This blew my mind while watching Broken Skull Sessions, just wanted to bring attention to this. Trying to look up his grandfather and find some photo or something, but found nothing.

The oldest believed wrestling footage is from 1913. Is it true? If so how were the matches recorded back then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLNfu5GXuhQ

A few years ago, I participated in this challenge and chose a match that was only a month-or-so old. Someone commented saying it was lazy to choose a match that was so recent; so here we go fuckers.

Fun Links

• YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDzfZJZ3f98 (material from before and after the match)
• The History of Frank Gotch
• Wrestling Historian Mike Chapman discusses Frank Gotch
• Are you in Iowa? How far are you from the Wrestling Museum?
• Frank Gotch official website

Show Information

• Venue: Dexter Park Pavilion
• City: Chicago, Illinois
• Approximate venue size: 10,000
• Estimated crowd attitude: Match took place in 1908 (in Chicago no less). Still probably got “CM PUNK!” chants

Set the Stage

If you can’t remember the build-up for this match, it’s probably because you aren’t:

1. One of the few people on Earth that are over 112 years old
2. A wrestling historian
3. Terry Funk (coincidentally made his re-debut in 1908)

You know how historical text can often come across as slightly monotonous and bland? A lot of the research I’ve done for this has been quite dull in terms of its documentation. With that being said, I’m going to make this as joyful and reader-friendly as possible, so strap up, this is setting the stage for George Hackenschmidt vs. Simon Gotch at the Dexter Park Pavilion, April 3rd 1908.

Quick Fun Fact: The word “mark” comes from around this era of wrestling (maybe a little before this). Even in the carnival days of wrestling (1860-1910), promoters would “fix” matches; they would look for crowd members who really bought into the legitimacy of the show, and were seriously excited about the action they were seeing. Promoters would place a mark (usually chalk) on the backs of those people, who they knew would be easy targets to “play their game”.

So first, let’s talk about George Hackenschmidt. Born in 1878 in Estonia, Hackenschmidt showed early signs of being a particularly inhuman specimen. Nicknamed “Hack”, as a teen he was already performing incredible feats of strength. For instance, as a te

Also give me upvotes. Serious replies only!

As far as what I can tell, Frank Gotch And George Hackenschmidt were legitimate in terms of actually wrestling. However, Frank Gotch's wikipedia article states:

> Hackenschmidt complained to the referee of Gotch's foul tactics and asked that Gotch be forced to take a hot shower to rid his body of an abundance of oil, but the referee ignored the complaints and told Hackenschmidt he should have noticed the oil before the match began. The match continued until the two-hour mark, when Hackenschmidt was forced against the ropes. Gotch tore him off the ropes, threw Hackenschmidt down and rode him hard for three minutes, working for his dreaded toe hold. Hackenschmidt had trained to avoid this hold, which he did, but the effort took his last remaining strength. Hackenschmidt quit the fall. "I surrender the championship of the world to Mr. Gotch", he said, and stood up and shook Gotch's hand. The wrestlers then retired to their dressing rooms before coming out for the second fall, but Hackenschmidt refused to return to the ring, telling the referee to declare Gotch the winner, thereby relinquishing his title to him.

This makes me wonder how legitimate Hackenschmidt and Gotch were. When exactly did wrestling go from legitimate to staged?

LMAO. These guys are hilarious. Comedy gold!

The One of a Kind Tag League rolls on! Season 8 of ChocoPro has given us the Tag League (and some fantastic matches so far)! Eight incredible teams have gathered, but who will come out on top? The enigmatic team DRAGON NINJA will battle the powerhouse team of Tropikawaild in Block A, while in Block B the “redeemed” White Comaneci will definitely not fight fair against the brand new pairing of Minoru Fujita & Sayaka...Mi ☆ Sayaka! Tonight at 9 pm EDT (Monday at 2 am BST, 10 am JST), Episode 129 continues the wild Tag Team action! Don't forget to adjust your volume, Wrestling is Loud!

If you'd like a quick run down of the Tag League and the teams involved, check out this post!

If you're new to Tag Leagues in general, it is a Round Robin style tournament when the competitors are divided into blocks, earning points until the finals pit the winners of each block against one another. The ultimate winner will be able to challenge for the Best Bros titles, and if the Best Bros themselves win it all, they get to pick their next challenger! Tournaments are a great way to advance and start several stories at once. Wins grant 2 points, Losses grant 0, and Draws grant 1.

Change the stage, break out of your comfort zone! (This is not your regular wrestling show.) You will be able to watch it here, LIVE and free, on the Gatoh Move ChocoPro YouTube channel...which also has the previous 100+ episodes! New to the promotion? It features a roster of skilled veterans, rising stars, and wonderful guests fighting in the ChocoPro Arena: Ichigaya Chocolate Square. Subscribe for more content than just the live matches! (AEW Watch Alongs, Discussions, Interviews, Food Challenges, etc) Here is today's example gif: Dragon Ninja at work!

One of a Kind Tag League Block A

DRAGON NINJA (Chon Shiryu & Sayuri) VS Tropikawaild (Yunamon & SAKI)

DRAGON NINJA is back in a big way! While this fan favorite pairing's glorious return was delayed by a minor ankle injury, we are finally able to enjoy their a

Following my smash hit /r/SquaredCircle: a history lesson, I'm coming to teach y'all about the history of Fuccbois in wrestling, a proud lineage that goes back more than a 100 years.

Late XIX century

>Martin "Farmer" Burns is hit on by every female in the United States, but it's too much of a gentleman to go for the married ones. He's the "proto-Fuccboi", but he ends up training training Frank Gotch, who learns all the Fuccboi secrets.

1900's

>Frank Gotch gives George Hackenschmidt a brand new Erector Set and pays a visit to Rachel Hackenschmidt while George is busy constructing miniature bridges.

1920's

>Ed "Strangler" Lewis give everyone model car collections, the biggest recipients being Joe Strecher and Stanislaus Zbyszko.

1930's

>Jim Londos gives out Buck Rogers' toys to several wrestlers across the US. In the 1970's, he will come out of Fuccboi-retirement to give his last BR pistol to then president Richard Nixon.

1940's

>Gorgeous George, in a never-seen-before Fuccboi effort, signs a sponsorship deal with Cadaco and distributes the recently created All-Star Baseball Games across the United States, impressing Lou Thesz so much that Thesz decides to become a Fuccboi himself. Some historians believe this is still the biggest Fuccboiery in the history of wrestling relative to its time period. In Mexico, having a huge selection of traditional toys to select from, El Santo becomes known across the country as a generous man who always had something to offer to his girlfriends' husbands.

1950's

>The Golden Age of toys, not surprisingly, is also the Golden Age of Fuccbois. Impressed by GG and with the support of the NWA, Lou Thesz gives out Play-Dohs all across the USA. Meanwhile, in the Northeast, "Nature Fuccboi" Buddy Rogers, mentored by "Toots" Mondt and Vince McHitler Senior, distributes Pogo Sticks. During one of Thesz's visits to New York, he tries to send Rogers a Play-Doh, only to found out a Pogo Stick has been sent to his hotel room. The animosity between the two becomes very real outside of the ring and is only solved when both decide to tag and send Karl Gotch their signature toys. Elsewhere, in a very impressive act, Sputnik Monroe gives a Slink Dog to every white man in Memphis. In Japan, Rikidozan keeps bringing Americans to give them traditional Japanese toys.

1960's

>Fed up with being given toys in 48 different states, Ka

Hey y’all! I’m back with another story. Y’all really seemed to like the first one. Also, I want to thank everyone and ReddX for reading and giving me a place to vent/let it out. Now this story is about how I met this pain in the ass. This took place a year and a month or two before ST #1. My memory is kinda fuzzy, so I’ll stick to the main stuff that I remember, and I’ll try my best not to ramble.

Ah Shit Here We Go Again! (Just in case ReddX does that joke again)

Names have been changed for obvious reasons

The Cast

Me/CJ, recently promoted to head donation attendant at the time. Trying to keep my bills paid and striving to make something of myself with my art and stories. While learning to lead a small group of people. (I was not particularly good at it at the time. In fact, I still struggle to do it. Even to this very day. Being on the spectrum and only being able to talk when I get used to people. I’m just thankful I had coworkers/friends to help me out.)

S/Sahara. One of my coworkers, My crush, lead cashier and one of the girls on ST’s radar. She was still with her bf at the time. She also reveals that she plays the same games as me.

M/Mary. Another coworker of mine and one of my favorite people to work with, the Savage of our store and the best floor attendant this side of the Mississippi. Another girl on ST’s radar and the main one in the conflict.

MS/ Mr. Spineless. The worst person I have ever worked for. He pretty much came to work drunk most of the time. I can’t remember a time I didn’t smell gin, Ole Smokey or Hennessey on him. He often passed his work off, on other managers and coworkers. He’s not truly that important to the story but he’s the one who hired that lazy sum bitch and let him get away with shit.

MP/ Major Payne. One of our assistant managers and The G.O.A.T. of the story. He’s a chill, brutally honest and funny dude. Just stay on his good side though. The only manager that will get off his ass and handle his business. When something goes wrong or if there’s trouble. He’s who we go to. That and he kinda looks like Damon Wayans a little bit in the face. (I love that movie)

Z /Zeke. A great coworker and friend of mine. He’s like a brother to me, strong as hell and part of the donation attendant team. This brotha rocking the long Bob Marley dreads and one of the few guys there, I can really count on. Since Z and I are the only two people there that everyone calls when something heavy needs to be picked up or moved. Sleeper co

Go post NSFW jokes somewhere else. If I can't tell my kids this joke, then it is not a DAD JOKE.

If you feel it's appropriate to share NSFW jokes with your kids, that's on you. But a real, true dad joke should work for anyone's kid.

Mods... If you exist... Please, stop this madness. Rule #6 should simply not allow NSFW or (wtf) NSFL tags. Also, remember that MINORS browse this subreddit too? Why put that in rule #6, then allow NSFW???

Please consider changing rule #6. I love this sub, but the recent influx of NSFW tagged posts that get all the upvotes, just seem wrong when there are good solid DAD jokes being overlooked because of them.

Thank you,

A Dad.

Phil

Was reading more on the history of professional wrestling and saw how influential Frank Gotch was to the growth of professional wrestling in the early 1900s. I figured there had to be some sort of correlation.

Block A

Best Bros - Current Asia Dream Tag Team Champions for 172+ days.

• “The Big Apple” Mei Suruga🍎 3 years experience
• Baliyan Akki♠️ 6 years experience

Strength:

• They are riding the wave of momentum with a record setting 6 title defenses in 2021
• Best teamwork of any tag team in the tournament.
• Great at using their environment

Weakness:

• Overconfidence? Beatable in non-title matches

TropiKawild - 2 time Asia Dream Tag Team Champions

• SAKI🦁 8 years experience
• “Yunamon” Yuna Mizumori🍍 3 years experience

Strength:

• The Strongest Power-Team in the tournament.
• High level championship experience

Weakness:

• They have only teamed once in 2021

Dragon Ninja - 2-2 tag team record in 2021

• Sayuri💠 1 and ½ years experience
• Chon Shiryu🐉 16 years experience

Strength:

• A clever tag team that can match tactics with any other team in the tournament
• Similar to BB when it comes to use of environment

Weakness:

• Sayuri is the least experienced wrestler in the block

Wasshoi Aniki - Aniki won the AEW Women’s Eliminator Tournament

• “Aniki” Ryo Mizunami😎 16 years experience
• “Wasshoi” Ayumi Hayashi🙌 2 years experience

Strength:

• A high energy tag team that will probably control the pace of the match
• A good mix of power and agility

Weakness:

• This will be their first time teaming

Block B

Egg Tart - They have teamed in 9 matches in 2021

• “Too Much Energy” Chie Koishikawa🏵️ 1 and ½ years experience
• Shinno Hagane⚔️ 19 years experience

Strength

• Chie’s endless energy always gives the team a chance to win
• Hagane has experience with members of all the other teams in the block

Weakness

• They have come up short in big matches

Melt Brain Dancing - They challenged Best Bros for the Asia Dream Tag Titles in one of the best ChocoPro matches of 2021

• PSYCHO☠️ 19 years experience
• CHANGO🐵 16 years experience

Strength

• A great mix of technical skill and experience.
• They are willing to bend the rules. Win by any means necessary.
• They

The One of a Kind Tag League is heating up! Season 8 of ChocoPro has given us a Tag League (and some wild matches so far)! Eight incredible teams have gathered, but who will come out on top? Tonight the Best Bros will attempt to seal their victory against the first appearance of WASSHOI Aniki in Block A, while in Block B the “redeemed” White Comaneci will see if their angelic antics can stack up against the chaos that Melt Brain Dancing brings to Ichigaya! Tonight at 9 pm EDT (Thursday at 2 am BST, 10 am JST), Episode 130 continues the fantastic Tag Team action! Don't forget to adjust your volume, Wrestling is Loud! This episode is probably going to be one of the most chaotic in the series, given the participants.

If you'd like a quick run down of the Tag League and the teams involved, check out this post!

If you're new to Tag Leagues in general, it is a Round Robin style tournament when the competitors are divided into blocks, earning points until the finals pit the winners of each block against one another. The ultimate winner will be able to challenge for the Best Bros titles, and if the Best Bros themselves win it all, they get to pick their next challenger! Tournaments are a great way to advance and start several stories at once. Wins grant 2 points, Losses grant 0, and Draws grant 1.

Change the stage, break out of your comfort zone! (This is not your regular wrestling show.) You will be able to watch it here, LIVE and free, on the Gatoh Move ChocoPro YouTube channel...which also has the previous 100+ episodes! New to the promotion? It features a roster of skilled veterans, rising stars, and wonderful guests fighting in the ChocoPro Arena: Ichigaya Chocolate Square. Subscribe for more content than just the live matches! (AEW Watch Alongs, Discussions, Interviews, Food Challenges, etc)

Here is today's example gif: Mi Sayaka is making a statement!

One of a Kind Tag League Block A

**Best Bros (Baliyan Akki & Mei Suruga) VS WASSHOI Aniki (Ayumi Hayashi & Ryo Miz

Block A

Best Bros - Current Asia Dream Tag Team Champions for 172+ days.

• “The Big Apple” Mei Suruga🍎 3 years experience
• Baliyan Akki♠️ 6 years experience

Strength:

• They are riding the wave of momentum with a record setting 6 title defenses in 2021
• Best teamwork of any tag team in the tournament.
• Great at using their environment

Weakness:

• Overconfidence? Beatable in non-title matches

TropiKawild - 2 time Asia Dream Tag Team Champions

• AWG's SAKI🦁 8 years experience
• “Yunamon” Yuna Mizumori🍍 3 years experience

Strength:

• The Strongest Power-Team in the tournament.
• High level championship experience

Weakness:

• They have only teamed once in 2021

Dragon Ninja - 2-2 tag team record in 2021

• Sayuri💠 1 and ½ years experience
• Chon Shiryu🐉 16 years experience

Strength:

• A clever tag team that can match tactics with any other team in the tournament
• Similar to BB when it comes to use of environment

Weakness:

• Sayuri is the least experienced wrestler in the block

Wasshoi Aniki - Aniki won the AEW Women’s Eliminator Tournament

• “Aniki” Ryo Mizunami😎 16 years experience
• AWG's “Wasshoi” Ayumi Hayashi🙌 2 years experience

Strength:

• A high energy tag team that will probably control the pace of the match
• A good mix of power and agility

Weakness:

• This will be their first time teaming

Block B

Egg Tart - They have teamed in 9 matches in 2021

• “Too Much Energy” Chie Koishikawa🏵️ 1 and ½ years experience
• Shinno Hagane⚔️ 19 years experience

Strength

• Chie’s endless energy always gives the team a chance to win
• Hagane has experience with members of all the other teams in the block

Weakness

• They have come up short in big matches

Melt Brain Dancing - They challenged Best Bros for the Asia Dream Tag Titles in one of the best ChocoPro matches of 2021

• PSYCHO☠️ 19 years experience
• CHANGO🐵 16 years experience

Strength

• A great mix of technical skill and experience.
• They are willing to bend the rules. Win by any means neces

The One of a Kind Tag League is heating up! Season 8 of ChocoPro has given us a Tag League (and some wild matches so far)! Eight incredible teams have gathered, but who will come out on top? Tonight the Best Bros will attempt to seal their victory against the first appearance of WASSHOI Aniki in Block A, while in Block B the “redeemed” White Comaneci will see if their angelic antics can stack up against the chaos that Melt Brain Dancing brings to Ichigaya! Tonight at 9 pm EDT (Thursday at 2 am BST, 10 am JST), Episode 130 continues the fantastic Tag Team action! Don't forget to adjust your volume, Wrestling is Loud! This episode is probably going to be one of the most chaotic in the series, given the participants.

If you'd like a quick run down of the Tag League and the teams involved, check out this post!

If you're new to Tag Leagues in general, it is a Round Robin style tournament when the competitors are divided into blocks, earning points until the finals pit the winners of each block against one another. The ultimate winner will be able to challenge for the Best Bros titles, and if the Best Bros themselves win it all, they get to pick their next challenger! Tournaments are a great way to advance and start several stories at once. Wins grant 2 points, Losses grant 0, and Draws grant 1.

Change the stage, break out of your comfort zone! (This is not your regular wrestling show.) You will be able to watch it here, LIVE and free, on the Gatoh Move ChocoPro YouTube channel...which also has the previous 100+ episodes! New to the promotion? It features a roster of skilled veterans, rising stars, and wonderful guests fighting in the ChocoPro Arena: Ichigaya Chocolate Square. Subscribe for more content than just the live matches! (AEW Watch Alongs, Discussions, Interviews, Food Challenges, etc)

Here is today's example gif: Mi Sayaka is making a statement!

One of a Kind Tag League Block A

**Best Bros (Baliyan Akki & Mei Suruga) VS WASSHOI Aniki (Ayumi Hayashi & Ryo Miz

The One of a Kind Tag League continues! We're just getting started in Season 8 of ChocoPro, but the Tag League has already been incredible! Eight incredible teams have gathered, but who will come out on top? The enigmatic team DRAGON NINJA finally returns to fight the Tag Champs in Block A, while in Block B the “redeemed” White Comaneci will have a definitely fair fight against fan favorite EGG TART! Tonight at 9 pm EDT (Sunday at 2 am BST, 10 am JST), Episode 128 continues the chaotic Tag Team action! Don't forget to adjust your volume, Wrestling is Loud!

If you'd like a quick run down of the Tag League and the teams involved, check out this post!

If you're new to Tag Leagues in general, it is a Round Robin style tournament when the competitors are divided into blocks, earning points until the finals pit the winners of each block against one another. The ultimate winner will be able to challenge for the Best Bros titles, and if the Best Bros themselves win it all, they get to pick their next challenger! Tournaments are a great way to advance and start several stories at once. Wins grant 2 points, Losses grant 0, and Draws grant 1.

Change the stage, break out of your comfort zone! (This is not your regular wrestling show.) You will be able to watch it here, LIVE and free, on the Gatoh Move ChocoPro YouTube channel...which also has the previous 100+ episodes! New to the promotion? It features a roster of skilled veterans, rising stars, and wonderful guests fighting in the ChocoPro Arena: Ichigaya Chocolate Square. Subscribe for more content than just the live matches! (AEW Watch Alongs, Discussions, Interviews, Food Challenges, etc) Here is today's example gif: Melt Brain Dancing!

One of a Kind Tag League Block A

DRAGON NINJA (Chon Shiryu & Sayuri) VS Best Bros (Baliyan Akki & Mei Suruga)

Finally, the return of DRAGON NINJA! While this glorious return was delayed by a minor ankle injury, we will finally be able to enjoy the artful combat prowess of this flashy

The One of a Kind Tag League rolls on! Season 8 of ChocoPro has given us the Tag League (and some fantastic matches so far)! Eight incredible teams have gathered, but who will come out on top? The enigmatic team DRAGON NINJA will battle the powerhouse team of Tropikawaild in Block A, while in Block B the “redeemed” White Comaneci will definitely not fight fair against the brand new pairing of Minoru Fujita & Sayaka...Mi ☆ Sayaka! Tonight at 9 pm EDT (Monday at 2 am BST, 10 am JST), Episode 129 continues the wild Tag Team action! Don't forget to adjust your volume, Wrestling is Loud!

If you'd like a quick run down of the Tag League and the teams involved, check out this post!

If you're new to Tag Leagues in general, it is a Round Robin style tournament when the competitors are divided into blocks, earning points until the finals pit the winners of each block against one another. The ultimate winner will be able to challenge for the Best Bros titles, and if the Best Bros themselves win it all, they get to pick their next challenger! Tournaments are a great way to advance and start several stories at once. Wins grant 2 points, Losses grant 0, and Draws grant 1.

Change the stage, break out of your comfort zone! (This is not your regular wrestling show.) You will be able to watch it here, LIVE and free, on the Gatoh Move ChocoPro YouTube channel...which also has the previous 100+ episodes! New to the promotion? It features a roster of skilled veterans, rising stars, and wonderful guests fighting in the ChocoPro Arena: Ichigaya Chocolate Square. Subscribe for more content than just the live matches! (AEW Watch Alongs, Discussions, Interviews, Food Challenges, etc) Here is today's example gif: Dragon Ninja at work!

One of a Kind Tag League Block A

DRAGON NINJA (Chon Shiryu & Sayuri) VS Tropikawaild (Yunamon & SAKI)

DRAGON NINJA is back in a big way! While this fan favorite pairing's glorious return was delayed by a minor ankle injury, we are finally able to enjoy their a

The One of a Kind Tag League continues! We're just getting started in Season 8 of ChocoPro, but the Tag League has already been incredible! Eight incredible teams have gathered, but who will come out on top? The enigmatic team DRAGON NINJA finally returns to fight the Tag Champs in Block A, while in Block B the “redeemed” White Comaneci will have a definitely fair fight against fan favorite EGG TART! Tonight at 9 pm EDT (Sunday at 2 am BST, 10 am JST), Episode 128 continues the chaotic Tag Team action! Don't forget to adjust your volume, Wrestling is Loud!

If you'd like a quick run down of the Tag League and the teams involved, check out this post!

If you're new to Tag Leagues in general, it is a Round Robin style tournament when the competitors are divided into blocks, earning points until the finals pit the winners of each block against one another. The ultimate winner will be able to challenge for the Best Bros titles, and if the Best Bros themselves win it all, they get to pick their next challenger! Tournaments are a great way to advance and start several stories at once. Wins grant 2 points, Losses grant 0, and Draws grant 1.

Change the stage, break out of your comfort zone! (This is not your regular wrestling show.) You will be able to watch it here, LIVE and free, on the Gatoh Move ChocoPro YouTube channel...which also has the previous 100+ episodes! New to the promotion? It features a roster of skilled veterans, rising stars, and wonderful guests fighting in the ChocoPro Arena: Ichigaya Chocolate Square. Subscribe for more content than just the live matches! (AEW Watch Alongs, Discussions, Interviews, Food Challenges, etc) Here is today's example gif: Melt Brain Dancing!

One of a Kind Tag League Block A

DRAGON NINJA (Chon Shiryu & Sayuri) VS Best Bros (Baliyan Akki & Mei Suruga)

Finally, the return of DRAGON NINJA! While this glorious return was delayed by a minor ankle injury, we will finally be able to enjoy the artful combat prowess of this flashy