Historically Speaking: Wrestling History... with other stuff

About Historically Speaking: Wrestling History... with other stuff

From the Intergalactic Sports Network and Ember Media we bring you a new look at the history of Wrestling, Media, and Culture! Join us for deep dives into the subjects, humans, and spectacles of American Society Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Matthew Ryan

Category

history · sports · sports

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 Dec 2024

Latest episode

20 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

25 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Aug 2026

   Masked Men and The Birth Of Wrestling's Most Beloved and Reviled Tropes

   In the longest single episode of Historically Speaking we've ever done, Matt returns to take a deep dive into the first masked STARS of wrestling, as finding the first masked wrestlers seems nearly impossible... for now. From the Masked Men of Paris who took the world by storm for a brief period in the 1860s, to the Masked Marvel who saved the International Wrestling Tournament in New York, we dig into the moments that solidifed them as stars, the wrestling world they inhabited, and the birth of the Heel Turn, the shoot run-in, and more tropes that have been codified in wrestling longer than anyone may have realized! Research resources The Kings Of Wrestling by Edmond Desbonnet (Edited and Translated by David L. Chapman) Masked Marvel To The Rescue by Ken Zimmerman Jr. https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/frrlbj/the_masked_marvel_the_earliest_known_masked/ (https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/frrlbj/the_masked_marvel_the_earliest_known_masked/) https://x.com/Phil_Lions/status/1943305199667552389 https://phil-lions-research.blogspot.com/2026/06/homme-masque-1867.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawTTTvNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFMRkZ1MzJxMU5jUUNCbnNYc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHoMOpa9xcaVNspH57VAUOHEDBZzDuAjqdU6b0NJsLziTs9v4IB25aY_mCzgo_aem_ES-DtErbQxO9kvK2A8uQBg (https://phil-lions-research.blogspot.com/2026/06/homme-masque-1867.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawTTTvNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFMRkZ1MzJxMU5jUUNCbnNYc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHoMOpa9xcaVNspH57VAUOHEDBZzDuAjqdU6b0NJsLziTs9v4IB25aY_mCzgo_aem_ES-DtErbQxO9kvK2A8uQBg) https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/1s1iwlt/an_account_of_the_oldest_known_masked/ (https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/1s1iwlt/an_account_of_the_oldest_known_masked/) https://web.archive.org/web/20221013121001/https://www.prowrestlinghistoricalsociety.com/articles-0147.html (https://web.archive.org/web/20221013121001/https://www.prowrestlinghistoricalsociety.com/articles-0147.html) https://web.archive.org/web/20221016065423/https://www.prowrestlinghistoricalsociety.com/articles-0150.html (https://web.archive.org/web/20221016065423/https://www.prowrestlinghistoricalsociety.com/articles-0150.html) https://web.archive.org/web/20221016042748/https://www.prowrestlinghistoricalsociety.com/articles-0155.html (https://web.archive.org/web/20221016042748/https://www.prowrestlinghistoricalsociety.com/articles-0155.html) https://slamwrestling.net/archive/translated-kings-of-wrestling-a-major-contribution-to-wrestling-history/ (https://slamwrestling.net/archive/translated-kings-of-wrestling-a-major-contribution-to-wrestling-history/) https://nemfrog.tumblr.com/post/687267394209677312/masked-wrestlers-la-lune-november-3-1867 (https://nemfrog.tumblr.com/post/687267394209677312/masked-wrestlers-la-lune-november-3-1867) https://www.whenitwascool.com/history-of-wrestling-1915 (https://www.whenitwascool.com/history-of-wrestling-1915) https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1302&context=cparpublications https://www.ibdb.com/theatre/manhattan-opera-house-1254 (https://www.ibdb.com/theatre/manhattan-opera-house-1254) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis-Napol%C3%A9onPrinceImperial (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis-Napol%C3%A9onPrinceImperial) https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=22337&page=4 (https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=22337&page=4) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_05HWQ9vAcc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_05HWQ9vAcc) New York Herald, September 10, 1867 Chicago Tribune, September 15, 1867 The Newcastle Journal, September 10, 1867 Chicago Evening Post, September 20, 1867 The Birmingham Post, October 2, 1867 New York Times, October 6, 1867 The Pittsburgh Commercial, October 11, 1867 Birmingham Daily Post, October 22, 1867 Chicago Tribune, November 7, 1867 The Daily News (London), December 2, 1867 The Hagerstown Herald and Torch Light, December 25, 1867 The Morning Post, January 6. 1868 Bucks Free Press: January 17, 1868 The Tewkesbury Register, and Agricultural Gazette, February 8, 1868 The Grenfell Record and Lachlan District Advertiser: March 7, 1868 San Francisco Call Bulletin, January 5, 1902 New York Times, November 16, 1915 Altoona Tribune: December 1, 1915 Brooklyn Daily Eagle, December 8, 1915 Brooklyn Daily Eagle: December 9, 1915 Brooklyn Daily Times: December 9, 1915 New York Times: December 9. 1915 Brooklyn Daily Eagle: December 10, 1915 Brooklyn Daily Times: December 10, 1915 New York Herald: December 10, 1915 Pittsburgh Post: December 10, 1915 The Evening World: December 11, 1915 Brooklyn Daily Eagle: December 12, 1915 New York Herald: December 12, 1915 Boston Globe: December 12, 1915 Brooklyn Daily Times: December 13, 1915 New York Tribune: December 13, 1915 New York Herald: December 14, 1915 New York Tribune: December 14, 1915 Trenton Evening Times: December 14, 1915 Brooklyn Daily Eagle: December 16, 1915 Brooklyn Daily Eagle: December 18, 1915 Brooklyn Daily Eagle: December 23, 1915 Brooklyn Daily Eagle: December 21, 1915 Brooklyn Daily Eagle: December 21, 1915 Brooklyn Daily Eagle: December 27, 1915 The Evansville Journal: December 27, 1915 Brooklyn Daily Eagle: December 30, 1915 Baltimore Evening Sun: December 30, 1915 The Daily Standard Union: December 30, 1915 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   4 Jul 2026

   The Legacy Of Bobby Davis, Medium and the Message

   Known as "The Elvis of Pro Wrestling," Bobby Davis rose from ring attendant and fan in Al Haft's Columbus, Ohio territory into the first real manager in the history of the sport. Matt Ryan breaks down his path with some information from those who worked with Davis, Davis himself, and how he played a key part in Capitol Wrestling reclaiming Madison Square Garden and nearly the NWA as a whole. References Evolution of Communication: A Comparative Study from Cave Paintings to Emojis By. Aamir Ayub, Yasir Shehzad, and Shakeel Ahmad Irresistible Force: The Life Of Gorilla Monsoon by Brian R. Solomon Master Of The Ring by. Tim Hornbaker Capitol Revolution by. Tim Hornbaker The Hard Way by Don Fargo My Life In Wrestling: With A Little Help From My Friends by. Gary Hart https://www.nyprowrestling.com/results/1960s/1963.html (https://www.nyprowrestling.com/results/1960s/1963.html) https://www.nyprowrestling.com/results/1950s/1959.html (https://www.nyprowrestling.com/results/1950s/1959.html) https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=1024&page=4&s=500 (https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=1024&page=4&s=500) https://prowrestlingstories.com/pro-wrestling-stories/wrestling-managers/ (https://prowrestlingstories.com/pro-wrestling-stories/wrestling-managers/) https://www.wwe.com/classics/classic-lists/10-overlooked-managers-you-need-to-know (https://www.wwe.com/classics/classic-lists/10-overlooked-managers-you-need-to-know) https://slamwrestling.net/legend/bobby-davis/ (https://slamwrestling.net/legend/bobby-davis/) https://www.postwrestling.com/2021/01/07/pollocks-news-update-trendsetting-manager-bobby-davis-dies/ (https://www.postwrestling.com/2021/01/07/pollocks-news-update-trendsetting-manager-bobby-davis-dies/) https://x.com/allan_cheapshot/status/2033931489042190808 https://prowrestling.fandom.com/wiki/Bobby_Davis (https://prowrestling.fandom.com/wiki/Bobby_Davis) https://retrowrestlingarchive.substack.com/p/the-blueprint-of-belligerence-bobby (https://retrowrestlingarchive.substack.com/p/the-blueprint-of-belligerence-bobby) https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=25227&page=4 (https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=25227&page=4) https://www.facebook.com/groups/wrestlingbackintheday/posts/707068248896169/ (https://www.facebook.com/groups/wrestlingbackintheday/posts/707068248896169/) https://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2023/10/24/what-are-we-even-doing-get-bobby-davis-into-the-won-hall-of-fame/ (https://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2023/10/24/what-are-we-even-doing-get-bobby-davis-into-the-won-hall-of-fame/) https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profile/bobby-davis/ (https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profile/bobby-davis/) https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.454311777921291.109380.254252634593874 (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.454311777921291.109380.254252634593874) https://slamwrestling.net/features/mat-matters-the-quizzical-calls-from-bobby-davis-1937-2021/ (https://slamwrestling.net/features/mat-matters-the-quizzical-calls-from-bobby-davis-1937-2021/) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcAeQjDy05g (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcAeQjDy05g) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   23 Jun 2026

   How TV, A Riot, And Timing Helped The McMahon's Own The Garden and A Meditation on Wrestling and Parasocial Relationships

   Matt is BACK with some Secret Wrestling History! Join him as he looks back to the 1957 riot that saw Antonino Rocca, Edouard Carpentier, Dr. Jerry Graham, and Dick the Bruiser fighting each other... and hundreds of fans inside the Garden! That plus a look at NWA Politics from that time, how McMahon was able to take control of the Garden and build a power base with Toots Mondt as his heater, plus how Kayfabe was dead in 1957, and a meditation on parasocial relationships and wrestling from that time period and now! Madison Square Garden Riot Resources Assassin by Joe Hamilton W/ Scott Teal Capitol Revolution by Tim Hornbaker https://www.nytimes.com/1957/11/20/archives/wrestling-ends-in-riot-at-garden-2-policemen-hurt-as-fans-storm.html (https://www.nytimes.com/1957/11/20/archives/wrestling-ends-in-riot-at-garden-2-policemen-hurt-as-fans-storm.html) https://www.newspapers.com/image/1266028211/?match=8&terms=Rocca%2C%20Madison%20Square%20Garden%2C%20Riot (https://www.newspapers.com/image/1266028211/?match=8&terms=Rocca%2C%20Madison%20Square%20Garden%2C%20Riot) https://www.newspapers.com/image/660015726/?match=7&terms=Rocca%2C%20Madison%20Square%20Garden%2C%20Riot (https://www.newspapers.com/image/660015726/?match=7&terms=Rocca%2C%20Madison%20Square%20Garden%2C%20Riot) https://www.newspapers.com/image/560864594/?match=1&terms=Rocca%2C%20Madison%20Square%20Garden%2C%20Riot (https://www.newspapers.com/image/560864594/?match=1&terms=Rocca%2C%20Madison%20Square%20Garden%2C%20Riot) https://www.newspapers.com/image/1010597847/?match=2&terms=Rocca%2C%20Madison%20Square%20Garden%2C%20Riot (https://www.newspapers.com/image/1010597847/?match=2&terms=Rocca%2C%20Madison%20Square%20Garden%2C%20Riot) https://www.newspapers.com/image/1191516910/?match=6&terms=Rocca%2C%20Madison%20Square%20Garden%2C%20Riot (https://www.newspapers.com/image/1191516910/?match=6&terms=Rocca%2C%20Madison%20Square%20Garden%2C%20Riot) https://www.newspapers.com/image/255990503/?match=2&terms=Rocca%2C%20Madison%20Square%20Garden%2C%20Riot (https://www.newspapers.com/image/255990503/?match=2&terms=Rocca%2C%20Madison%20Square%20Garden%2C%20Riot) https://www.newspapers.com/image/530584361/?match=1&terms=Rocca%2C%20Madison%20Square%20Garden%2C%20Riot (https://www.newspapers.com/image/530584361/?match=1&terms=Rocca%2C%20Madison%20Square%20Garden%2C%20Riot) https://www.newspapers.com/image/535577323/?match=2&terms=Rocca%2C%20Madison%20Square%20Garden%2C%20Riot (https://www.newspapers.com/image/535577323/?match=2&terms=Rocca%2C%20Madison%20Square%20Garden%2C%20Riot) Wrestling Observer Newsletter History of WWF: March 17.2003 https://www.facebook.com/groups/wrestlingbackintheday/posts/818985334371126/ (https://www.facebook.com/groups/wrestlingbackintheday/posts/818985334371126/) Dr. Jerry Graham Obituary: Kurt Brown/Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer: February 3, 1997 https://prowrestlingstories.com/pro-wrestling-stories/1957-msg-riot/?srsltid=AfmBOoonhm_7W4b3KbekUCQGOccCJRlf_Upya2CDOS2hZmUd3PFhHRFg (https://prowrestlingstories.com/pro-wrestling-stories/1957-msg-riot/?srsltid=AfmBOoonhm_7W4b3KbekUCQGOccCJRlf_Upya2CDOS2hZmUd3PFhHRFg) https://www.nyprowrestling.com/results/1950s/ (https://www.nyprowrestling.com/results/1950s/) https://www.cagematch.net/en/?id=8&nr=2113&page=4 (https://www.cagematch.net/en/?id=8&nr=2113&page=4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Athletic_Commission_World_Heavyweight_Championship (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Athletic_Commission_World_Heavyweight_Championship) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob5EFSOeVgI&t=261s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob5EFSOeVgI&t=261s) https://books.google.com/books?id=j1YEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA165&dq=wrestling+script+gone+awry&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwju4oTe2JmVAxX7rokEHaOMAI8QuwV6BAgIEAc#v=onepage&q&f=false (https://books.google.com/books?id=j1YEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA165&dq=wrestling+script+gone+awry&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwju4oTe2JmVAxX7rokEHaOMAI8QuwV6BAgIEAc#v=onepage&q&f=false) https://x.com/BJBethelTweets/status/2064562167353954481/photo/1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Contact Historically Speaking: Wrestling History... with other stuff

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.