Book Review

Pioneers of Professional Wrestling (1860-1899) by Tim Corvin

Few historians have attempted to tackle and decipher the complicated pre-1900 professional
wrestling landscape.  The reason is simple.  The sport, at that time, was chaotic,
disorganized, and a mysterious mixture of worked and legitimate wrestling contests.  
Newspapers and magazines often added more to the confusion than helped solve the
laundry list of growing questions about the era and its superstars.  Sportswriters displayed
their frustration of wrestling by providing cynical articles, and the public, in their attendance of
matches, was as fickle as ever.

But despite the muddled nature of the business at that time, there is a unique and special
history that has yet to be revealed.  Thankfully, author Tim Corvin has stepped forward with
an insightful dissection of the major wrestlers of the 1860-1899 period in his new book,
Pioneers of Professional Wrestling (Archway Publishing, 2014).

Covering every star from Col. James H. McLaughlin to Daniel McLeod, Corvin has offered a
valuable resource that is handy to both historians and general fans.  There is an explanation
of the origin of pro wrestling, the various styles, and an impressive timeline detailing the
“Evolution of Professional Wrestling” starting in the 1700s.  What I find truly helpful are the
biographies, which include dates and other information on the great wrestlers of the period.  
From my understanding, this is the first book to ever detail this type of data, and I must say,
Corvin has definitely done his homework.  Additionally, there are title histories for the
different wrestling styles, plus a listing of the major matches and news.

This book is a major undertaking, offering readers a glimpse into a really unknown period for
pro wrestling.  I recommend it to fans who desire a greater knowledge of the pre-Frank Gotch
time-frame, and feel it will be a helpful guide well into the future.

Simply, when it comes to quick reference data and accessibility, Pioneers of Professional
Wrestling is a terrific book to have on hand.

Tim Hornbaker
May 6, 2014
Pioneers of Professional Wrestling Book Review
Custom Search