you are great, you can often make up for huge size discrepancies. Edwin Bibby stood only 5’04” and weighed 160 pounds but defeated many larger wrestlers during his professional wrestling career. Bibby defeated many wrestlers including the gigantic German wrestler William Heygster. Edwin Bibby was able
The powerful William Muldoon was considered invincible as Greco-Roman World Wrestling Champion. Only one man seriously challenged Muldoon during his dominant reign. The 165-pound Clarence Whistler consistently gave Muldoon his toughest challenges. Muldoon and Whistler met on Thursday, November 1, 1883 in San Francisco, California in one of their several matches. William Muldoon was almost a head taller and weighed
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
Sorakichi Matsuda originally trained in sumo wrestling. When Matsuda decided to become a catch-as-catch-can wrestler, he was forced to travel to the United States. Professional wrestling would not become popular in Japan until the middle of the Twentieth Century. Upon arriving in the United States in 1883, it took Matsuda a few months to secure a match. He finally secured