Jack Curley
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Jack Curley (July 4, 1876 - July 12, 1937), born Jacques Armand Schuel, was a sports promoter of the early 1900s. He managed several high-profile
boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
events around the turn-of-the-century and he also established
professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
as a viable business in the big city, and he eventually built the New York City office into an industry power while negotiating an agreement between the nation's most powerful regional territories.


Early life

Curley was born in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
on July 4, 1876 after his parents fled France following the Franco-Prussian War. Nevertheless, they soon returned to Europe, and young Jacques spent his childhood near
Strassburg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eur ...
and Paris before moving back to San Francisco as a teenager. Following school, he worked as a newspaper copy boy, and he then took a job at a saloon owned by ex-prize fighter
George La Blanche George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
. At age 16, he ran away from home and changed his name to Jack Curley while taking a job at the World's Fair in Chicago. He then worked as a reporter for the '' Chicago Dispatch'', but soon lost his job and suffered through hunger while looking for work. Then in September 1893, he was hired by promoter/manager P. J. Carroll to run his local gym; and Curley assisted many of the fighters in their training, most notably including World Welterweight Champion
Tommy Ryan Tommy Ryan (born Joseph Youngs; March 31, 1870 – August 3, 1948) was an American World Welterweight and World Middleweight boxing champion who fought from 1887 to 1907. His simultaneously holding records in both weight classes was a rar ...
. By 1896, Curley had accumulated enough contacts within the industry that he moved to
St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
and began promoting his own
boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
cards. He eventually returned to Chicago a few years later; and in 1901, he became the city's correspondent for ''The Police News'', one of the nation's top fight publications. In the years that followed, he also managed some of the era's premier boxers, including George Gardiner, Jimmy Gardner, Jim Flynn,
Georges Carpentier Georges Carpentier (; 12 January 1894 – 28 October 1975) was a French boxer, actor and World War I pilot. He fought mainly as a light heavyweight and heavyweight in a career lasting from 1908 to 1926. Nicknamed the "Orchid Man", he stood and hi ...
and
Jess Willard Jess Myron Willard (December 29, 1881 – December 15, 1968) was an American world heavyweight boxing champion billed as the Pottawatomie Giant who knocked out Jack Johnson in April 1915 for the heavyweight title. Willard was known for size rat ...
.


Professional Wrestling Promoter

On April 26, 1907, Curley promoted his first major wrestling bout between
Frank Gotch Frank Alvin Gotch (April 27, 1877 – December 17, 1917) was an American professional wrestler. Gotch was the first American professional wrestler to win the world heavyweight free-style championship, and he is credited for popularizing professi ...
and
Fred Beell Fred A. Beell (January 17, 1876 – August 5, 1933) was a German-born American professional wrestler and police officer. Early life Fred Beell was born in West Prussia, Province of Prussia on January 17, 1876. When he was three years old, his fa ...
. The following year, Gotch defeated strongman
Georg Hackenschmidt Georg Karl Julius Hackenschmidt ( – 19 February 1968) was an early 20th-century Estonian strongman, professional wrestler, author, and sports philosopher who is recognized as professional wrestling's first world heavyweight champion. Hacken ...
for the World Heavyweight Title, and pro wrestling subsequently exploded as the nation's most popular sport. As a result, Curley became the manager for "Doc"
Benjamin Roller Benjamin Franklin Roller (July 1, 1876 – April 19, 1933) was an American physician, a professional wrestler and a football player. Biography Early life Roller was born in Newman, Illinois. where he grew up on his family's farm. As a boy on t ...
, one of the era's premier grapplers; and in 1909, he was named the athletic director for the
Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition The Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition, acronym AYP or AYPE, was a world's fair held in Seattle in 1909 publicizing the development of the Pacific Northwest. It was originally planned for 1907 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Klondike Gold R ...
in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, where he emerged victorious in a promotional war against Joe Carroll. After brokering the legendary July 4, 1910 boxing match between Jack Johnson and Jim Jeffries, he then set up a series of wrestling cards in Europe, matching Dr. Roller against India's
Great Gama Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt (22 May 1878 – 23 May 1960), commonly known as ''Rustam-e-Hind'' (Hindi-Urdu for ''Rostam of Hindostan'') and by the ring name The Great Gama, was a pehlwani wrestler and strongman in British India. In the early ...
and Poland's
Stanislaus Zbyszko 'Jan Stanisław Cyganiewicz'' (April 1, 1879 – September 23, 1967), better known by his ring name, Stanislaus Zbyszko, was a Polish strongman and professional wrestler. He was a three-time World Heavyweight Champion at his highest profile in t ...
. While in Europe, Curley engaged in feverous negotiations with George Hackenschmidt in an effort to coerce the former champion to return to the U.S. for a big-time rematch against Frank Gotch. Billed as "the Match of the Century," the bout was promoted as the biggest wrestling event ever seen up to that point. Unbeknownst to the public, Hackenschmidt had suffered a debilitating leg injury in a sparring match with Dr. Roller just days before the event was scheduled to occur. However, Curley hid the information from the fans; and through a marketing campaign, he drew 35,000 fans to Chicago's
Comiskey Park Comiskey Park was a baseball park in Chicago, Illinois, located in the Armour Square neighborhood on the near-southwest side of the city. The stadium served as the home of the Chicago White Sox of the American League from 1910 through 1990. Buil ...
on September 4, 1911 (setting an attendance record that stood for the next 23 years), while Gotch easily dispatched Hackenschmidt in two straight falls to retain the title. After promoting the Jack Johnson-
Jess Willard Jess Myron Willard (December 29, 1881 – December 15, 1968) was an American world heavyweight boxing champion billed as the Pottawatomie Giant who knocked out Jack Johnson in April 1915 for the heavyweight title. Willard was known for size rat ...
title bout on April 5, 1915, Curley gradually found himself squeezed out of the boxing industry by
Jack Kearns Jack "Doc" Kearns (born John Patrick Leo McKernan; August 17, 1882 – July 7, 1963) was an American boxer and boxing manager. He was born on a farm in Waterloo, Michigan to Phillip H. McKernan and Frances M. Knauf (aka Hoff, later Quigley), dau ...
and
Tex Rickard George Lewis "Tex" Rickard (January 2, 1870 – January 6, 1929) was an American boxing promoter, founder of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL), and builder of the third incarnation of Madison Square Garden in New York City ...
; and he thus began to focus most of his energies on pro wrestling. He soon became the manager for
Wladek Zbyszko Władysław Cyganiewicz (November 20, 1891 – June 10, 1968), better known by the ring name Władek Zbyszko (), was a Polish catch wrestler, professional wrestler and strongman. "Zbyszko" was his older brother Stanislaus's childhood nickname, ...
(the younger brother of
Stanislaus Zbyszko 'Jan Stanisław Cyganiewicz'' (April 1, 1879 – September 23, 1967), better known by his ring name, Stanislaus Zbyszko, was a Polish strongman and professional wrestler. He was a three-time World Heavyweight Champion at his highest profile in t ...
), and he also guided the likes of "the Terrible Turk" Yussif Hussane and "Americus" Gus Schoenlein. Then on January 27, 1916, he brought new World Champion
Joe Stecher Joe Stecher (April 4, 1893 – March 29, 1974), sometimes spelled Joe Stetcher, was an American professional wrestler and three-time World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion. Known for his ferocity, tremendous leg strength and extensive knowledge o ...
to New York City for the first time in a publicized encounter against the Masked Marvel (
Mort Henderson ''Mort'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett. Published in 1987, it is the fourth ''Discworld'' novel and the first to focus on the character Death, who only appeared as a side character in the previous novels. The title is the ...
); and while pro wrestling had previously floundered in the
Big Apple "The Big Apple" is a nickname for New York City. It was first popularized in the 1920s by John J. Fitz Gerald, a sportswriter for the ''New York Morning Telegraph''. Its popularity since the 1970s is due in part to a promotional campaign by th ...
, the bout drew much of New York's social elite while launching Curley as the city's dominant power. As a result, Curley soon established himself as the Northeast's preeminent wrestling matchmaker while promoting the likes of
Wladek Zbyszko Władysław Cyganiewicz (November 20, 1891 – June 10, 1968), better known by the ring name Władek Zbyszko (), was a Polish catch wrestler, professional wrestler and strongman. "Zbyszko" was his older brother Stanislaus's childhood nickname, ...
and his newest ring sensation, "Strangler" Ed Lewis. However, as law enforcement reduced the gambling influence on sporting results, pro wrestling bouts fell into a trend of long, tedious contests that frequently ended in draws or no-decisions. Consequently, Curley revolutionized the industry by placing a greater reliance on one-fall matches in his territory, which subsequently reduced the length of the average matchup and lent to increased fan interest. Then in March 1918, Curley negotiated the formation of a "Trust" with Midwestern promoters
Billy Sandow Wilhelm Baumann (September 4, 1884 – September 15, 1972), better known as Billy Sandow, was an American professional wrestler and promoter. Biography Sandow is best remembered as the manager of professional wrestler Ed "Strangler" Lewis and a ...
and
Tony Stecher Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leag ...
that allowed the regions to swap its wrestling talent. Previously, the majority of big matches had been held in rural towns throughout the Midwest, but this agreement proved influential in that it facilitated pro wrestling's relocation to the urban centers of the East Coast, where matchmakers could promote bigger gates in the cities' lucrative sports venues.


Professional Wrestling's "Trust" Agreement

In subsequent years, Curley promoted a series of championship bouts between
Joe Stecher Joe Stecher (April 4, 1893 – March 29, 1974), sometimes spelled Joe Stetcher, was an American professional wrestler and three-time World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion. Known for his ferocity, tremendous leg strength and extensive knowledge o ...
,
Strangler Lewis Robert Herman Julius Friedrich (June 30, 1891 – August 8, 1966), better known by the ring name Ed "Strangler" Lewis, was an American professional wrestler and trainer. During his wrestling career, which spanned four decades, Lewis was a four-t ...
,
Wladek Zbyszko Władysław Cyganiewicz (November 20, 1891 – June 10, 1968), better known by the ring name Władek Zbyszko (), was a Polish catch wrestler, professional wrestler and strongman. "Zbyszko" was his older brother Stanislaus's childhood nickname, ...
, and
Earl Caddock Earl Caddock (February 27, 1888 – August 25, 1950) was an American professional wrestler and World Heavyweight Champion who was active in the early portion of the twentieth century. As the first man to bill himself as "The Man of 1,000 Holds" ( ...
; but Lewis and Sandow would leave the Trust in 1921, as they soon joined up with
Toots Mondt Joseph Raymond "Toots" Mondt (January 18, 1894 – June 11, 1976) was an American professional wrestler and promoter who revolutionized the wrestling industry in the early to mid-1920s and co-promoted the World Wide Wrestling Federation. Some of ...
to form "the
Gold Dust Trio The Gold Dust Trio was a group of promoters who controlled the world of professional wrestling during the 1920s while also making several fundamental changes to the industry's business model and operations that would ultimately change the directio ...
." Curley's NYC promotion then struggled in the mid-1920s as the Trio drew huge crowds while retaining possession of the title. But on May 30, 1925, Curley joined forces with
Stanislaus Zbyszko 'Jan Stanisław Cyganiewicz'' (April 1, 1879 – September 23, 1967), better known by his ring name, Stanislaus Zbyszko, was a Polish strongman and professional wrestler. He was a three-time World Heavyweight Champion at his highest profile in t ...
and
Tony Stecher Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leag ...
, as Zbyszko double-crossed the Trio by shooting on their manufactured champion,
Wayne Munn Wayne Munn (February 19, 1896 – January 9, 1931) was an American professional wrestler and collegiate football player from the University of Nebraska. As a wrestler, Munn was a World Heavyweight Championship (Original), World Heavyweight Champi ...
, thus returning the World Title to Curley's group. Moreover, after the Trio split up following a 1928 financial dispute, Curley then formed an alliance with
Toots Mondt Joseph Raymond "Toots" Mondt (January 18, 1894 – June 11, 1976) was an American professional wrestler and promoter who revolutionized the wrestling industry in the early to mid-1920s and co-promoted the World Wide Wrestling Federation. Some of ...
and
Ray Fabiani Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gra ...
, with the New York territory refusing to recognize Lewis' title claim. Curley next built his company around
Jim Londos Christos Theofilou ( el, Χρήστος Θεοφίλου; January 2, 1894 – August 19, 1975), better known as "The Golden Greek" Jim Londos (Greek: Τζίμ Λόντος), was a Greek American professional wrestler. Londos was one of the most p ...
, a new star who became the sport's first major sex symbol during the 1930s. With Londos as the headline attraction, the New York territory regularly drew crowds of 20,000 even in the midst of the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
; but gates quickly plummeted when Londos left the region after a contractual dispute in 1932. Curley then organized a meeting of the nation's top promoters in November 1933, forming a new Trust agreement with Toots Mondt,
Ray Fabiani Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gra ...
,
Tom Packs Thomas Nicholas Packs (born Anthanasios Pakiotis; August 15, 1894 – October 22, 1964) was a Greek-American professional wrestling promoter. He was one of the top promoters over the first half of the 20th century and was responsible for building o ...
, Ed White and
Paul Bowser Paul Forbes Bowser (May 28, 1886 – July 17, 1960) was a professional wrestling promoter who was active from the 1920s to the 1950s in the Boston area.Tim Hornbaker,Paul Bowser Biography" 2006 Wrestler Bowser grew up on a farm in western Pennsy ...
that stipulated that they share profits evenly while extending their collective powers across all of the North America. Although it dissolved in 1936, this new Trust expanded wrestling's power base from coast to coast, and it is acknowledged by some as a prelude to the creation of the
National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and former professional wrestling governing body operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA ...
in 1948.


Death

While wrestling experienced its share of ups and downs, Curley continued to experiment in other sports; and in 1931, he created the pro tennis tour when he convinced
Bill Tilden William Tatem Tilden II (February 10, 1893 – June 5, 1953), nicknamed "Big Bill", was an American tennis player. Tilden was the world No. 1 amateur for six consecutive years, from 1920 to 1925, and was ranked as the world No. 1 professional b ...
to give up his amateur status. However, Curley's health gradually declined during the late 1930s, and he died after suffering a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
in
Great Neck, Long Island Great Neck is a region on Long Island, New York, that covers a peninsula on the North Shore and includes nine villages, among them Great Neck, Great Neck Estates, Great Neck Plaza, Kings Point, and Russell Gardens, and a number of unincorp ...
on July 12, 1937. A major contributor to '' The Ring'', he was a master of publicity and the foremost leader in establishing New York City as a premier wrestling territory.


Awards and accomplishments

*''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four We ...
'' :*
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame The Wrestling Observer Newsletter (WON) Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling and mixed martial arts hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to their professions. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of t ...
( Class of 2002)


References


Biography by wrestling historian Steve Yohe


External links


New York Pro Wrestling
{{DEFAULTSORT:Curley, Jack 1876 births 1937 deaths Professional wrestling promoters American boxing managers American people of French descent American expatriates in France Businesspeople from San Francisco Professional tennis promoters