The Wrestling Legacy of Humboldt’s Frank Gotch – Iowa PBS Segment

Friday, March 20th, 2026 | Wrestling | No Comments

Iowa PBS Segment on Frank Gotch featuring Mike

Tags: Frank Gotch, Iowa PBS

Two Wrestling Legends

Thursday, January 8th, 2026 | Other, Wrestling | No Comments

When Dan Severn, MMA legend and former amateur star, visited us in Newton recently, I invited him to sit in the rocker chair once owned by the great Frank Gotch, and “The Beast” was happy to oblige. I purchased this chair and a writing table in an auction on June 29, 1996, at the house Frank owned in his hometown of Humboldt, Iowa, when he was the heavyweight wrestling champion of the world. Frank died in 1917 at the age of 39 of Bright’s Disease, but his house remained in ownership of extended family members until 1996.

In addition, I have written numerous books and articles about Gotch and produced a video about him 20 years ago. I also own his derby hat, 5 autographs by him and led the charge to have a handsome statue of him erected in Bicknell Park in Humboldt, and I was the main speaker at the unveiling on July 4, 2012. Bicknell Park is where Frank did his training for the his epic rematch with The Russian Lion, George Hackenschmidt, in Chicago, in 1911.

Dan was a national high school and college star before entering the world of MMA. He was the first athlete to show the world that wrestling is a martial art and able to compete with all other combative disciplines. We have been friends for 25 years, and I even worked his corner once in one of his top battles.

Tags: Dan Severn, Frank Gotch, Humboldt

New Documentary on Frank Gotch Planned

Wednesday, November 20th, 2024 | Documentary, Wrestling | No Comments

Two documentary filmmakers, one from Los Angeles and the other from Iowa, came to Mike’s house on November 20 to film him for a project they are doing about the early days of professional wrestling, with a heavy emphasis on Frank Gotch. They spent the previous day in the Humboldt area to film various spots where the Gotch legend began, and at Bickell Park, where the fabulous statue of Gotch stands tall along the river’s edge. Mike played a key role in that statue’s development and was the guest speaker at the unveiling in 2014.

Tags: Bickell Park, Frank Gotch, Frank Gotch Documentary, Humboldt

Farmer Burns Event a Big Success

Wednesday, July 10th, 2024 | Wrestling | No Comments

The event held in tiny Big Rock, Iowa, on June 22 to honor the life and career of legendary wrestler and trainer Martin “Farmer” Burns was a big success, with Dan Gable being the main attraction. Over 150 people came, and Dan worked the crowd to perfection when he and his wife Kathy arrived, shaking hands and posing for photos. Mike gave him a big introduction and people began standing and clapping as he walked to the podium (which was a large rain barrel). He gave a powerful talk, saying how important it is to keep alive the legends of great wrestlers like Burns and his most famous pupil, Frank Gotch.

After the ceremony, Dan, Mike and Wes Fox, the man who came up with the idea, walked to the large display board and pulled down the curtain as people gathered around and cheered. There are two large boards, the top one which has a photo of Burns and a brief bio, and the bottom one which lists the names of the many donors who helped make the project possible. Wes has lived in the Big Rock area all his life.

Burns is credited with having competed in 6,000 matches with just six losses. He ran a very successful wrestling school and mail-order wrestling business for many years. He was born and raised in Big Rock and died in 1937. He is buried in Toronto, Iowa, just ten miles away,

Curran Jacobs, who has won several top-level catch tournaments and starred in and directed the documentary “For the Love of Catch”, came from Michigan to record the event for a podcast.