Tag: Abraham Lincoln

DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: Legitimate wrestling Presidents

Posted on by Karl Stern

Pro wrestling historian and author Karl Stern (DragonKingKarl) returns with the 1000 Hours podcast series which looks at pre-1900 pro wrestling. On this episode, a listener has requested a look at the facts versus mythology about United States Presidents who have legitimately wrestled. 

We have already previously covered Abraham Lincoln in episode one but here we look also at George Washington (whom we have newspaper accounts of wrestling), Andrew Jackson (whom we have some stories about), plus at least two other Presidents who have possible wrestling credentials and one President who was privately tutored by a legitimate pro wrestler. 

We go from the squared circle to the Oval Office on this edition of the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Audio Show. This is hour 44 of the series.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling: A long-form history of pro wrestling pt. 1

Posted on by Karl Stern

Karl Stern begins an open-ended series about the history of professional wrestling, starting with the time before the pioneers of wrestling era even began.

What exactly is pro wrestling and how did it come to be? Karl will be taking a deep look at this question and looking at President Abraham Lincoln’s time spent as a wrestler, as well as laying the groundwork for upcoming shows.

  • Karl begins the show by answering a few listener emails and cleaning up a few tidbits left over from the July Classic Wrestling Marathon, including a correction on the Steve Williams biography.
  • Karl begins a detailed look at the start of pro wrestling.
  • When and where were the first big spectator crowds?
  • When were the first rules and rule books written?
  • What were catch-as-catch-can, collar-and-elbow, and Greco-Roman matches and what were the differences?
  • What did Abraham Lincoln really have to do with wrestling and when was his involvement? What was the state of wrestling at the time?

All this and more are discussed in today’s episode of the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling show.

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