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Articles by Mike Chapman
Celebrating the many "firsts" of our great sport - WIN Magazine
Home / Featured / Celebrating the many “firsts” of our great sport Updated: March 6, 2025 Photo: Kyle Dake became the first wrestler to win four NCAA titles in four different weight classes. *Editor’s Note: This article appeared in Volume 31 Issue 6 of WIN Magazine, which was printed on March 10, 2025. By Mike Chapman Being first in any sporting activity is a part of history that lasts forever. There can only be one first in any event for an athlete.
5 Tips When Sourcing a New Powder Coating Oven
Choosing the right oven for powder coating can make a big difference in your productivity and finish quality. Gas catalytic infrared ovens offer significant advantages over convection ovens. They offer efficient energy use and quick curing times. Here are the top 5 tips to keep in mind when selecting the best oven for your powder coating needs: Prioritize Energy Efficiency Gas Catalytic: Infrared ovens are highly energy-efficient, as they heat the object directly instead of the air.
Dispelling the myths about Lincoln’s wrestling days - WIN Magazine
Photo: Mike Chapman published his book, “The Sport of Lincoln” in 2003. By Mike Chapman Well, it’s happened again. I recently read a story online that claims Abe Lincoln wrestled 300 matches and lost just once. As a huge fan of Honest Abe, I was disappointed that such a ridiculous claim keeps popping up from time to time. One can also read some places that Lincoln not only won hundreds of matches but was a state and regional wrestling champion. But none of that is true.
L'entrada espectacular de Tina Turner amb Simply the Best
I call you when I need you When my heart’s on fire You come to me, come to me Wild and wired You come to me, Give me everything I need Give me a lifetime of promises And a world of dreams Speak the language of love Like you know what it means It can’t be wrong Take my heart and make it strong, baby You’re simply the best Better than all the rest Better than anyone Anyone I’ve ever met I’m stuck on your heart I hang on every word you say Tear us apart Baby, I would rather be dead In your heart...
‘Catch’ wrestling legend ‘Farmer’ Burns to be honored by hometown - WIN Magazine
Photo: Martin “Farmer” Burns is well known for discovering the equally-legendary Frank Gotch and later served as an assistant high school coach in the 1920s. By Mike Chapman Readers of this column know how much I love to bring attention to the great figures in wrestling’s rich past …. and today’s column reaches all the way back to the time of the Civil War, and then extends forward into this summer.
Wrestling has opened the world to so many Americans - WIN Magazine
Photo: WIN founder Mike Chapman visited the tomb of Achilles, at the site of ancient Troy in 2006. It is located on the west side of Turkey and located about 900 miles from Belgrade, Serbia, where the 2023 UWW World Championships will take place this September. By Mike Chapman An old recruiting slogan for the United States Navy once proudly boasted — “Join the Navy and see the world!” Today, that slogan could very well apply to many elite wrestlers from our great country.
Former Penn State star Hanrahan learned about life and death 'Wrestling With Angels' - WIN Magazine
By Mike Chapman (Note: This column first appeared in WIN Magazine in April of 2020) By now, you may have heard that former Penn State wrestling star John Hanrahan has written a book called “Wrestling With Angels”. Well, if you are going to read it — and I strongly recommend that you do — let me give you fair warning. Don’t pick it up and plan on taking a week or ten days for a leisurely read. That isn’t going to happen! Such was the plan when the book arrived on my desk.
Stop by WIN Expo in Tulsa and meet legends of wrestling - WIN Magazine
By Mike Chapman It was way back in 1991 when my wife Bev and I came up with an idea that we hoped would catch on with fans attending the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Now, 32 years later, the grand experiment is going stronger than we ever imagined. What I am talking about is the WIN Memorabilia Show, now called WIN Fan Expo.
A bigger power now unites these former college rivals - WIN Magazine
Photo: Neary 35 years after their historic college match in 1988, former Iowa State Cyclone Eric Voelker (left) and former Iowa Hawkeye Brooks Simpson became friends while also serving as pastors of churches in Iowa City and West Des Moines. By Mike Chapman It is a wrestling match that has been described in very colorful ways for over three decades. And … there is an amazing twist to the story that comes later in this column.
Make sure you ‘catch’ this unique wrestling documentary - WIN Magazine
Photo: Curran Jacobs (right), director and narrator ofthe documentary “For the Love of Catch”, and his cameraman, Adam Towner, presented their work at the premiere on Oct. 1, in Owosso, Mich., Curran’s hometown. By Mike Chapman If you like wrestling and history, there is a big treat waiting for you if you “catch” a new documentary that has just arrived in the marketplace. Probably very few fans of mankind’s oldest sport are familiar with the term “catch-as-catch-can”.
Guest column: Gene LeBell was one of a kind
When I created the International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Newton, Iowa, in 1998, one of my goals was to build a bridge between the worlds of amateur wrestling and the pro game. Many amateur fans resented the way the pro game was so much more popular with the media and fans. The best way to do that I felt was to showcase the careers of the men who had walked both paths successfully – wrestlers like Lou Thesz, Verne Gagne, Dan Hodge and Brad Rheingans.
Strangler Lewis’ Headlock Machine goes home
One of the most intriguing pieces of memorabilia in the history of wrestling is back home! Called “The Ed Lewis Headlock Machine,” it is an iconic device in both professional and amateur circles, but mainly in the pro ranks. It was developed in the 1920s by the legendary Ed “Strangler” Lewis, one of the greatest stars in pro history, back when the sport still was somewhat real. He wrestled over 6,000 matches over four decades and was world heavyweight champion for many years.
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