Ed "Strangler" Lewis and Richard Dick Shikat June 9, 1932 professional wrestling match MMA catch

[@IronShaman81]

Thanks for posting this, it's great! Ed Lewis is one of my favorites of all time, and its wonderful to see him in action. I do want to mention though, to all the people talking about the length of this match and comparing it to the matches of today; the length of matches has more to do with business and tv time than physical conditioning. When a match is planned to go very long, its length is usually worked into the angle and hyped accordingly. For example, Kurt Angle and Brock Lesner had a one hour 'Ironman' match back when Kurt was in WWE. Granted, they are both genuine combat athletes, Kurt being an olympic gold medalist and Brock being a UFC champion, but the 'Ironman' match isn't an unheard of occurrence even done by performers; the Rock v HHH, Sean Michaels v Bret Hart, etc, all performed them just fine. Those are just WWE/F examples, but there are plenty others. While the styles of yesterday and today are indeed very different, and most modern pro wrestlers aren't shooters like in the old days (though I'm noticing its slowly starting to shift back that way as more and more mma fighters and the like are getting into the biz), even the strict performers are still very often in excellent physical condition, injuries aside. I know everyone has a favorite era and a lot of people who prefer one style tend to hate the others, but I personally enjoy most forms of pro wrestling, from the old time 'worked shoot' style to the more performance oriented style. Anyway, just my two cents. Thanks again for posting the great video!

[@tritchie6272]

I'd like to combine this with the 70's and 80's style. I've seen video's online from the 40's that I though was pretty good. Thez and Gangna I thought was pretty good. I like it when they use some actual wrestling holds but work it to where they don't keep the same hold on for to long.

[@rickrick5041]

What is a worked shoot?

[@grawakendream8980]

@@tritchie6272 condition for pro wrestling and mma are totally different.

[@tritchie6272]

@@grawakendream8980 I think that's pretty much a given.

[@davesmith8877]

Strangler Lewis was a wrestling legend! He was Lou Thesz's trainer and manager for many years.

[@shikat2371]

@Movies and Wrestling Yep. Also, I don't think Thesz battled some of "Strangler" Lewis' biggest rivals like Jim Londos and Joe Stecher in the years following his wrestling debut. Perhaps because it was way too early in his career to face well-established wrestlers who already had their best days in pro-wrestling.

[@michaelstagar4254]

@@shikat2371 Thesz debuted in 1937 and by the filming of this video Lewis's eye sight had begun to seriously degrade. After a gradual decrease in match frequency his vision problems eventually this would lead to his first retirement in the mid 30's. During this period he exclusively focused on managing Thesz, and training guys like Danny Hodge, Dick Hutton, and Gene Lebell. Even though he had a few very isolated matches in the 40's this video is around the time of the beginning of the end of his in ring career.

[@scribe570]

@@michaelstagar4254 When I was a kid going to wrestling matches in St. Louis, Strangler Lewis was in the audience and introduced to the crowd. I walked over to where he was sitting during intermission just to observe this legend. He wore very thick glasses but still seemed blind. I would have asked for an autograph, but I don't think he was capable of giving one by then. Still, kind of thrill to be there.

[@ForReal104]

I have read a lot about Lewis but never thought there was footage out there. Thanks for posting!

[@WrestlingFilms1]

+ForReal104 You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed seeing Lewis in action. He was one of the greats.

[@TheTalentTJRichter]

thank you for posting this. the boys today could real learn some lessons from this amazing footage.

[@WrestlingFilms1]

You're welcome, glad you enjoyed this classic match.

[@louisfair2641]

This a proper exhibition match. Enjoying the commentary, especially "german boy" and "japanese armlock"

[@justint8635]

Fascinating! This match was talked about in Fall Guys by Marcus Griffin, the book from the 30's that shed a light on the industry of professional wrestling and the Gold Dust Trio. This match was quite an interesting piece of business as both wrestlers were managed by Toots Mondt. The story of this was that Shikat agreed to put over Lewis if he got over on Lewis in a return match. Lewis was supposedly quite reluctant to do the job for Shikat!

[@JosephStankovich]

This is one of the greatest matches of all time, this essence of true scientific wrestling, it's not the brawling, and phony scripted matches of the WE. Thanks for the posting!

[@WrestlingFilms1]

You're welcome, glad you enjoyed this classic match.

[@Aphelion_k9f]

While that might be true, as both of these guys could shoot, this match was more of a show.

[@wrestlingconnoisseur]

+Joseph Stankovich You do understand this match was a total work, do you not?

[@grawakendream8980]

Why should he?

[@tonypastor705]

@@wrestlingconnoisseurYou’re wrong. Back then it was real.

[@moitoboi2970]

Awesome to see old school wrestling like this.

[@macerton1]

Wow..very sick arm bar chain maneuvers ..the match was theatrical IMO ..several of those arm bars were legit if finished.

[@risboturbide9396]

Wow, a real pleasure for true pro wrestling fans. Thank you for this upload!

[@donaldwood7449]

My favorite part was when he got him in that headlock

[@rampage5524]

Come on let's get the chant going "this is Wrestling, this is Wrestling.

[@jazzygeofferz]

Both these guys! Both these guys!

[@kidkryptonite7140]

This is WRESTLING!!

[@ryan_alexander]

WE ARE AWESOME!

[@slumpdawg4156]

Holy shit holy shit!

[@CGMedia2023]

Ed was the bridge from where wrestling was in the shootfighting days, to what wrestling is now.

[@ezsmith3765]

This should be titled “The THRILL of watching a German get Cauliflower ears” YAY

[@wendyreyes2832]

wow man this is awesome thank you so much!

[@WrestlingFilms1]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the match.

[@nickmad887]

thanks

[@str8uprasslin848]

This Is History. Thankyou so much for posting this.

[@masahirohayashi938]

かってプロレスはアマレスのように真剣勝負ゆえに地味な試合運びだった。見映えがするように飛んだり跳ねたりするようになり客が退屈しないように互いに技の応酬をみせるようになった。見せる事が第一の目標になりファンが喜ぶ試合結果をプロモーターが決めるようになった。

[@mda1218]

real men and real wrestling... two well matched sides of beef slowly softening up each other over an hour of combat: no punches thrown, just pins, holds and throws till big ED proved who was best man... true champions

[@Bloodsport1]

Ring of honor used to like this during their first two years.

[@justint8635]

LOL no it didn't.

[@mr.mirchenstein6549]

SLAM BANG! - I’m guessing this match promoted by Toots Mondt & Jess McMahon?

[@donhillsmanii5906]

AWESOME SAUCE MY MAN

[@MdlAgedHeadbanger]

I assume this was a theatrical feature. Is there any information confirming that? The pacing is fantastic and amazing how one commentator does a fantastic job of selling the action along with adding in color commentary! Now we hear three nitwits who couldn't properly call either of these guys walking to the ring.

[@atomzero1]

The announcing is really spectacular.

[@boogynights]

Wouldn't mind watching this in modern wrestling

[@hugedisappointment309]

In Nekoosa there is an ed Lewis statue

[@erichogan5291]

That's a big friggin ring.

[@jesseheard]

It's to give them a lot of space to work. Back then the matches we're treated like UFC. I think the ring is 28x28 based on how many steps the referee takes to dikacts corner multiplied by 2 and then 2 again. But, it's just an estimation.

[@lendrury2771]

Jesse Heard wrestling these guys are goobers No talent whatsoever

[@adamlane6453]

How big is the ring here? Looks like a 20-footer, New York style, same as WWE has had since the WWWF days.

[@michaelkaminski84]

If you play this back at 0.75x speed, you'll see the actual real-life frame rate. This was probably filmed at 20 or 22fps non-sync-sound, which was kind of standard for silent footage (which is why everyone walks too fast in silent film footage--it's shot at a lower frame rate but then played back at 24fps, so everything is being played too quickly).

[@太郎無敵]

I believe that Ed is the strongest man in the world

[@tonypastor705]

Sorry, he’s far from the strongest. Great wrestler 🤼‍♀️ though.

[@scoh840]

You are correct my friend. At least in terms of arm strength. Ed Lewis invented the headlock and was famous for knocking people out by constricting blood flow to the brain. The announcers never saw anything like that before and incorrectly presumed it was a choke hold. Hence he was nicknamed "Strangler". Lewis had a practice dummy and challenged others to squeeze the lever together. Nobody could except Lewis

[@charleslee1862]

FUCKING INCREDIBLE THANK YOU!

[@ryan_alexander]

ONE HOUR MATCH

[@masterj4777]

Ahhh yes real pro wrestling unlike the garbage today 👍👍👍😎🤼

[@Friedcrust]

Sick

[@dcherson]

Were the matches like half shoot half work back then? Pro wrestling did have it's origin in taking on the circus strongman, etc.

[@adamlane6453]

It was 100% work, save for the instances when locals would be invited from the crowd to challenge the champion. The champion would shoot on the challenger and stretch him something good, maintaining the illusion that pro wrestling was, in fact, real. This is why pro wrestlers at the time were absolutely required to be legitimately skilled, to protect the business. If some local yokel could beat the champ, the illusion would be shattered. So no, the wrestlers were not legitimately fighting, but each and every wrestler had to have real combat skills.

[@George18798]

​@@adamlane6453Pro Wrestlers often fought in a legitimate competitions at the time. Example Farmer Burns, Ad Santel, Great Gama, Peter Sauer, Wladek Zbyszko. Also, until it was decided that more money can be made by fixed outcomes, Pro Wrestling matches itself were legit

[@57HarleyDavidson]

Were wresting rings bigger back then? That wrestling ring looks bigger than today's wrestling rings.

[@wrestlingconnoisseur]

I would point out that this match wasn't to determine any singular world champion...it was meant to determine a number one contender for the NWA world championship, held by Jim Londos. Of course, Londos had gone independent from Curley's trust a few months before when he found out they were grooming Lewis to go over him, and thus the chances of him stepping into the ring with Lewis were non existent (Londos was thereby stripped of recognition by the state athletic commission, although he kept the physical title belt and continued to defend it). This facilitated the need for Lewis to go into a match with Jack Sherry the following October in which he won the New York State Athletic Commission world title.

[@fayezfawzi3255]

the NWA didnt even exist in 1932 >_>

[@Aphelion_k9f]

+Fayez Fawzi. He means the National Wrestling Association, not the National Wrestling Alliance. Two different organizations.

[@fayezfawzi3255]

oh. i had forgotten about the National Wrestling Association. thanks for the reminder :)

[@ModernDayRenaissanceMan]

@@fayezfawzi3255 1948. Where you get 32?

[@wrestlingconnoisseur]

@@ModernDayRenaissanceMan The National Wrestling Association (formed in 1930) predated the National Wrestling Alliance. The choice in the same acronym was coincidence (and evidence of a lack of marketing ingenuity), but this was old school. The two NWAs were not the same. They even competed against each other, for a time, before the Association was dissolved, and merged into the Alliance.

[@ModernDayRenaissanceMan]

This accent is an old NY Queens type accent. My dad has one.

[@stealthbomber2126]

Wrestling is so much better now than in this era. Watching grown men act like dogs, birds, snakes, and chickens was the epitome of wrestling. Thank you vkm.

[@JackJones-ke8mo]

Yeah dude 😎 good match 👍. What is up? Man on man action 🔥 R U man enough?

[@k19sparks]

These people in the crowd thought this was a "shoot" right?

[@Aphelion_k9f]

For the most part yes. But wrestling at this point had many skeptics. And it was being presented as theater rather than a legitimate bout. Like MMA today.

[@jg3000]

In Ed's time they were looking for safer moves to sell the action. Moves like the boston crab were invented in his time. This came from the idea that in shoots you get hurt and in work shoots you also get hurt.

[@michaeltovar9451]

Love headlocks, need a heel to work me over in headlocks and other stuff

[@jodystewart9028]

Has any of you all that like this video considered just watching real submission wrestling matches? They're all over KZbin. I get it that you don't like modern pro wrestling with it being silly, like it is, but if you want to watch something realistic, why not watch shoot matches?

[@keioh9776]

プロレス黎明期のスター、 ヘッドロックの鬼ストロングラー.ルイスとディック.シカットの試合‼️フイルムが残ってたのですね！パンチ、キック等打撃がほとんどなく、ひたすら極め、固め、締める、腕や肘を擦りつけるなど、Theレスリングとゆう試合！それにしても、キーロック(ショートアームシザーズ)をジャパニーズアームロックとアナウンスしていますが、何故❔

[@tonypastor705]

Wow, back when it was all real😊!

[@ziaakbar2535]

is the video playing quickly or do they really move that fast

[@BodyslamMediaProductions]

Cameras were different at the time. I recommend going to setting and selecting the Playback .75 option 😉

[@chrisbridges655]

No sports entertainment here.

[@Provos7777]

is this a work or a shoot?

[@LaptopLarry330]

Is this the historic "Milk For Babies" charity fundraiser card "Main Event Match"?

[@tonypastor705]

My beautiful mom is 90- and she was a fetus in her mom’s stomach when this match happened! In other words- this was 90 years ago!

[@RockandrollNegro]

EC DUB! EC DUB!

[@johndates9827]

Interesting to see Lou Thesz's mentor in action. Can any of today's so called "pros" go 1 hr. 6 min.?

[@certifiedbootygoon]

Yes. Keith Lee is 300+ pounds and wrestled a match that is over 2 and a half hours just last year.

[@form_7wrestlingman810]

Kenny Omega Bryan Danielson

[@Aphelion_k9f]

Lewis is on record for wrestling the longest pro wrestling bout in history at just over 5 hours. Now of course, that match, and a couple others that were similar in length, were controversial for various reasons. Mainly they were done to dupe the gamblers betting on the hometown boy to end it all in a certain amount of time.

[@grawakendream8980]

Muldoon wrestlers over 7 hours

[@63doughnut]

Sorry - just looks worked, compliant and clumsy.

[@lendrury2771]

John Smyth 2 jabronis lol goofballs

[@grawakendream8980]

Look up Fristensky vs Smejkal if you're looking for something more shoot-oriented

[@MichaelMiller-rg6or]

Work or shoot?

[@Nemowrestling]

Work

[@MichaelMiller-rg6or]

Curt Deierling thought so. It looked a little too neat. Still, much more convincing than modern pro wrestling.

[@BodyslamMediaProductions]

Playback .75x 😉

[@SDG.12]

Imagine wastjng money on 60 minutes of headlocks and sidemares during the Great Depression. You deserved to go hungry.

[@normancarr3015]

Talk to me people.Is this a work or a shoot.

[@certifiedbootygoon]

Technically a work. Pro wrestling has always had pretermined winners. Wrestling from this era through the late 1950s was wrestled as if it were a shoot. Wrestling wasn't publicly known as a work until the 1930s. Hope that makes sense.

[@Aphelion_k9f]

It's a work. When you have two grappling masters going at it, they can put on a show and ordinary people can't tell the difference. Lou Thesz talks about this in his book.

[@scarred10]

@@certifiedbootygoon it didn't have works in the 19th century

[@grawakendream8980]

Based on what I've read and what I see here, my uninformed opinion is that this is worked.

[@grawakendream8980]

you'd be surprised

[@63doughnut]

Didn't watch thru until end because there was too much compliance - not as bad as pro, but a feeling of " Let's give 'em a show." Forgive me , but I don't think either grappler is much good.

[@SDG.12]

I rather watch paint try than watch 60 mins of goofy headlocks.

[@justint8635]

I hope that sometime in three years since you've written this horseshit, you've gotten your eyes checked and gotten the moron out of whatevers left of your brain