Georg Karl Julius Hackenschmidt was an Estonian strongman, professional wrestler, writer, and sports philosopher who is recognized as professional wrestling's first world heavyweight champion.
Greco-Roman, Graeco-Roman, classic wrestling is a style of wrestling that is practiced worldwide. Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been in every edition of the summer Olympics held since 1904. This style of wrestling forbids holds below the waist, which is the main feature that differentiates it from freestyle wrestling. This restriction results in an emphasis on throws, because a wrestler cannot use trips to bring an opponent to the ground or hook/grab the opponent's leg to avoid being thrown.
Jan Stanisław Cyganiewicz, better known by his ring name, Stanislaus Zbyszko, and frequently referred to in the contemporary English-language press as Zbysco, was a Polish strongman and professional wrestler. He was a three-time World Heavyweight Champion at his highest profile in the United States during the 1920s. The surname Zbyszko was only a nickname, given to him by friends due to his bravery when he was a child. The name comes from a fictional medieval Polish knight in the historical novel, The Knights of the Cross by Henryk Sienkiewicz. Stanislaus Zbyszko was the brother of Wladek Zbyszko (1891–1968).
Lancashire wrestling, commonly called Lancashire catch-as-catch-can or Lancashire style, is a folk wrestling style that originated in the historic county of Lancashire in North West England. It became notable as the most aggressive and least restrictive style in England. It was popular across Britain and abroad, becoming the primary influence on catch wrestling, through which it is an ancestor of freestyle wrestling, American folkstyle wrestling, professional wrestling, luta livre, and associated styles like mixed martial arts.
Matsuda Sorakichi was a Japanese professional wrestler of the 19th century. He became a feature attraction in America, competing in a distinctly western sport, long before it was adopted in Japan.
Carl Johann Theodor Abs, generally referred to as Carl Abs, also known as "The German Oak", was a German professional wrestler who is considered the founder of modern professional wrestling in Germany. His life and work both inside and outside the ring attracted great public interest in the late 19th century. In 1891 a book about the life of Carl Abs as a championship wrestler and a champion for the poor was published called Carl Abs, der Meisterschafts-Ringer der Welt: Sein Leben u. Wirken.
Evan Lewis was an American professional wrestler who was the first recognized American Heavyweight Champion and is credited with perfecting the "stranglehold" or "neck yoke" more commonly known today as the sleeperhold. He is sometimes confused with Ed "Strangler" Lewis, a later six-time World Heavyweight Champion also credited with first using the hold, whose moniker is attributed to Lewis's after a reporter noted a resemblance between the two.
William Muldoon was an American Greco-Roman Wrestling champion, a physical culturist, and the first chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission. He once wrestled a match that lasted over seven hours.
Martin Burns, nicknamed Farmer Burns, was an American catch wrestler, wrestling coach, and teacher. Born in Cedar County, Iowa, he started wrestling as a teenager and made money traveling around the Midwest wrestling in carnivals and fairs. As a professional wrestler, he claimed the American Heavyweight Championship by defeating Evan "Strangler" Lewis in 1895 and held the title for two years, during the time when contests were legitimate. At this time, Martin Burns himself claimed to have wrestled in more than 6,000 matches and is said to have lost only seven. After the end of his active wrestling career he started a successful wrestling school in Omaha and later coached Cedar Rapids' Washington high school to the first Iowa high school state wrestling tournament title. He died in Council Bluffs in 1937. In 2001 Martin "Farmer" Burns was inducted into the International Wrestling Institute and Museum Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2002. The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame inducted Martin Burns in 2003 and Burns was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2017. In 2024 he was inducted into the Nebraska Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Joseph Quinn was a New York clerk, amateur wrestler and murder victim of Danny Lyons, a co-leader of the Whyos street gang.
Joseph Acton, known by his ringname "Little Joe" or "Limey Joe", was a British professional wrestler and world champion who competed in England and America during the late 19th century. Acton is one of a handful of wrestlers credited with introducing "catch-as-catch-can" wrestling, with its roots in old Lancashire wrestling, to the United States. Wrestling under the name Joe Acton, and nicknamed "The Little Demon," Acton was considered one of the top wrestlers of his era.
The history of professional wrestling, as a performing art, started in the early 20th century, with predecessors in funfair and variety strongman and wrestling performances in 1830s.
Jack Carkeek, was an American Cornish champion wrestler, from Rockland, Michigan. He died March 12, 1924, in Havana, Cuba.
John McMahon was an American professional wrestler who specialized in collar-and-elbow wrestling. He competed from 1861 to 1891, and was undefeated for 17 years. He traveled throughout the world to face the top wrestlers of the day. He competed in several styles of wrestling which included collar-and-elbow, catch wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling. His biggest rivalry was with Colonel J.H. McLaughlin. Toward the end of his career, he performed in wrestling matches for traveling circuses. He is no relation to the McMahon family.
Edwin Bibby was an English wrestling champion during the 1870s and 1880s. He was a popular catch-as-catch-can style wrestler in his generation. He became the first American Heavyweight Champion in 1881 with a victory over Duncan C. Ross. During his career he was also known as Ned and Eddie.
James Hiram McLaughlin was a wrestling champion in the United States in the 19th century. He is generally considered the first American professional wrestling champion, and along with William Muldoon, was one of the two key people to establish and popularize professional wrestling in the United States. The 6-foot-1 McLaughlin weighed between 215 and 265 pounds, depending on whether he'd kept himself in fighting shape. He was born in Oriskany Falls, New York.
William Miller, also known as Professor William Miller, was an Australian athlete, the only athlete to hold Australian championships for boxing, fencing, wrestling and weight-lifting.
Duncan C. Ross was a wrestler in the 1880s. He lost to Catch as Can Style Wrestling Champion Edwin Bibby in 1881 for the American Heavyweight Championship.
Tom Cannon was the ring name for a British professional wrestler and World Heavyweight Champion who was active in the late 19th century and early portion of the 20th century, but whose actual name is lost to history.
