Panther Pleasants - Wrestling in Hitler’s Shadow
The story of Eric “Panther” Pleasants, the Norfolk wrestler who fought for Hitler.
Further Research: The Great Antonio and Mr. Wonder, the amputee wrestler of the 1960s
Originally published to Patreon, a further look at my research into The Great Antonio, and the inspirational life and career of Mr. Wonder, the double amputee wrestler of the 1960s.
Further Research: Jean Hackenschmidt
In an article originally written for Patreon, I dig up more research on the mysterious Jean Hackenschmidt, first mentioned in my piece on “Counterfeit Hackenschmidts”
El Santo and the Anti-Fascism of Lucha Libre
El Santo in Cuba, and the inherent antifascism of Lucha Libre
The Masked Marvel Unmasked! - The Story of Johannes Van Der Walt, Maybe The Worst Person In Wrestling History
"Mask Marvel Unmasked" - that was the headline in the Daily Herald on 5th February 1942. It's easy to see why that would be exciting - what is a mask if not a mystery waiting to be solved? The reveal of a masked man's secret identity is the stuff of comic book fantasy and speculation, after all.
But beneath this mask was not a marvel, but a monster.
“The Original Ninja From Hell” - The Exorcism Of The Great Muta
The Great Muta was a singular, iconic character - a facepainted, mist spraying, violent demon; but where did he come from? A look at Muta, his predecessors, and wrestling’s history of Orientalism.
Who Made George Gorgeous? - The Troubling True Crime Stories of Lord Patrick Lansdowne and Gardenia Davis
Gorgeous George was a pioneer and a pop culture icon, but what of the men who inspired him? And what if I told you that they were both embroiled in wild and unbelievable true crime stories?
A Tale of Counterfeit Hackenschmidts
A look at the long post-wrestling life and career of the legendary George Hackenschmidt, and of those who tried to profit from his name.
The Fights That Made Antonio Inoki: #2 Roland Bock, and the Secret History of European Shoot Style
One of the only men to get the better of Antonio Inoki and beat him at his own game - who was Fire Pro Wrestling legend Roland Bock?
Bernarr MacFadden - The Fascist Anti-Vaxxer Who Paved The Way For Donald Trump and WWE
How’s that for a clickbait title? You don’t get this shit on WhatCulture, I can tell you.
A look at the life and times of another influential figure on the fringes of pro-wrestling history, the bizarre Bernarr MacFadden, the populist demagogue with an unlikely and little known claim to have made wrestling history.
Eugen Sandow - The First Superstar
From the very earliest footage of professional wrestling, to sexual intrigue and fights with wild animals - who was Eugen Sandow?
The Fights That Made Antonio Inoki: #1 The Great Antonio
In this series, The Fights That Made Antonio Inoki, I will look at the stories behind some of the fights that stand out from the pack, that I didn't have scope to discuss within the book. These are the fights that cemented Inoki's legacy, that made headlines, or that otherwise merit a closer degree of scrutiny.
First - The Great Antonio.
For the love of a Crush Gal
“There's no magic ingredient to super-stardom, but whatever it was in 1983, the Crush Gals had it.” - a loving tribute to the great Chigusa Nagayo, and an exploration of what it means to be a wrestling legend