While Memphis is renowned for its music – particularly blues, soul and rock and roll – it also played a surprising role in the early development of professional wrestling.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, before wrestling became the theatrical spectacle it is today, Memphis was a hub for legitimate “catch-as-catch-can” wrestling. Local strongmen and national champions like Rocky “Sputnik” Monroe would compete in grueling, often hours-long bouts in venues like the Memphis Auditorium.
This era laid some of the groundwork for the future evolution of professional wrestling, making Memphis an unexpected, yet significant, early stomping ground for the sport.
– Staff report with AI assist*
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