Wayne Munn
Encyclopedia
Wayne Munn was an American professional wrestler and collegiate football player from the University of Nebraska.
and promoters Toots Mondt
and Billy Sandow
, who prematurely pushed Munn as the next big star in the sport. Munn won the World title from Lewis in 1925, despite his limited wrestling and shooting ability. This backfired on Lewis and his camp, as Munn subsequently lost the Title to Stanislaus Zbyszko
in a famous double-cross (shoot), as Zbyszko legitimately pinned Munn, despite agreeing to lose to him prior to the match. Munn, unable to defend himself against Zbyszko's holds, was beaten decisively. Munn held the title for a little over three months.
Munn went into retirement shortly afterwards, and spent some years in the oil business, before his death from kidney problems
at the Fort Sam Houston
base hospital in San Antonio, Texas
on January 9, 1931. He was survived by his wife and a daughter, Mary Ann Munn.
Wrestling career
His fame as a footballer attracted the attention of wrestling star, Ed LewisEd Lewis (wrestler)
Robert Herman Julius Friedrich , was a professional wrestler best known by his ring name Ed "Strangler" Lewis, whose career spanned four decades.-Wrestling career:...
and promoters Toots Mondt
Toots Mondt
Joseph Raymond "Toots" Mondt was a former wrestling promoter who revolutionized the wrestling industry in the early to mid 1920s and co-promoted the World Wide Wrestling Federation...
and Billy Sandow
Billy Sandow
Wilhelm Baumann, better known as Billy Sandow , was the manager of professional wrestler Ed "Strangler" Lewis and a subsequent member of the famed Gold Dust Trio promotion that changed the face of the industry during the 1920s...
, who prematurely pushed Munn as the next big star in the sport. Munn won the World title from Lewis in 1925, despite his limited wrestling and shooting ability. This backfired on Lewis and his camp, as Munn subsequently lost the Title to Stanislaus Zbyszko
Stanislaus Zbyszko
Stanislaus Zbyszko was a Polish strongman and professional wrestler popular in the United States during the 1920s. He was one of the most influential European grapplers of all-time, he was also among the sport’s great pioneer champions...
in a famous double-cross (shoot), as Zbyszko legitimately pinned Munn, despite agreeing to lose to him prior to the match. Munn, unable to defend himself against Zbyszko's holds, was beaten decisively. Munn held the title for a little over three months.
Munn went into retirement shortly afterwards, and spent some years in the oil business, before his death from kidney problems
Bright's disease
Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that would be described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. The term is no longer used, as diseases are now classified according to their more fully understood causes....
at the Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the first President of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston....
base hospital in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
on January 9, 1931. He was survived by his wife and a daughter, Mary Ann Munn.
Championships and accomplishments
- National Wrestling AssociationNational Wrestling AssociationThe National Wrestling Association was an off-shoot of the National Boxing Association, formed to sanction professional wrestling. This NWA is not the same organization as the National Wrestling Alliance, which was formed in 1948....
- World Heavyweight Championship (original version) (1 time)
Further reading
- Beekman, Scott. Ringside: A History of Professional Wrestling in America. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006. ISBN 0-275-98401-X
- Greenberg, Keith Elliot. Pro Wrestling: From Carnivals to Cable TV. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 2000. ISBN 0-8225-3332-4
- Hornbaker, Tim. National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly that Strangled Pro Wrestling. Toronto: ECW Press, 2007. ISBN 1-55022-741-6