Podcast Summary: New Books Network – Scott Beekman, "The Last Gladiator: William Muldoon and the Making of American Sports"

Host: Paul Knepper
Guest: Scott Beekman
Date: September 27, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode of New Books in Sports, Paul Knepper interviews historian Scott Beekman about his book, The Last Gladiator: William Muldoon and the Making of American Sports. The conversation uncovers the remarkable and largely forgotten influence of William Muldoon, a pioneer in wrestling, fitness culture, and sports regulation in the United States spanning from the 1870s until his death in 1933. Beekman discusses the complexities of Muldoon's career, his enduring but controversial legacy, and why this once-prominent figure has faded from public memory.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Who Was William Muldoon? (02:34–04:32)

• Muldoon was a towering figure in American sports and culture between the 1870s and 1933.
• He had three major careers:
  • Professional wrestler: First major native-born wrestling celebrity, famed for his physique and drive.
  • Trainer & fitness expert (physical culturalist): Gained renown training champion boxer John L. Sullivan and operated Olympia, a health institute for the elite.
  • Athletic commissioner: Headed the New York State Athletic Commission, dictating the course of boxing and wrestling through the 1920s.

Why Was He Forgotten? (04:32–06:18)

• Wrestling’s status: Modern perceptions of pro wrestling as “illegitimate” tainted the seriousness of Muldoon's early fame.
• Dubious medical ideas: His faith in now-discredited theories like neurasthenia undermined his reputation.
• Authoritarian leadership: As a sports commissioner, he alienated press and athletes with a dictatorial style, leading many to erase his influence after his death.

Research Challenges (06:54–07:43)

• Few primary sources remain; relied on period newspapers, an unreliable authorized biography, commission papers, and scattered archival records.
• Emphasizes the difficulties of reconstructing a 19th-century life compared to modern figures.

The 19th-Century Sports Landscape (08:33–10:19)

• Wrestling was one of the oldest and most respected sports, on par with horse racing and baseball in popularity at the time.
• Other then-popular sports (now obscure) included pedestrianism, cycling, billiards, and archery.
• Wrestling and boxing both suffered from questions of legitimacy and occasional illegality.

Evolution of Professional Wrestling (10:53–13:28)

• Styles transitioned over Muldoon's era:
  • Collar and elbow: Focused on tripping, short matches.
  • Greco-Roman: Emphasized upper body, allowed for more drama/excitement.
  • Catch-as-catch-can: Included leg holds and submissions, precursor to modern styles.
• Wrestling was staged in variety halls or theaters, with crowd-pleasing elements and emerging roles like “heel” and “face.”
• Beekman: “It looks a bit more legitimate, but really doesn't necessarily have all that much to separate it from how wrestling operates in the 21st century.” (12:38)

Was Wrestling “Real”? (13:33–14:21)

• People at the time believed it was, but most 19th-century sports were subject to rigging (“hippodroming”).
• “You really can’t trust 19th-century sports… to be legitimate.” (13:42)

Muldoon's Keys to Success (14:25–15:12)

• Native-born status gave him an edge in nativist America.
• Physique and looks made him a media darling.
• “He was just absolutely driven to succeed and really didn't care what it took…” (14:44)

Muldoon's Role Training John L. Sullivan (16:11–18:32)

• Credited with revitalizing Sullivan’s career for the pivotal 1889 title bout against Jake Kilrain, corralling Sullivan’s alcoholism and indiscipline.
• Muldoon’s psychological tactics, more than revolutionary training methods, helped.
• Sullivan’s comeback increased both men’s reputations, letting Muldoon reposition himself as an authority on health.
• “He always presented himself as sort of the anti Sullivan… None of that was true of course, but his image was that he was sort of squeaky clean…” (17:24)
• This match was a career-changing moment for Muldoon.

Physical Culture Movement & Neurasthenia (20:27–26:20)

• Muldoon capitalized on anxieties over immigration, the softening of "old stock Americans," and changing work habits.
• Physical culturalist: Personal trainers/fitness experts aimed at restoring the “vigor” and dominance of native-born Americans.
• Muldoon became a leader due to his sporting fame and the Sullivan story.
• Neurasthenia: A diagnosis for fatigue/nervous exhaustion, seen as the affliction of society’s elite; Muldoon’s “Olympia” catered to this market.
• “One of the components of neurasthenia is that you're not going to have that unless you've been successful…” (24:20)

Olympia: Muldoon's Institute & Methods (26:20–28:05)

• Muldoon was intensely “hands-on,” regimenting clients’ schedules, berating them, and “breaking their will.”
• His drill-sergeant approach was applied even to social elites—industry titans, celebrities, politicians.

Beekman’s View: Was Muldoon Likable? (28:05–29:20)

• Admits Muldoon is “more interesting than likable,” noting his violent temper and egotism.
• “...it's hard not to present him as something of a violent bully and egotist, because that's what he was.” (28:51)

Muldoon's Relationships & Burned Bridges (29:20–30:44)

• Despite burning bridges, he always found new allies; reserved deference only for the truly powerful.
• “He continued to move up. And you can clearly see in some cases, there are folks that he recognizes he cannot possibly burn those bridges...” (30:08)

Head of New York State Athletic Commission (30:44–34:55)

• Appointed due to fame and bipartisan connections.
• As chair, ruled unilaterally, ignoring his co-commissioners.
• Advocated a racial “color line”: Actively prevented black boxers, like Peter Jackson and Harry Wills, from title shots.
• Muldoon’s racism reflected and solidified the era’s segregated sporting order.
• “He was adamant that there should be white champions, there should be black champions…” (33:44)

New York as Sports Capital (35:03–35:34)

• NY was the heart of sports culture, with famed venues and media centered there.

Legacy at Death & After (35:34–39:37)

• Died in 1933, viewed as an “out of touch, old curmudgeonly dictator.”
• Mixed feelings: some relief, some belated respect as boxing slipped into organized crime’s grasp soon after.
• His later regulatory role overshadowed his wrestling fame.
• Forgotten by the public rapidly, even lampooned in later Hollywood depictions.
• Later generations dismissed him as a “crank” on health and an archaic symbol of pro wrestling.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the nature of 19th-century sports:
  "You really can't trust 19th-century sports. It doesn't matter which sport you're talking about to be legitimate."
  — Scott Beekman (13:42)

• On Muldoon as a pioneer of modern sports celebrity:
  “He very much created his own persona… In many ways it kind of foreshadows wrestlers of today.”
  — Paul Knepper (15:12)

• On the physical culturalist movement:
  “There are a lot of these figures who pop up as physical culturalists, promising to help revitalize old stock Americans. Muldoon is able to catapult himself [ahead] because of… whipping John L. Sullivan into shape.”
  — Scott Beekman (21:39)

• On his legacy:
  “At the time of his death, he was viewed as this sort of out of touch, old curmudgeonly dictator in sports… But… there is a recognition… that boxing stayed cleaner because Muldoon had maintained this sort of dictatorial control.”
  — Scott Beekman (35:51, 36:37)

• On his egotism and contradictions:
  "It's hard not to present him as something of a violent bully and egotist, because that's what he was."
  — Scott Beekman (28:51)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Muldoon's Three Careers: 02:34–04:32
• Why He Faded from Memory: 04:32–06:18
• Research Approach: 06:54–07:43
• 19th-Century Sports Landscape: 08:33–10:19
• Evolution of Wrestling: 10:53–13:28
• Wrestling’s Legitimacy in Perception: 13:33–14:21
• Muldoon’s Impact on John L. Sullivan: 16:11–18:32
• Physical Culture & Neurasthenia: 21:00–26:20
• Olympia Training Institute & Methods: 26:20–28:05
• Muldoon as Commissioner: 30:58–32:41
• The Racial 'Color Line' in Boxing: 33:30–34:55
• Legacy at Death: 35:51–37:15
• Disappearance from Public Memory: 38:24–39:37
• Favorite Sports Books: 40:08–41:33

Overall Tone and Takeaways

The conversation is rich with historical detail and animated by Beekman’s deep, candid engagement with both the triumphs and flaws of his subject. Muldoon emerges as complex: ambitious, egotistical, often harsh—but also a savvy self-promoter and a pivotal, if problematic, architect of American sports culture.

Recommended For

• Listeners interested in sports history, especially underexplored 19th- and early 20th-century topics.
• Those curious about the roots of modern athletic celebrity, physical culture, and the backstories of American athletic institutions.
• Readers of biographies that highlight both accomplishment and contradiction.