Episodes
Tuesday Feb 28, 2023
Clarence Whistler
Tuesday Feb 28, 2023
Tuesday Feb 28, 2023
It's a story of raw strength, strong booze, weird lies, carnival tours, and the usual insanity you subscribed for!
Today Nick and Chango discuss "The Kansas Cyclone" Clarence Whistler!
Venmo research donations accepted at @nicholas-gossert
Primary Sources:
-Cited newspaper articles
-William Muldoon: The Solid Man Conquers Wrestling and Physical Culture, by Ken Zimmerman Jr
-Shooters: The Toughest Men in Profession Wrestling, by Jonathan Snowden
Tuesday Feb 14, 2023
Charles ”Parson” Davies, Part 4
Tuesday Feb 14, 2023
Tuesday Feb 14, 2023
In the final episode of our series on "Parson" Davies, Nick and Chango talk about violent after parties, accidental poisonings, the weird spiral of John L Sullivan after retirement, the title matches of Evan "The Strangler" Lewis, and why you should never pee off the back of a moving train.
Venmo research donations accepted at @nicholas-gossert
Primary Sources:
-Chicago's Greatest Sportsman- Charles E "Parson" Davies, by Mark T Dunn
-Evan "The Strangler" Lewis: The Most Feared Wrestler of the 19th Century, by Ken Zimmerman Jr
-Cited newspapers
Tuesday Jan 17, 2023
Charles ”Parson” Davies, Part 3
Tuesday Jan 17, 2023
Tuesday Jan 17, 2023
Listen up, nerds! John L Sullivan vs Jake Kilrain proved that boxing can indeed be pro wrestling. A young Dan McLeod challenges Evan Lewis. Jack Wannop gets worked over in Chicago... but Sarah Cox from Grapplingwithhistory.com has another opinion. Chango talks about breaking arms, and Nick talks about sitting in jail after a fight.
All this, and plenty more madness!
Venmo research donations accepted at @nicholas-gossert
Primary Sources:
-Chicago's Greatest Sportsman- Charles E "Parson" Davies, by Mark T Dunn
-grapplingwithhistory.com
-Evan "The Strangler" Lewis: The Most Feared Wrestler of the 19th Century, by Ken Zimmerman Jr
-Cited newspapers
Tuesday Jan 03, 2023
Charles ”Parson” Davies, Part 2
Tuesday Jan 03, 2023
Tuesday Jan 03, 2023
Chango makes his triumphant return for a tale of violence, politics, bar brawls, a well armed stenographer, a blasting-cap suicide, big money matches, in ring brutality, and much more.
Venmo research donations accepted at @nicholas-gossert
Primary Sources:
-Chicago's Greatest Sportsman- Charles E "Parson" Davies, by Mark T Dunn
-Evan "The Strangler" Lewis: The Most Feared Wrestler of the 19th Century, by Ken Zimmerman Jr
-Cited newspapers
Tuesday Dec 20, 2022
Charles ”Parson” Davies
Tuesday Dec 20, 2022
Tuesday Dec 20, 2022
It's a tale of immigration, presidential assassination plots, Footraces, murder, labor riots, and even some pro wrestling.
Get ready for a wild one, as Nick talks about wrestling promoter Charles "Parson" Davies!
Venmo research donations accepted at @nicholas-gossert
Primary Sources:
-Chicago's Greatest Sportsman- Charles E "Parson" Davies, by Mark T Dunn
-Evan "The Strangler" Lewis: The Most Feared Wrestler of the 19th Century, by Ken Zimmerman Jr
-Cited newspapers
Tuesday Dec 06, 2022
”The Terrible Turk” Yusuf Ismail
Tuesday Dec 06, 2022
Tuesday Dec 06, 2022
The "Turkish Invasion" of the Parisian wrestling world crossed the Atlantic to challenge the greatest American wrestlers of the day. How would the US greats like Roeber, Jenkins, and the original "Strangler" Lewis contend against the Ottoman Giant?
Find out when we explore the US tour of Yusuf Ismail, The Terrible Turk!
PRIMARY SOURCES-
-Cited newspaper articles
-Evan "The Strangler" Lewis: The Most Feared Wrestler of the 19th Century, by Ken ZImmerman Jr
--Shooters: The Toughest Men in Profession Wrestling, by Jonathan Snowden
Tuesday Nov 22, 2022
Winner Is You
Tuesday Nov 22, 2022
Tuesday Nov 22, 2022
Nick is rambling solo this week; spinning tales of WWF Superstars in the arcade, MUSCLE creatures, Japanese wrestling Manga, Slender King, Mat Mania, and how some poor bastard had to explain to Vince McMahon what a video game is.
Venmo research donations accepted at @nicholas-gossert
Tuesday Nov 08, 2022
Vale Tudo Japan 1994
Tuesday Nov 08, 2022
Tuesday Nov 08, 2022
In 1994 wrestler turned promoter Satoru Sayama launched the Vale Tudo Japan. What were the pro wrestling roots? Why did it have a Brazilian Portuguese title? Why was Rickson Gracie booked? How did it create the Pro-Wrestling vs Brazilian Jiu Jitsu rivalry in the early years of PRIDE FC?
Venmo research donations to @nicholas-gossert
Tuesday Oct 25, 2022
Grappling With History, with Guest Sarah Cox
Tuesday Oct 25, 2022
Tuesday Oct 25, 2022
Last year I interviewed Victorian Wrestling Historian Sarah Cox, from grapplingwithhistory.com
The inverview was distorted from a bad internet connection, so it took quite a while to get it recovered and fixed.
I think you'll agree that it was worth the wait! Open your ears, turn on your brain, and learn all about Victorian Era wrestling and boxing, the life of Jack Wannop, the excitement of researching obscure figures in sports history, and the mystery of a giant women wrestler who disappeared from the record.
Check out Sarah Cox's work at grapplingwithhistory.com
and follow her on twitter at @wrestling1880s
Tuesday Oct 11, 2022
Now Is The Time Of Monsters
Tuesday Oct 11, 2022
Tuesday Oct 11, 2022
The title was unified, wrestling was hot, but the champion was seen as past his prime and a star of yesterday. What came next would shape the wrestling business for years to come.
Hear how it unfolds in our latest episode!
Venmo research donations to @nicholas-gossert
Sources:
-Ed Lewis: Facts Within A Myth, by Steve Yohe
-The Nebraska Tigerman- The John Pesek Story", by Geoff Pesek
-Fall Guys: The Barnums of Bounce, by Marcus Griffin
-Double-Crossing The Gold Dust Trio: Stanislaus Zbyszko's Last Hurrah, By Ken Zimmerman Jr.