The Washington County Historical Society is excited to announce that wrestling historian George Schire will be returning to the Washington County Heritage Center on Tuesday, May 2 at 7pm for more discussion on Minnesota professional wrestling history! George’s book Minnesota’s Golden Age of Wrestling: From Verne Gagne to the Road Warriors will be available for purchase at the talk. Longtime wrestling fans and newcomers are welcome.

Schire will be discussing wrestling's singles feuds and tag team wars. In the wacky and unpredictable world of professional wrestling, good guys and bad guys fought for supremacy and formed interesting tag team combinations that added to the soap opera drama that drew fans in week after week.

About the book Minnesota’s Golden Age of Wrestling: From Verne Gagne to the Road Warriors: “Why was Minnesota, a land known for its stoic farmers, reasonable politics, and comfortable casseroles, a hotbed of the wacky and wild world of professional wrestling? And how did that old-school wrestling become the Saturday night program of choice for thousands of midwestern families in the last half of the twentieth century? Professional wrestling historian and insider George Schire is here not only to set the record straight but to entice you into a world gone by, a world that comes alive through his colorful and perceptive reporting.”

As a kid, Schire found a way to escape the troubles of his life by becoming a wrestling fan, glued to the TV set and then later traveling to see every live “card” in the Twin Cities and many more throughout the region. Over the years he has been involved in all aspects of the sport, and he now offers detailed, behind-the-scenes accounts of important matches from 1954 to 1990 and stories of wrestler personalities, both in and out of the ring. He shares his own extensive collection of wrestling memorabilia— photographs, program covers, newspaper clippings, and other ephemera—to honor the hardworking characters who forged serial storylines onstage week after week and who thrilled fans by carrying out their plots in the ring, with blood, sweat, tears, and high-flying body slams for all.

The program is free to the public and no reservations are required. Event attendees may attend either in-person at the Washington County Heritage Center or virtually on Zoom. The Zoom link may be accessed at wchsmn.org/event/wrestling3/

For questions, contact Washington County Heritage Center Site Manager Emily Krawczewski at emily.krawczewski@wchsmn.org or 651-439-2298. The Washington County Heritage Center is open for visitors Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-4pm.