Skip to content
Eat Sleep Wrestle
Menu
  • Home
  • Books
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Contact
Menu

Bluegrass Brawlers – 10th Anniversary Edition

Bluegrass Brawlers - 10th Anniversary Edition

$20.00

A newly expanded edition of the wrestling classic. Get the full story of pro wrestling in Louisville from 1877: Strangler Lewis, the Allen Athletic Club, Memphis wrestling, OVW, WWE Developmental, and more.

5 in stock

Category: Wrestling Tags: al snow, billie starkz, ed strangler lewis, jim cornette, jim mitchell, john cena, kentucky, lord humongous, louisville, louisville gardens, memphis wrestling, OVW, pro wrestling, the black panther
  • Description
  • Additional information

Description

Louisville loves sports. It’s the birthplace of the Muhammed Ali, the home of the Louisville Cardinals, and proud host of the Kentucky Derby. But Louisville has another obsession nearly as old as the Derby: professional wrestling.

As early as the 1870s fans gathered downtown to see men like William Muldoon and women like Ida Alb grapple on the mat. In the early 20th Century Louisville gave Ed “Strangler” Lewis the name that made him famous. The 1930s saw the first turf war in Louisville when the Gayety and Savoy battled each other and the state for control of wrestling. Then in the 1940s Louisville fans had a front row seat to the golden age of Lou Thesz, Mildred Burke, and Gorgeous George thanks to the Allen Athletic Club.

Dick the Bruiser and Wee Willie Davis gave it a go in the 1960s, but it was Jerry Jarrett and Jerry Lawler who rebuilt the market for wrestling in the 1970s, giving Louisville fans a first look at stars like Hulk Hogan, Kane, Steve Austin, and The Rock. When the territories died, the independents filled the void, led by Danny Davis and Ohio Valley Wrestling, where the WWE sent future superstars like John Cena, Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, and Randy Orton to train.

Louisville has also spawned its own superstars, men and women who became local heroes and national icons like “The Black Panther” Jim Mitchell, Jim Cornette, and Doug Basham. And let’s not forget those Hoosiers from just across the river, including Stu Gibson, Lord Humongous, Rob Conway, Nick Dinsmore, and Sarah Rowe. 

The 10th anniversary edition of Bluegrass Brawlers covers more territory than ever, telling a story that spans 145 years. From an intergender circus brawl to teen sensation Billie Starkz; from Abe Finberg to Al Snow; from Wild Bill Longson to “Flex Kavana” Dwayne Johnson, this is the story of a city that loves professional wrestling! 

Number of pages: 324

Books are signed by John Cosper.

Related

Additional information

Weight 20 oz
Dimensions 9 × 6 × .75 in

Related products

  • Wahoo

    Wahoo

    $20.00
    Add to cart
  • Match Book

    Match Book

    $5.00
    Add to cart
  • Princess Victoria: A Tale of Tears, Triumphs, and Turnbuckles

    Princess Victoria: A Tale of Tears, Triumphs, and Turnbuckles

    $18.00
    Add to cart
  • The Great and Inimitable June Byers

    The Great and Inimitable June Byers

    $14.00
    Add to cart

Related

Search the Site

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Bluesky
  • Reddit

Get the historical fiction compilation GRAPPLING BY GASLIGHT free when you sign up for our mailing list.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.
Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.
©2025 Eat Sleep Wrestle | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme