
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


I have recently spent many hours digging through hundreds of pages of 1870 newspapers from Detroit, Chicago, Ontario, and beyond chronicling the real story of the biggest tournament in history of American pro wrestling in the pioneer era. The 1870 Detroit International tournament awarded an ornate championship belt to its winner Col. James H. McLaughlin, but McLaughlin did not become the American champion, at least not yet, but I give you that story too. Also, McLaughlin may have killed Barney Smith, but it probably did not happen here either. I also clear up a number of other myths and errors that history books have recorded about this milestone in pro wrestling history. This is hour 46 of 1000 hours.
By WhenItWasCool.com4.7
1515 ratings
I have recently spent many hours digging through hundreds of pages of 1870 newspapers from Detroit, Chicago, Ontario, and beyond chronicling the real story of the biggest tournament in history of American pro wrestling in the pioneer era. The 1870 Detroit International tournament awarded an ornate championship belt to its winner Col. James H. McLaughlin, but McLaughlin did not become the American champion, at least not yet, but I give you that story too. Also, McLaughlin may have killed Barney Smith, but it probably did not happen here either. I also clear up a number of other myths and errors that history books have recorded about this milestone in pro wrestling history. This is hour 46 of 1000 hours.

851 Listeners

266 Listeners

172 Listeners

172 Listeners

10 Listeners

27 Listeners

66 Listeners

116 Listeners

217 Listeners

33 Listeners

38 Listeners

24 Listeners

61 Listeners

3 Listeners

3 Listeners