Did Abraham Lincoln, Wrestler, Invent the Chokeslam Before it was Made Famous by the Undertaker?
You may have heard of former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln’s history as a wrestler. The legends of his prowess as a grappler suggest that he was trained in the sport from the ages of 9–21 and was quite adept at it. According to “A. Lincoln: A Biography”, by Ronald C. White Jr, Honest Abe may have learned from his Uncle Mord who “reputably had a real talent for it.”
The most famous confrontation was in his 20s when he worked as a shop clerk in New Salem, Illinois in 1831. Lincoln was goaded into a wrestling match with the leader of a local gang known as The Clary’s Grove Boys. Jack Armstrong challenged Lincoln to a wrestling match and the latter begrudgingly agreed to take part in it.
Lincoln, reportedly 6-foot-4, would have been a giant in his day and age so it’s not shocking that people would pick on him as someone they could test their strength against. I am sure anyone challenging him wouldn’t have immediately known about his wrestling history though.
About 24 hours after Lincoln had been challenged the match took place with a small crowd that had gathered due to word of mouth. Lincoln had the clear size and skill advantage, but Armstrong tried to play dirty and trip him up. The contest ended in a draw however after it was…
