The Main Event: The Moves and Muscle of Pro Wrestling

The Main Event: The Moves and Muscle of Pro Wrestling — page 5
Carnival wrestling grew popular in the United States after the Civil War 1861 1865 The carnival wrestler issued a challenge to wrestle a fan If the fan won he got a prize Other fans bet on the outcome Carnival wrestlers usually let the fan win but the carnival made money from bets WRESTLING BOOM By 1900 interest in sports including wrestling in the Unites States was on the rise The first match between U S champion Frank Gotch and European champ George Hackenschmidt in 1908 drew 30 000 people as did the 1911 rematch Gotch won both matches When Gotch retired in 1913 wrestling went into a slump Ed Strangler Lewis came onto the scene in the 1920s to revive the sport Lewis dominated both in the ring and behind the scenes Lewis his manager Billy Sandow and promoter Joseph Toots Monde became known as the Gold Dust Trio for their ability to make money in wrestling The Gold Dust Trio created the modern pro wrestling show Masked and costumed wrestlers didn't just exchange holds on the mat Instead they punched kicked and slammed each other Flying dropkicks and other exciting moves thrilled the crowd Personalities were as important as victories Outcomes were predetermined The goal was not to win but to entertain the crowd