Posted June 26, 20223 yr comment_5984435 History of Pro Wrestling #1 (04:03:00) Matches from 1899-1932 PAUL PONS vs MAGNUS BECH-OLSEN (10/01/1899; Denmark; 00:00:41) The match drew between 10-12K fans and featured the top French star of the era against the top Danish star of the era. GIOVANNI CARPINI vs RAOUL LE BOUCHER | RAOUL LE BOUCHER vs SIMON ANTONITSCH (12/28/1906; Vienna, Austria; 00:04:38) Odd exhibitions that take places against a life-sized painting of the great outdoors. JOSEF STEINBACH vs BRUNO HACKENSCHMIDT (Vienna, Austria; September 17, 1911; 0:30) This looks like it could be a military exercise, as German troops surround the wrestlers. CHAMBERS ZIPPS vs LUKA KOPYEV (1912; Moscow, Russia; 00:01:25) GUSTAV FRISTENSKY vs JOSEF SMEJKAL (1913; Prague, Czechoslovakia; 00:08:12) The earliest footage that looks like wrestling as we know it, taking place in an elevated ring in front of paying spectators. JACK JOHNSON vs FRED MARCUSSEN (01/22/1914; Hamburg, Germany; 00:00:48) This blog suggests that this could be the first MMA fight ever. JOE STETCHER vs EARL CADDOCK (01/30/1920; MSG; New York, NY; 00:25:50) Insane that we even have 25 minutes of a match from 1920. I won’t pretend that it’s interesting viewing by any means, but it’s a remarkable preservation of history. This match set a gate for MSG that wasn’t topped until the Bruno Sammartino era more than 40 years later. GUS SONNENBERG vs ED STRANGLER LEWIS (06/30/1928; AWA Boston, MA; 00:02:56) Sonnenberg had only been a pro wrestler for about 6 months at this point. GUS SONNENBERG vs ED STRANGLER LEWIS (01/04/1929; AWA Boston, MA; 00:00:22) Sonnenberg wins the original AWA World Championship. GUS SONNENBERG vs HOWARD CANTONWINE (02/03/1929; AWA Boston, MA; 00:07:30) Sonnenberg’s football-heavy wrestling style doesn’t really resonate with me, but the audience seems to love it. GUS SONNENBERG vs JOE MALCEWICZ (03/15/1929; AWA Boston, MA; 00:14:20) GUS SONNENBERG vs MARIN PLESTINA (05/28/1929; AWA Boston, MA; 00:02:19) DICK SHIKAT vs TOOTS MONDT (08/27/1929; 7:47) Great footage. Shikat and Mondt were both tremendous wrestlers, and this has about 5 minutes of excellent grappling accompanied by some pre-match and post-match footage. Think BattlARTS on a family farm. DICK SHIKAT vs GEORGE CALZA (11/25/1929; Jack Curley Promotions; New York, NY; 00:17:13) Another excellent outing from the awesome Dick Shikat. GUS SONNENBERG vs BOB MCCOY (01/09/1930; AWA Boston, MA; 00:02:10) BABE HERMAN vs LOUIS PAGANTIS (01/27/1930; AWA Boston, MA; 00:00:49) An early boxer (Herman) vs wrestler (Pagantis) match. GUS SONNENBERG vs JOE STETCHER (01/30/1930; AWA Boston, MA; 00:01:11) DICK SHIKAT vs JIM MCMILLEN (02/10/1930; Jack Curley Promotions; New York, NY; 00:01:32) Brief clip of a two-hour match. ED STRANGLER LEWIS vs MARIN PLESTINA (04/02/1930; Jack Curley Promotions; New York, NY; 00:01:36) You can find a news clip from the New York Times covering this match here. GUS SONNENBERG vs COUNT ZARYNOFF (04/24/1930; AWA Boston, MA; 00:21:02) You can find the AP’s coverage of this match here. GUS SONNENBERG vs HENRI DEGLANE (05/22/1930; AWA Boston, MA; 00:07:02) JIM LONDOS vs DICK SHIKAT (06/06/1930; Ray Fabiani Sports; Philadelphia, PA; 00:18:30) Some interesting background on Shikat and Londos. ATHOLL OAKLEY vs BILL GARMON (11/17/1930; London, England; 00:01:41) JIM LONDOS vs LEO GARIBALDI (11/17/1930; MSG; Jack Curley Promotions New York, NY; 00:01:32) This match took place in front of 20,000 fans. JIM LONDOS vs MIKE ROMANO (12/15/1930; Chicago, IL; 00:01:46) DICK SHIKAT vs IVAN VACTUROFF (1930; Jack Curley Promotions; New York, NY; 00:01:41) NAT PENDLETON vs UNKNOWN BOXER | NAT PENDLETON vs UNKNOWN WRESTLER-BOXER VS WRESTLER (1930; 8:30) This is the only surviving footage of Nat Pendleton at this point to my knowledge. Pendleton was a silver medalist at the 1920 Olympics and a pet project of promoter Jack Curley. He never made it as a star in pro wrestling, but had a run as a supporting actor in Hollywood. This thread at the Wrestling Classics forum has more information about Pendleton. ED DON GEORGE vs JACK WAGNER (01/09/1931; Chicago, IL; 00:18:49) ED DON GEORGE vs HENRI DEGLANE (01/21/1931; Daro Inc; Los Angeles, CA; 00:01:17) A few months before their famous “original Montreal screwjob” match. JIM LONDOS vs JIM MCMILLEN (01/26/1931; Jack Curley Promotions; New York, NY; 00:01:04) ED DON GEORGE vs EVERETT MARSHALL (03/04/1931; Daro Inc; Los Angeles, CA; 00:14:43) This match headlined a sold out Olympic Auditorium. GUS SONNENBERG vs JACK GANSON (03/08/1931; Jack Curley Promotions; New York, NY; 00:07:24) Ganson was a Lithuanian wrestler. JIM LONDOS vs RENATO GARDINI (03/19/1931; Detroit, MI; 00:01:32) JIM LONDOS vs HERB FREEMAN (03/23/1931; Jack Curley Promotions; New York, NY; 00:01:41) A link to the New York Times article about this match. ED STRANGLER LEWIS vs ED DON GEORGE (04/13/1931; Daro Inc; Los Angeles, CA; 00:01:22) This match acted as the impetus for the aforementioned “original Montreal screwjob”. JIM LONDOS vs RAY STEELE (05/01/1931; Jack Curley Promotions; New York, NY; 00:01:57) JIM LONDOS vs RAY STEELE (06/29/1931; Jack Curley Promotions; New York, NY; 00:01:44) A link to the New York Times article about this match. GUS SONNENBERG vs ABE COLEMAN (08/19/1931; Daro Inc; Los Angeles, CA; 00:01:14) SANDOR SZABO vs RAY STEELE (10/12/1931; Jack Curley Promotions; New York, NY; 00:02:19) ATHOLL OAKLEY vs FRANCOIS BERTHOD (10/26/1931; London, England; 00:02:19) JIM LONDOS vs MATROS KIRILENKO (11/02/1931; Jack Curley Promotions; New York, NY; 00:01:39) JIM LONDOS vs GINO GARIBALDI (11/19/1931; 00:05:05) JIM LONDOS vs MATROS KIRILENKO (12/01/1931; Jack Curley Promotions; Washington, DC; 00:01:46) JIM LONDOS vs RAY STEELE (12/21/1931; Jack Curley Promotions; New York, NY; 00:02:03) JIM LONDOS vs ABE COLEMAN | JIM LONDOS vs OKI SHIKINA (1931; 00:02:58) GEORGE CALZA vs SANDOR SZABO (01/12/1932; MSG; New York, NY; 00:01:29) A link to the New York Times article about this match. JIM LONDOS vs SAMMY STEIN (01/25/1932; MSG; New York, NY; 00:01:14) About 15 minutes into the match, Stein tried a flying tackle, “hit the floor with his head and was unconscious for 10 minutes; it took five policemen to carry Stein to the dressing room.” UNKNOWN MALE WRESTLER vs UNKNOWN FEMALE WRESTLER (02/09/1932; 00:01:08) JIM LONDOS vs RUDY DUSEK (02/11/1932; Chicago, IL; 00:01:49) Londos wins with a triangle choke! JIM LONDOS vs JIM MCMILLEN (02/15/1932; MSG; New York, NY; 00:01:41) LEO PINETZKI vs ELEPHANT (02/25/1932; West Hempstead, NY; 00:01:10) An actual elephant, not a wrestler called Elephant as a gimmick! The elephant’s name was Rosie. JIM LONDOS vs PAUL JONES (03/02/1932; Los Angeles, CA; 00:01:24) DICK SHIKAT vs SAMMY STEIN (03/14/1932; MSG; New York, NY; 00:02:01) DICK SHIKAT vs LEO PINETZKI (03/21/1932; MSG; New York, NY; 00:00:58) A link to the New York Times article about this match.
