The pioneer era (pre-1900) of pro wrestling flourished in the Great Lakes area of the United States.
While initially the Northeast, and especially New York and Vermont were early hotspots, cities like Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, and the entire Great Lakes region became very important in pro wrestling by 1870.
The 1870 Detroit International tournament was a real ignition point for the popularity of wrestling nationwide and the Detroit Opera House became a shrine for the genesis of American pro wrestling.
Join me on my 43rd hour of discussing the pioneer era in pro wrestling with a stop in the Great Lakes.
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 54:54 — 35.6MB)