DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: MSG’s first Italian pro wrestling superstar

Karl Stern’s deep dive through pro wrestling history at MSG continues.

We continue our roll through the early 1900s in my deep dive look into the history of pro wrestling at Madison Square Garden.

From 1910 to around 1912, MSG found its first Italian superstar which drew heavily from the large Italian fanbase in the New York area: a phenomena that would greatly benefit Bruno Sammartino and others in the future.

Meet Giovanni Raicevich. Never heard of him? Few have, but in the 1910s he was the big draw at MSG until Stanislaus Zbyszko finally shut him down.

Also, I have more on Frank Gotch and his final match at MSG, an arena he never won a match in.

If you’ve missed any of the past shows, check them out in the archives.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:05 — 22.8MB)