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Ultimate History of Pro Wrestling - A Time Line of Every Major Event in Pro Wrestling History - 1853
The following is taken from Author and Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Historian Karl Stern’s book DragonKingKarl’s Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus.
1853:
04-07-1853: A circus benefit was held in New York City, NY which promoted “Wrestling Bears” as an attraction. The spectacle of men wrestling bears and featuring bears wrestling each other was a common circus promotion in the 1800’s.
10-07-1853: The Vermont Standard newspaper which was running an editorial on a potential temperance law for Windsor County, “For under the operation of any of our former laws, we should have been disgraced with a dozen rings of wrestling, as many regular fights, and a copious sprinkling of drunken loafers...”
11-29-1853: Brooklyn, NY: Cumberland Street & Park Avenue: Square Back Falls Rules: Molineux (Aaron Hewlett) defeated Caesar Coit in 3 straight falls.
12-01-1853: The Buffalo, NY Hippodrome is disbanded when the performers return to France. Among the acts which had been featured were a troop of wrestling bears.
12-20-1853: A letter to the Washington DC Evening Star newspaper complains to the editors that the walkway in front of the Willard Hotel is now being used for sports such as boxing and wrestling and something needs to be done about it.
