Wrestling with the Past: Super Sunday and Pro Wrestling's Turning Point

Very quickly the AWA went from the biggest, and, in my opinion, best promotion in the US, to being an empty shell of itself, limping around until finally going out of business in 1991.

And all of that was the result of a decision made thirty years ago yesterday.

Wrestling With The Past: The Bizarre Origins of the Battle Royal - Part Two

"No matter how cleverly a man might be holding his own, he was always in danger of having someone come at him from behind with a none-too-well padded fist. Scientific boxing was not in evidence. The contest was one of brutal physical endurance. When a man could keep it up no longer he left the ring and the winner was the man who stayed in longest -- As announced, the winner was to receive $4.00 the second place man $2.00 and the third $1.00."

Wrestling With The Past: The Bizarre Origins of the Battle Royal - Part One

The battle royal may have as many as 10, 20, 30, or even more wrestlers who are all competing at the same time in a true free-for-all. You may find it surprising to learn that the battle royal is actually not a creation of some fanciful pro wrestling booker -- instead, it was at one time an actual competition -- one that has its roots not in wrestling, but in...

Wrestling with the Past: Ladies and Gentlemen, Gorgeous George is Here

Wrestling wth the Past returns with the a tribute to the 65th anniversary of one of Pro Wrestling's most important moments - the television debut of Gorgeous George.

Wrestling with the Past: The Man of a Thousand Holds

Wrestling wth the Past returns with the life and times of pro wrestling's "last legitimate champion"; Earl Caddock, "The Man of a Thousand Holds".

Wrestling With The Past: Gotch Versus Hackenschmidt, 'The Event Of The Century'

Wrestling With the Past: Cageside Features Guest Columnist, John S. Nash brings us a series of articles in which he chronicles professional wrestling's origins and legends.

"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." - John Ford

"Professional wrestling... has no history, only a past." - The Phantom of the Ring

In this edition, posted right here on Cageside Seats, on September 4, 2012, we learn what happened precisely 101 years ago today, when the most important match in professional wrestling history took place. No contest in the intervening century can match the impact that the meeting between Frank Gotch and George Hackenschmidt, on September 4th, 1911, had on the sport of professional wrestling. It was an event that signaled wrestling's ascension to the top of the sporting hierarchy, ahead of boxing, baseball and bicycle racing, and, coincidentally was the catalyst which transformed wrestling from sport into "sports entertainment". And now, without further ado, "Wrestling with the Past" takes us back...

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This article presented by our guest columnist John S. Nash. In addition to delving into wrestling's past for Cageside Seats, John Nash has regularly chronicled the forgotten history of mixed martial arts at our fellow SBNation Blog: BloodyElbow.com. Cageside Seats is proud to present a cross-posting of his article archives in this exclusive guest column and storystream for your enjoyment. To read more fascinating articles from Mr. Nash, simply bookmark this link and remember to check back frequently for new content.

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Wrestling With The Past: The Toughest Of Them All, Tom Jenkins

Wrestling With the Past: Cageside Features Guest Columnist, John S. Nash brings us a series of articles in which he chronicles professional wrestling's origins and legends.

"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." - John Ford

"Professional wrestling... has no history, only a past." - The Phantom of the Ring

In this edition, posted right here on Cageside Seats, on August 3, 2012, for those unfamiliar with the 'Toughest of Them All', one Mr. Tom Jenkins, we will learn what kind of wrestling coach this Tom fellow was. Memories of him could apparently provide such inspiration as to refuse surrender in the Battle of the Bulge. Not only was inspiration from Jenkins as exhibited by one Col. John Corley, but also by such illustrious fellow West Point wrestling alumni as Gen. Omar Bradley, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Gen. George S. Patton. "Wrestling with the Past" returns...

Click here to continue reading this article...

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This article presented by our guest columnist John S. Nash. In addition to delving into wrestling's past for Cageside Seats, John Nash has regularly chronicled the forgotten history of mixed martial arts at our fellow SBNation Blog: BloodyElbow.com. Cageside Seats is proud to present a cross-posting of his article archives in this exclusive guest column and storystream for your enjoyment. To read more fascinating articles from Mr. Nash, simply bookmark this link and remember to check back frequently for new content.

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Wrestling With The Past: The Toughest Of Them All, Tom Jenkins

Wrestling With the Past: Cageside Features Guest Columnist, John S. Nash brings us a series of articles in which he chronicles professional wrestling's origins and legends.

"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." - John Ford

"Professional wrestling... has no history, only a past." - The Phantom of the Ring

In this edition, posted right here on Cageside Seats, on August 3, 2012, for those unfamiliar with the 'Toughest of Them All', one Mr. Tom Jenkins, we will learn what kind of wrestling coach this Tom fellow was. Memories of him could apparently provide such inspiration as to refuse surrender in the Battle of the Bulge. Not only was inspiration from Jenkins as exhibited by one Col. John Corley, but also by such illustrious fellow West Point wrestling alumni as Gen. Omar Bradley, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Gen. George S. Patton. "Wrestling with the Past" returns...

Click here to continue reading this article...

______________________________________________________________

In addition to delving into wrestling's past for Cageside Seats, John Nash regularly chronicles the forgotten history of mixed martial arts over at our fellow SBNation Blog: bloodyelbow.com. To read more fascinating articles from Mr. Nash, simply bookmark this link and be sure to check back frequently for new content and archival features.

Wrestling With The Past: The Forgotten Karl Gotch

Wrestling With the Past: Cageside Features Guest Columnist, John S. Nash brings us a series of articles in which he chronicles professional wrestling's origins and legends.

"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." - John Ford

"Professional wrestling... has no history, only a past." - The Phantom of the Ring

In this edition, originally posted on July 30, 2012, right here on Cagesides Seats, for those unfamiliar with the career of Karl Gotch, we will learn why he is famed in the business as a true hooker, one of the last of the breed, a throwback to an earlier era when wrestlers could actually wrestle. "Wrestling with the Past" returns...

Click here to continue reading this article...

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This article presented by our guest columnist John S. Nash. In addition to delving into wrestling's past for Cageside Seats, John Nash has regularly chronicled the forgotten history of mixed martial arts at our fellow SBNation Blog: BloodyElbow.com. Cageside Seats is proud to present a cross-posting of his article archives in this exclusive guest column and storystream for your enjoyment. To read more fascinating articles from Mr. Nash, simply bookmark this link and remember to check back frequently for new content.

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Wrestling With The Past: The Legacy Of Ed 'The Strangler' Lewis

Wrestling With the Past: Cageside Features Guest Columnist, John S. Nash brings us a series of articles in which he chronicles professional wrestling's origins and legends.

"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." - John Ford

"Professional wrestling... has no history, only a past." - The Phantom of the Ring

In this edition, originally posted on June 30, 2012, right here on Cagesides Seats, we learn more about one of, if not the most famous, most important and most influential wrestlers to have ever set foot in the squared circle: Ed "The Strangler" Lewis. "Wrestling with the Past" returns...

Click here to continue reading this article...

______________________________________________________________

This article presented by our guest columnist John S. Nash. In addition to delving into wrestling's past for Cageside Seats, John Nash has regularly chronicled the forgotten history of mixed martial arts at our fellow SBNation Blog: BloodyElbow.com. Cageside Seats is proud to present a cross-posting of his article archives in this exclusive guest column and storystream for your enjoyment. To read more fascinating articles from Mr. Nash, simply bookmark this link and remember to check back frequently for new content.

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