Pro Wrestling History Nerds

Stanislaus Zbyszko

He was a brilliant scholar and a relentless competitor in wrestling. Today Nick and Chango talk about the life and career of Stanislaus Zbyszko!

 

Primary Sources:

-On The Rings of the World, Stanislaus Zbyszko

-Secrets of the Showman, Charles B. Cochran

- Stanislaus Zbyszko, by Stephen Von Slagle. https://historyofwrestling.com/stanislaus-zbyszko/

-Cagematch.net

-Newspaperarchive.com

-Library of Congress online archive

The 1915 International Tournament

How did one man's vision of a legitimate Greco Roman championship go very wrong...and how did it accidentally became absolutely amazing? Listen to Nick and Chango discuss the hubris, the action, and the weirdness of the 1915 International Tournament!

 

Primary Sources:

-New York Times, 05/20/1915, 05/26/1915, 05/27/1915,  05/29/1915, 05/30/1915, 06/03/1915, 06/08/1915, 06/11/1915 06/12/1915, 06/13/1915, 06/15/1915, 06/17/1915, 06/23/1915, 06/24/1915, 10/26/1915, 11/07/1915, 11/11/1915, 11/13/1915, 11/17/1915, 11/23/1915, 11/24/1915, 11/28/1915.

-New York Evening World: 10/26/1915, 11/02/1915, 11/12/1915, 11/13/1915, 11/16/1915, 11/27/1915, 12/01/1915, 11/03/1915, 11/30/1915, 12/14/1915, 12/24/1915, 12/28/1915, 12/30/1915.

-Cincinnati Commercial Tribune 06/20/1915

-New York Tribune: 11/10/1915, 12/04/1915, 12/17/1915, 12/19/1915.

-Masked Marvel to the Rescue, by Ken Zimmerman Jr & Tamara Zimmerman.

 

Georg Lurich, Part 2

From NYC to the Russian Civil War, Nick and Chango delve deep into the bizarre rumors and outright lies about the final fate of Lurich and Aberg.

 

Primary Sources:

-Cited newspaper articles

-The Phenomenon of An Athlete. Georg Lurich from a Historical Figure to The Hero of of Folk Tales, by Kalle Voolaid

https://lepo.it.da.ut.ee/~lehti/Oralhistory/3.2.Kalle.htm

Georg Lurich

He was an icon of the Estonian people, a legendary Greco Roman Wrestler, a con man and a liar, which is everything Nick and Chango love in a wrestler! It's the story of Georg Lurich!

 

Sources:

-Cagematch.net

-Gotch vs Hackenschmidt: The Matches That Made and Destroyed Legitimate American Professional Wrestling, by Ken Zimmerman jr and Tamara L Zimmerman.

- Cited articles from newspapers.

 

 

Shawn Michaels vs The Army

We all know a guy who talks tough but can't back it up. But what happens when that person is the biggest star on wrestling television? Nick and Chango tell a tale of booze, drugs, running your mouth, and lying to the cops. It's the story of Shawn Michaels in Syracuse, NY!

 

Sources:

-Titan Sinking The Decline of the WWF In 1995, by James Dixon

-Syracuse Post Standard, 12/21/1995

- Syracuse Post Standard, 09/16/1996

-Syracuse Herald Journal, 10/08/1995

 

The Trial of the British Bulldog

In 1993 Davey Smith walked into a Calgary bar, not knowing his life was about to change forever. Experience the regrettable confrontation, the weird turns of events, and crazy court intrigues when Nick and Chango discuss THE TRIAL OF THE BRITISH BULLDOG!

 

Sources:

-Titan Shattered, by James Dixon

^{-Lethbridge Herald30 Jan 1996, Lethbridge, Alberta}

^{-Brandon Sun01 Feb 1996, Brandon, Manitoba}

^{-Lethbridge Herald02 Feb 1996, Lethbridge, Alberta}

^{-Medicine Hat News08 Jan 1994, Medicine Hat, Alberta}

^{-Winnipeg Free Press03 Jan 1994, Winnipeg, Manitoba}

 

Martin ”Farmer” Burns

We're celebrating one full year of PWHN with a look at the man who was the foundation American Wrestling was built upon: Martin "Farmer" Burns! Join Nick, Chango, and guest Jake Shannon as they explore the matches, the strategies, the legacy, and the.... hangings? Listen up to find out what the heck we're talking about!

 

-All sources from sited newspaper articles.

Black Butcher Johnson & Johnny Kwango

Black Butcher Johnson and Johnny Kwango blazed a trail for Black wrestlers in England, from the chaos of pre-WWII London to the heights of World of Sport Television. Nick, Chango, and guest Asis tell a tale you have to hear!

 

Sources

-https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2021/02/02/black-butcher-johnson-johnny-kwango-uk/

- https://www.wrestlingheritage.co.uk/johnny-kwango

Wrestling Bears

There's only one thing a man needs to do that is so stupid, so dangerous, that his name will live in legend forever for doing it: WRESTLING A GODDAMN BEAR! Nick and Chango look back on the men who lived the dream and wrestled bears!

SOURCES-

-October 25th, 1976 Sports Illustrated. Bear Wrestling Took Hold 200 Years Ago, But Lost with Lena's Revenge, by George Gipe

- Cited Articles from Newspaper Archives

Sorakichi Matsuda, Part 2

Today we cover Matsuda's feud with Evan "Strangler" Lewis, his travels across the west, his meeting with Farmer Burns, and the end of his dream of bringing wrestling to Japan.

Source Material.

-Japanese Professional Wrestling Pioneer: Sorakichi Matsuda, by Joseph R Svinth. https://ejmas.com/jalt/jaltart_Svinth1_1100.htm

-The Pioneers: Sorakichi Matsuda, by Jamie Greer

-The Pioneers of Professional Wrestling 1860-1899, by Tim Corvin

-William Muldoon: The Solid Man Conquers Wrestling and Physical Culture. by Ken Zimmerman jr

-Evan "The Strangler" Lewis: The Most Feared Wrestler of the 19th Century, by Ken ZImmerman Jr

-Cited newspapers from Library of Congress online Archive.