The incredible career of the forgotten but foundational pro wrestler who shaped American sports culture.
William Muldoon was an infamous athlete whose prowess and savvy across his six-decade career led him to wealth, cultural importance, and political power. Muldoon, the child of poor Irish immigrants, began wrestling in the 1870s and quickly became one of the most famous athletes of the post-Civil War era. He started acting and modeling as his popularity grew, making him one of the first sports stars to achieve crossover success. After a triumphant stint rehabilitating fallen boxing heavyweight champion John L. Sullivan in 1889, he retired from the ring and began a new career as a fitness impresario, founding an elite gymnasium and remaking himself as a health authority in the press. He became trainer to the rich, famous, and politically powerful, which led to his appointment as chair of the New York State Athletic Commission in the 1920s. From this position, Muldoon exerted his influence over the rules of boxing and wrestling and weaponized his power to maintain segregation in sport.
The Last Gladiator is a deep, insightful dive into Muldoon’s life and impact, demonstrating the significance of this often-controversial figure in the development of American sports, professional wrestling, and physical and popular culture.
Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- 1. The Dandy Copper
- 2. The Knight of the Locust
- 3. The Solid Man
- 4. The American Gladiator
- 5. The Noblest Roman
- 6. The Professor
- 7. The Iron Duke
- 8. The Last Gladiator
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
About the Author :
Scott Beekman is a professor of history at the University of Rio Grande. He is the author of Ringside: A History of Professional Wrestling in America as well as three other books on American popular culture.
Review :
"William Muldoon was a true American original: a world-class athlete, a showman, a bureaucrat, an entrepreneur, and a hard-nosed fitness fanatic. He was also more than happy to rewrite any facts that got in his way. Exploring his life and long-reaching influence would undo a less accomplished researcher and writer. In this highly readable and insightful book, Scott Beekman turns these challenges to his favor and brings this fascinating character into focus and down to size. The Last Gladiator is essential reading for anyone interested in pro wrestling history or the development of American sport." - Jon Langmead, author of Ballyhoo!: The Roughhousers, Con Artists and Wildmen Who Invented Professional Wrestling
"Scott Beekman has written a superb cultural biography of William Muldoon, one of the earliest nationally recognized professional athletes. He traces Muldoon’s career against the backdrop of the Gilded Age, World War I, and the roaring twenties, placing him in the context of an America roiling in a hyper-masculine sporting culture. Muldoon leveraged a massive ego and talent in his endless pursuit of money, navigating a cutthroat entertainment business that blurred the lines of ethics and sportsmanship. The Last Gladiator is a vital contribution that highlights the importance of sports and cultural history in making American modernity and identity." - Christopher L. Stacey, Louisiana State University of Alexandria, author of Populism and Professional Wrestling in the Sunbelt South: From Rasslin' to Sports Entertainment
