Fake ... Working Through Wrestling’s Past:

The Wrestling Perspective Newspaper Archive Project

Wrestling Perspective is chronicling and posting pre-1920 newspaper articles that address or allude to fakery, fixes, or "hippodromes" in pro wrestling.

Working Through Wrestling’s Past: The Wrestling Perspective Newspaper Archive Project is an organized virtual library for these articles, which are reprinted in their entirety with complete citations.

Wrestling historians are encouraged to send articles with full citations for inclusion in this project. Our contact information is here.

1852

Untitled Article, Daily Free Democrat, (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), Wednesday, July 28, 1852 , Page 3. (Editors' Note: We're reprinting this article not because this match is being called a fake, it's not, but because it's pretty funny.)

1859

A Wrestling Match, The Portsmouth Times, (Portsmouth, Ohio), April 5, 1859, Page 1. (Editors' Note: We're reprinting this article not because this match is being called a fake, it's not, but because it is just a ridiculously entertaining read. How much of it is fiction ... well, that's another story.)

1867

FOREIGN FACTS AND FANCIES THE MYSTERIOUS ATHLETE. Brooklyn Eagle, September 14, 1867, Page 4.

The Wrestling Arena of Paris. The Herald and Torch Light, (Hagerstown, MD), Wednesday, December 25, 1867, Page 1.

1869

Finale Of A Wrestling Match: A Death Warrant Issued for One of the Parties, The New York Herald, July 22, 1869, Triple Sheet, Page 11.

1874

A Circus Act, The Ohio Democrat, December 4, 1874, Page 1. Also published in The Indiana Progress, December 10, 1874, Page 3.

1877

Wrestling. Brooklyn Eagle, June 18, 1877, Page 1.

SPORTS AND PASTIMES Wrestling. SO CALLED CHAMPIONSHIP CONTESTS. Brooklyn Eagle, November 14, 1877, Page 2.

1878

Bruin And Brawn: A Tough Tussle Between Bauer and a Wrestling Bear, The Ohio Democrat, January 3, 1878, Page 4.

1879

SPORTS AND PASTIMES. Wrestling. Bauer and Muldoon. Brooklyn Eagle, October 27, 1879, Page 3.

1880

THE RULE OF NEWS, Reno Weekly Gazette, Thursday, March 11, 1880, Page 2.

1884

Muldoon Receives a Hissing. Reno Evening Gazette (Reno, Nevada), March 26, 1884, Page 3.

1890

ASSAULTED BY A BROOKYN WRESTLER Brooklyn Eagle, February 24, 1890, Page 4.

1891

A Wrestling Match. The Daily Light, (San Antonio, Texas), Thursday, August 13, 1891, Page 9.

1894

SANDOW’S WRESTLING MATCH A Lion Was His Antagonist, but the Beast Would Not Play. Brooklyn Eagle, May 23, 1894, Page 1.

1895

Is Forced To Swear It Was A Fake: Wrestler Luttberg Tells a Strange Story About the Woodmansee Match, The Chicago Daily Tribune, July 29, 1895, Page 4.

Wrestling Fake In Philadelphia: Duncan Ross and Roeber Excite the Ire of a Quaker City Crowd, The Chicago Daily Tribune, August 4, 1895, page 5.

HOW ABOUT THIS? Bert Walker, of the Vanceburgs, Sails Into the Sporting Authority on the Blade in Great Shape. The Portsmouth Times, (Portsmouth, OH), Saturday, September, 28, 1895, Page 1.

1898

Untitled Article About Bobby Reakes, The Evening Democrat: Thursday, January 13, 1898, (Warren, PA), Page 4.

MORE FAKE WRESTLING The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Sunday, November 6, 1898, Page 8, Column 6.

1899

Which Is Champion? Wrestling Bout This Evening Between Roeber and Atlas Without Time Limit, The Daily News (Naugatuck, Conn.) Wednesday, February 1, 1899, page 1.

1900

CHAMPION WRESTLERS PONS TO MEET ROEBER, The Los Angeles Times, November 12, 1900, Page 18.

1901

TURK SAT ON ROEBER AT ACADEMY OF MUSIC Was Dreaming of Castles in Turkey When A Policeman Jarred Him. The Brooklyn Eagle, May 25, 1901, Page 8.

1902

Wrestling Now a Favorite. The Constitution, (Atlanta, GA), Sunday January 12, 1902, Page 17.

Moth In a New Role. The Marshfield Times, (Marshfield, Wisconsin), Friday, April 25, 1902, Page 1.

1903

DECLARED OFF Proposed Wrestling Match Will Not Take Place, Daily Nevada State Journal, (Reno, Nevada), Friday Morning, October 23, 1903. Page 1.

NO DANGER THAT IT WILL BE FAKED The Wrestling Match in Wheelmen Hall Monday Evening Between Cristol and Gelder Will be Strictly on the Square, The Daily Nevada State Journal, (Reno, Nevada), November 4, 1903.

1905

Untitled Article About Tom Jenkins, The Daily Northwestern (Oshkosh, Wisconsin), Thursday February 2, 1905, Page 2.

BURLINGTON SPORTS "TOUCHED" Wagered Their Hard-Earned Money on a Fake Wrestling Match. Originally Published In The Cedar Rapids Weekly Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), July 6, 1905, Page 7.

Tusch Is Unable to Identify Trio as Swindlers in Wrestling "Fake" Syracuse Man Visits Rochester on Bootless Errand. Wiley, Parker and Connelly Are Discharged in Police Court in That City, The Post-Standard, (Syracuse, NY), Wednesday Morning, August 2, 1905, Page 7.

1906

Toched Up Tusch Wallace Who "Laid Down" in Wrestling Match Arrested. The Syracuse Herald, Wednesday Evening, April 18, 1906, Page 6.

1908

BUNKOED IN FAKE BOUT. Cleveland Official Has Two Men Arrested After Losing $10,000, The Washington Post, April 8, 1908, page 8.

Politician Taken to Indiana. The Evening Telegram, Thursday, April 9, 1908, Page 3.

Fake Wrestling Promoter Held At South Bend. The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Sunday Morning, April 19, 1908, Page 20.

Now Are Wise To Fake Bouts Lima Sports Imposed Upon By Bogus Wrestlers. The Mansfield News, Saturday, August 8, 1908, Page 10.

BIG SWINDLE TO BE AIRED. Wrestling Bunko Case Is to Be Called Monday, The Fort Wayne Sentinel, Thursday, December 24, 1908, Page 5.

Alleged Bunco Steerer Disappears. Coshocton Daily Times, (Coshocton, Ohio), December 29, 1908, Page 3.

1909

Auburn Man Loses On Fake Wrestling Match Story Emanates From Terre Haute – Lost Sum of $3,000, The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette, Tuesday Morning, February 2, 1909, Page 2.

Cavanaugh's Move Serves Writ of Attachment on Express Company for Money Packages Shipped by Fakers, The Galveston Daily News, Sunday, February 28, 1909, Page 1.

Untitled Article About Max Wiley, The Fort Wayne Sentinel, Thursday, April 15, 1909, Page 9.

BUNKO CHARGE TO BE AIRED. Trial of William Fleming for Swindling Cleveland Man Set For Today. The Fort Wayne Sentinel, Monday, April 12, 1909, Page 5.

Wiley in Trouble Again. The Syracuse Herald, Friday Evening, April 16, 1909, Page 10.

Brother Is On The Ground, The Fort Wayne Sentinel, Monday, May 3, 1909, Page 2.

Untitled Article About Max Wiley, The Fort Wayne Sentinel, Friday, May 14, 1909, Page 9.

SWINDLER IS SENTENCED Prison Doors Swing for Wm. Fleming, Bunko Man. The Fort Wayne Sentinel, Thursday, June 17, 1909, Page 5.

WRESTLER JAILED. The Fresno Morning Republican, (Fresno, California), October 31, 1909, Page 15.

1910

MATTHEWS LOSES BIG SUM ON WRESTLERS, The Standard, (Odgen, Utah), Friday, February 11, 1910, Page 4.

Fleming Case Affirmed. The Fort Wayne Sentinel, Tuesday, May 24, 1910, Page 1.

Excerpts From “Brief and Breezy” Column, The Lethbridge Daily Herald (Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada), Thursday, November 24, 1910, Page 6.

1911

BIG MAHMOUT EXPOSES FAKERS IN WRESTLING, The Seattle Times, January 1, 1911, Page S1.

1912

Excerpt From Sport Briefs Section, The Sandusky Star-Journal, (Sandusky, Ohio), Thursday, January, 4, 1912, Page 1.

Excerpt From “Real Live Sports Dope” Column, The New Castle News, (New Castle, PA), Wednesday, January 31, 1912, Page 9.

WRESTLERS TO ARRIVE SUNDAY; ALL READY FOR MONDAY'S CARD, The Racine Journal News, Saturday Afternoon, March 2, 1912, Page 5.

GENE COMSTOCK HAS BEEN ARRESTED Alleged Fake Wrestler Caught in Western City and Brought to Buffalo on Larceny Charge, Olean Evening Times, (Olean, NY), Friday, March 8, 1912, Page 1.

1913

GOOD-BYE OLD WRESTLING GAME Climax of Fakirs Record in Brown-Peddler Match Last Night – Deliberately Fixed in Advance. BROWN FORFEITED. Tried to Put Over One of The Oldest Fakes in The Game – Some Inside Information on How it Was Done, The Waterloo Times-Tribune (Waterloo, Iowa), Friday Morning, March 7, 1913, Page 2.

General Sporting Notes (Excerpt), Fitchburg Daily Sentinel (Fitchburg, Massachusetts), March 7, 1913, Page 6.

Sport Grafters in Two Hundred Thousand, Nevada State Journal (Reno, Nevada), Tuesday, October 28, 1913, Page 5.

1914

ROUMAS IS BOUND OVER TO ANSWER IN DISTRICT COURT THE LINCOLN DAILY STAR, (Lincoln, NE), FRIDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 2, 1914, Page 8.

THE GOTCH HACKENSCHMDT FAKE THAT FAILED, COMISKEY'S ACT SAVED PUBLIC FROM ROBBERY The Reno Evening Gazette, Wednesday, November 18, 1914, Page 6.

FORMER BROCTON MAN INDICTED IN BUFFALO, Carl Johnson, Who Conducted Village Newspaper, Faces Charges in Connection with Alleged Fake Wrestling, The Evening Observer, (Dunkirk, NY), Friday, December 4, 1914, Page 1.

1915

Excerpt From The Column “In the Wake of the News” by Ring W. Lardner, Chicago Daily Tribune, February 19, 1915, Page 9.

1916

WARRANT OUT FOR WRESTLERS Merchant Says He Was Robbed When He Refused to Bite. Lincoln Daily News (Lincoln, Nebraska), January 14, 1916, Page 3.

1919

FAKE MATCHES KILLED WRESTLING SAYS AL SPINK IN HIS MEMOIRS Recollections of Muldoon, the Solid Man, Whistler and All Those Once-Famous Masters of the Mat, BY AL SPINK, FAMOUS SPORTING WRITER, The Reno Evening Gazette, Saturday, March 8, 1919, Page 3.

SANTEL DISPUTES THE RIGHTS OF LOCAL ARTIST TO TITLE, The Ogden Standard, Ogden, Utah, Friday, March 14, 1919, Page 8.

"Y" STUNT NIGHT ATTENDED BY 100 Fake Wrestling Match Is One of Features of Evening, The Decatur Review (Decatur, Illinois), May 23, 1919, Page 3.

ADMITS HE TRIED TO FIX WRESTLING MATCH, The Newark Advocate (Newark, Ohio), Wednesday, November 26, 1919, Page 11.

For more contemporary views of the media's treatment of pro wrestling and its obsession with the real vs. fake issue check out:

• Fake This by Wrestling Perspective's Paul MacArthur.
• Write and Wrong by Wrestling Perspective's David Skolnick.

http://wrestlingperspective.com/working.html