Introduction
An article Howard wrote called “The Great Munney Ring”, offers a critical view of the wrestling scene, focusing on the manipulation and staging behind wrestling matches to draw crowds and generate publicity. The essay disapprovingly mentions an unnamed organization that claimed to have produced a wrestling champion, suggesting the relationship between the organization and the champion served merely as an advertising tactic. The champion in question appears to have been Wayne Munn, a wrestler with more brawn than skill, who surprisingly defeated the longstanding and skilled champion, Strangler Lewis. This victory is hinted to have been prearranged or rehearsed, diminishing the authenticity of the match and Munn’s championship status. Munn’s decision to leave wrestling for a vaudeville career, coupled with a lucrative contract, further undermines the legitimacy of his wrestling achievements. The essay contrasts Munn’s and Lewis’s wrestling careers with that of boxer Jack Dempsey, emphasizing Dempsey’s integrity for not participating in fixed matches and criticizing the hypocrisy of those who disparaged Dempsey for his wartime employment choices.
The material is from Howard’s Self-Published The Right Hook #1 (March/April 1925)
Characters
- Strangler Lewis: A skilled and longstanding wrestling champion noted for his contributions to making wrestling a respectable sport, despite the essay’s sarcastic tone regarding the authenticity of wrestling matches.
- Munn (Wayne Munn): The new wrestling champion, depicted as lacking in skill and benefiting from prearranged matches to enhance his popularity. His departure to vaudeville is seen as a betrayal of the wrestling profession.
- Jack Dempsey: Mentioned as a counter-example to the wrestlers, a boxer praised for his integrity in sports and criticized unfairly for his choices during the war.
Published in:
- THE RIGHT HOOK, VOLUME 1 NUMBER 1, Robert E. Howard, ca. March-April 1925
- AUSTIN, VOLUME 3 NUMBER 2, Tom Munnerlyn, September 1992 [Distributed in REHUPA #117]
- REH: THE POWER OF THE WRITING MIND, Mythos Books, December 2003
- SENTIMENT: AN OLIO OF RARER WORKS, REH Foundation Press, December 2009
- THE COLLECTED BOXING FICTION OF ROBERT E. HOWARD: FISTS OF IRON, REH Foundation Press, June 2013