![]() That year, Thiebaud Bauer was set to clash with a bear named Martin.Ī Frenchman with a thick, midnight-black mustache, Bauer was not only one of the first wrestlers to ever don a mask (he was known as the Masked Wrestler of Paris), but as David Shoemaker notes in Squared Circle: Life, Death and Professional Wrestling, Bauer was also "one of the pioneers of the man vs. ![]() The showdowns eventually moved to country fairs and carnivals and, in 1877, to New York's French Theater. In taverns in New York, promoters put on wrestling exhibitions with semi-tame bears. Note: In addition to the books and newspapers quoted throughout the article, the following pieces proved invaluable as well: "The Twisted and Terrible History of Men Fighting Bears," which Sarah Kurchak wrote for Vice Sports, and Peter Blecha's article entitled, "Barackman, Mervin (1894-1977) and His Wrestling Bears."īack when pro wrestling was a more stripped-down affair, when men wore plain black trunks and grapplers executed nothing remotely close to a moonsault, promoters looked for ways to add spectacle to the sport.Ī bear wrestles with his trainer circa 1902. It didn't take long for some promoters to start envisioning large paying crowds encircling the ring to see those animals climb inside with the men. ![]() The powerhouses of the squared circle worked alongside bearded ladies, trapeze artists and any number of animals. Early wrestling contests were often a part of traveling carnivals. The phenomenon's first take off isn't that surprising when you consider wrestling's circus roots. Regulations, a heightened awareness of animal rights and likely a fear over lawsuits stemming from something going terribly wrong has all but wiped out that niche from pro wrestling. Today, you won't often see that kind of bout unless it's in some backwoods, unofficial capacity. Man-versus-bear matches were still an absurd exhibition, but the bears learned more moves than one would expect: the full nelson, flying mare, collar-and-elbow tie-up. The stories Bobby the Brain Heenan and Classy Freddie Blassie tell of their own experiences with the massive beasts speak to how surprisingly well the bears took to the mat game. The animals are said to be natural wrestlers.
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