When the Irish Ruled the World
Posted: 13 Mar 2019, 15:24
It can be said that boxing & pro wrestling would not have been the powerhouses it was without the Irishman--- especially in North America, where the two sports exploded beyond measure despite the British having been the center of the pugilistic universe for centuries.
On the wrestling end of things were men like William Muldoon and J.H. McLaughlin who fundamentally changed the landscape of prizefighting--- the style wars of "Collar and Elbow", "Greaco Roman", "Sumo", etc made for exciting matches. Up until 1889, also, boxing and wrestling were inseparable as athlete's cross trained. Muldoon, for his part, raised the standard of excellence in terms of conditioning in both sports.
On the boxing end of things were men like the original Jack Dempsey (Nonpareil) and John L. Sullivan who also fundamentally changed the landscape of prizefighting--- Sullivan was the man who truly challenged the world, unlike the majority of champions prior to himself who fought local fighters, and it was Sullivan who emphasized the importance of breaking ties with "the old ways" by adhering to a new set of rules that focused ONLY on punching rather than mixed combat. Dempsey, alongside Sullivan, was America's first genuine superstar, although he was just the middleweight champion--- and even in death he's immortalized in famous poems, songs, and of course by "The Manassa Mauler" Jack Dempsey (William Harrison Dempsey) who stole the moniker.
For decades after these men's death's it was considered "lucky" for a boxer or wrestler to adopt Irish names--- nobody was interested in Lithuanian fighters, for example, which is why Juozas Povilas Žukauskas changed his name to Jack Sharkey, in tribute to the Irish Tom Sharkey of the early 1900s.
In the wrestling world it was Robert Herman Julius Friedrich who changed his name to Ed "Strangler" Lewis, in tribute to the earlier Evan "Strangler" Lewis who was of Irish descent.
Even in more recent times it has been the joke, "We'll call you Irish just because you're white," which has been said in such boxing films as 1972's FAT CITY and of course THE GREAT WHITE HYPE.
In the 70s ethnicity was a big deal I wrestling. Italians suddenly were donning head feathers and calling themselves Indians for example. Is it any wonder, then, that the biggest star in wrestling history "The Immortal Hulk Hogan" originally was an Irish gimmick? Terry Bollea is an Italian-Panamanian.
I'm reminded of the phrase Morgan Freeman in MILLION DOLLAR BABY uttered, "Everyone wants to be Irish or claim Irish ancestry," and that influence can be found in all genres of entertainment no matter how ironic the circumstances, much like Leadbelly singing "Goodnight Irene" and other Celtic tunes despite being a black man from the deep South.
On the wrestling end of things were men like William Muldoon and J.H. McLaughlin who fundamentally changed the landscape of prizefighting--- the style wars of "Collar and Elbow", "Greaco Roman", "Sumo", etc made for exciting matches. Up until 1889, also, boxing and wrestling were inseparable as athlete's cross trained. Muldoon, for his part, raised the standard of excellence in terms of conditioning in both sports.
On the boxing end of things were men like the original Jack Dempsey (Nonpareil) and John L. Sullivan who also fundamentally changed the landscape of prizefighting--- Sullivan was the man who truly challenged the world, unlike the majority of champions prior to himself who fought local fighters, and it was Sullivan who emphasized the importance of breaking ties with "the old ways" by adhering to a new set of rules that focused ONLY on punching rather than mixed combat. Dempsey, alongside Sullivan, was America's first genuine superstar, although he was just the middleweight champion--- and even in death he's immortalized in famous poems, songs, and of course by "The Manassa Mauler" Jack Dempsey (William Harrison Dempsey) who stole the moniker.
For decades after these men's death's it was considered "lucky" for a boxer or wrestler to adopt Irish names--- nobody was interested in Lithuanian fighters, for example, which is why Juozas Povilas Žukauskas changed his name to Jack Sharkey, in tribute to the Irish Tom Sharkey of the early 1900s.
In the wrestling world it was Robert Herman Julius Friedrich who changed his name to Ed "Strangler" Lewis, in tribute to the earlier Evan "Strangler" Lewis who was of Irish descent.
Even in more recent times it has been the joke, "We'll call you Irish just because you're white," which has been said in such boxing films as 1972's FAT CITY and of course THE GREAT WHITE HYPE.
In the 70s ethnicity was a big deal I wrestling. Italians suddenly were donning head feathers and calling themselves Indians for example. Is it any wonder, then, that the biggest star in wrestling history "The Immortal Hulk Hogan" originally was an Irish gimmick? Terry Bollea is an Italian-Panamanian.
I'm reminded of the phrase Morgan Freeman in MILLION DOLLAR BABY uttered, "Everyone wants to be Irish or claim Irish ancestry," and that influence can be found in all genres of entertainment no matter how ironic the circumstances, much like Leadbelly singing "Goodnight Irene" and other Celtic tunes despite being a black man from the deep South.
DAAAAAMN excellent work
you celebrate early and late.