William Muldoon

William Muldoon Statistics Ring name(s) William Muldoon
The Iron Duke
The Solid Man Billed weight 193 lb(88 kg/13.8 st) - 204 lb(93 kg/14.6 st) Born May 25, 1845(1845-05-25)[1]or May 25, 1852(1852-05-25)
Caneadea, New Yorkor Belfast, New York [1]Died June 3, 1933(aged 81)[1]Billed from Manhattan(ca. 1870-1881)
Belfast, New York(ca. 1881-1900)
Purchase, New York(1901-1933).

A c. 1880-1890s tobacco card depicting William Muldoon

William Muldoon (May 25, 1845 or 1852 – June 3, 1933)[1] was a professional wrestler. Long before Georg Hackenschmidt and Frank Gotch, he was the dominant figure in heavyweight professional wrestling, making him the first major star in American pro wrestling.[2] He was also a well-known physical culture proponent, boxing trainer, stage actor and one of the first chairmen of the New York State Athletic Commission and served on the commission panel until his death in 1933. Muldoon was unflatteringly profiled in "Twelve Men" by Theodore Dreiser, under the pseudonym Culhane. Muldoon was of Irish descent.

Muldoon's most famous boxing client was John L. Sullivan whom he trained in Belfast, New York in the spring on 1889 in preparation for his 75-round bout with Jake Kilrain, a match that has retroactively been called a world championship.

Championships/Accomplishments

1-time American Greco-Roman Heavyweight Champion[1]
1-time New York Police Wrestling Champion

Birth year and Civil War service

Muldoon claimed 1845 as his birth year, in conjunction with a claim to have served in the Sixth Cavalry, Company I, during the American Civil War, however, both claims are disputed by American National Biography.[verification needed]

In 1915, Muldoon dedicated a Civil War monument to the town of Belfast, New York, listing the names of all local veterans, including that of his older brother, John Muldoon (1841-1873) [1], who served in the Sixth Cavalry, Company I.

It was John's military record that William Muldoon allegedly later claimed to be his own, further embellishing upon his military "career" by claiming he was promoted to the rank of colonel before his discharge.

References

^ a b c d e William Muldoon, wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
^ William Muldoon, Professional Wrestling Hall Of Fame and Museum. Retrieved 2007-12-29.