Scott Beekman, "The Last Gladiator: William Muldoon and the Making of American Sports" (U Texas Press, 2025)

Sep 27, 2025

Scott Beekman, a history professor and sports historian, dives into the life of William Muldoon, a iconic figure in American sports history. They discuss Muldoon’s rise from a poor Irish immigrant to a wrestling champion, trainer, and influential health authority. Beekman reveals how Muldoon's controversial decisions as the chair of the NY Athletic Commission shaped boxing, including enforcing racial segregation. The podcast also touches on Muldoon’s role in reviving John L. Sullivan's career and examines why this once-renowned athlete faded from public memory.

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insights

INSIGHT

Three Careers Shaped Sports

William Muldoon had three public careers: wrestler, trainer/physical culturist, and chair of the NY State Athletic Commission.
Each phase let him reshape American sports, fitness culture, and boxing regulation for decades.

insights

INSIGHT

Why Muldoon Became Obscure

Muldoon faded from memory because wrestling lost prestige, his health theories dated badly, and his commission rulemaking angered many.
These combined factors pushed him out of sports historiography despite his prominence.

insights

INSIGHT

Wrestling's Early Prominence

Professional wrestling was among the earliest major U.S. pro sports alongside horse racing and pedestrianism.
19th-century wrestling competed with many now-forgotten popular sports for public attention.

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Who Was William Muldoon and Why He Mattered

01:14 • 3min

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Why Muldoon Faded from Public Memory

04:22 • 2min

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Research Challenges and Sources

06:32 • 2min

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The Sporting Landscape of the Late 19th Century

08:08 • 2min

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What 19th-Century Professional Wrestling Looked Like

10:10 • 4min

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What Made Muldoon a Successful Wrestler

14:10 • 59sec

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Did Muldoon Resurrect John L. Sullivan's Career?

15:09 • 5min

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Muldoon and the Physical Culture Movement

20:22 • 3min

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What Was Neurasthenia and How Muldoon Treated It

23:00 • 3min

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How Muldoon Ran Olympia and Treated Clients

26:15 • 2min

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Personal Assessment: Is Muldoon Likeable?

28:01 • 1min

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Muldoon's Temper, Bridges Burned, and Networking

29:15 • 1min

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How Muldoon Became Chair of the NY Athletic Commission

30:40 • 2min

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Muldoon's Authoritarian Approach on the Commission

32:36 • 42sec

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Muldoon Enforced a Racial Color Line in Boxing

33:18 • 2min

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Why New York Mattered in 1920s Boxing

34:50 • 45sec

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Public Perception and Legacy at Muldoon's Death

Why Muldoon Disappeared from History

38:22 • 1min

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The Last Gladiator

William Muldoon, and the Making of American Sports

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The book offers a deep and insightful exploration into Muldoon's life and influence, highlighting his often-controversial role in the evolution of American sports, professional wrestling, and physical and popular culture. It uncovers Muldoon's beginnings as a child of Irish immigrants and his rise to fame in the post-Civil War era. The book also explores his transition into acting, modeling, fitness and political power. The book sheds light on Muldoon's significant impact on the development of American sports.

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William Muldoon was an infamous athlete whose prowess, savvy, and chicanery 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: William Muldoon and the Making of American Sports (U Texas Press, 2025) 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.

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