Professor William Miller
#PWHS #Bio #Biography #ProfMiller #Professor #CatchWrestling #CACC #GrecoRoman #Australia #England
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According to the Australian Dictionary of Biography, Miller was born December 16, 1846 in the town of Liscard in Cheshire, England. At a young age he moved to Australia and the country adopted him as their own when he came into fame. To this day Miller is still remembered by Australian sporting sites/historians as the finest all-rounder of the 19th century. Excelling in walking, running, fencing, wrestling, boxing, and pretty much any other sport you could think of.
As soon as he was old enough he worked for the Australian Railroad company while taking part in competitive sporting events. The earliest known championship he captured was one in the field of broad-swordsmanship. By the time he was ready to head to America his name was already known in all English speaking countries.
He arrived in America during the fall of 1874, settling in San Francisco, California. Almost immediately talk began of a contest between him and another foreigner who had arrived a few months earlier, Thiebaud Bauer. The two met on November 14, 1874, wrestling to a draw when Bauer sustained an injury. Those in attendance were pleased and impressed with the great contest. The Australian Hercules and Bauer wrestled many more times, they were not always well received though.
For the next six months or so Miller stayed on the West Coast touring until the local population caught on to the fact Miller and Bauer were working together to put on fixed wrestling matches. The following is from the Annuals of the Olympic Club, San Francisco, published during 1914:
"This craze manifested itself in the seventies, first in San Francisco, where a stream of gold poured into the pockets of Theobaud Bauer and Professor Miller until the suspicion arose that their contests were more theatrical than sincere, and then they shifted the scene of their activities to New York."
Which is exactly what they did. By the summer of 1875 both men had made their way east. Miller's first big bouts in New York were against another famed French athlete, Andre Christol. Miller won them both (October 12 and November 9) and with those wins was claiming the American Graeco-Roman Championship. During the summer months of 1876 he joined up with the Howe's and Cushing's Circus for a tour, performing exhibitions with John Dwyer.
On August 29, 1876 he lost his title to Thiebaud Bauer in Cincinnati, Ohio, but the title had now been classed as a World title as on December 25, 1875 Miller defeated Louis Carteron, who claimed the French Championship. He and Bauer switched the title back and forth in various cities over the course of the next eighteen months.
In June of 1877 Miller took part in two huge matches. One was against an upcoming William Muldoon. Miller won, but was impressed enough to mentor Muldoon. Eventually, at least publicly, they became bitter enemies though. Muldoon claimed it was actually he who got Miller his job instructing pupils at the New York Police Athletic Club. Their later disagreement certainly did scream of a possible work though, but of course that is always a point of speculation and debate with historians.
Miller took a trip out of the United States during 1878 and returned by the beginning of 1879. On the 23rd of January he competed in a fifty hour walking match against Duncan C. Ross where Miller won by a long way. It was that year something called "Combined Graeco-Roman" cropped up too. Colonel James Hiram McLaughlin and Miller seem to be the two principle participants of the new hybrid style.
Basically it was all the Graeco-Roman holds with the added bonus of a Collar & Elbow tie up with kicks below the knee and trips also being legalized. There appears to have even been a short lived title for it, that William Miller won on June 13, 1879 when he defeated McLaughlin three falls to none in Baltimore, Maryland. When he lost it is currently unknown.
That was not the only unusual thing to crop up for Miller though. He was known as a boxer and had laid claim to being a champion in that field, but, on April 29, 1879 he faced Patrick Ryan in a "Blackened Glove Match." The men's gloves were dipped in lampblack and olive oil, so the gloves left marks to show a punch had connected. The crowd found the whole affair humorous as the men ended up "black as Zulus."
After a few more matches with Bauer, Miller faced Muldoon again, the latter had since picked up the Graeco-Roman Championship from Bauer. They met on March 23, 1880 in Madison Square Garden with 3,000 fans present. After seven hours of wrestling the bout was called a draw. Soon after, on April 3, Miller left America for England on the Potosi.
He arrived in Melbourne, Australia after a short vacation on the British Isles in July of the same year. On arrival he was billed as being the "champion athlete of the world." A title he boasted and actually proved belonged to him for the next five years. He was also recognized as the Australian Graeco-Roman Champion.
It was not until the young Clarence Whistler met Miller on September 26, 1885 that Miller suffered any real difficulty on the mat. Whistler proved too much for him though and won in two straight falls at the Theater Royal in Melbourne. He made a trip back to America in late 1887 that lasted through 1888, but it was nowhere near as heralded as his previous run.
He fought in a fair few boxing matches including a loss to the extremely well known James J. Corbett. By the winter of 1889 it was time for him to head back to Australia and to finally retire from competitive athletics. Previously in 1883 he had opened up his own gymnasium in Australia and then coached in the Melbourne Olympic Club.
Like most of the guys of that era, and wrestlers of all eras in fairness, he found it very hard to completely retire and still competed in the occasional exhibition, but most of his time was spent coaching at the Melbourne Athletic Club, from his return in 1889 onward until he moved back to America. San Francisco to be more precise. There he acted as coach at the San Francisco Athletic Club.
Until 1917 he stayed in San Francisco. Then he moved to his final location of Baltimore, Maryland. He made that his home until he died on March 11, 1939 at the age of 92. At the time he was remembered as one of the greatest all-round athletes who ever lived. As mentioned that memory is still held on to in Australia, although his importance to the sporting world seems to have shamefully faded elsewhere.
According to the Australian Dictionary of Biography, Miller was born December 16, 1846 in the town of Liscard in Cheshire, England. At a young age he moved to Australia and the country adopted him as their own when he came into fame. To this day Miller is still remembered by Australian sporting sites/historians as the finest all-rounder of the 19th century. Excelling in walking, running, fencing, wrestling, boxing, and pretty much any other sport you could think of.
As soon as he was old enough he worked for the Australian Railroad company while taking part in competitive sporting events. The earliest known championship he captured was one in the field of broad-swordsmanship. By the time he was ready to head to America his name was already known in all English speaking countries.
He arrived in America during the fall of 1874, settling in San Francisco, California. Almost immediately talk began of a contest between him and another foreigner who had arrived a few months earlier, Thiebaud Bauer. The two met on November 14, 1874, wrestling to a draw when Bauer sustained an injury. Those in attendance were pleased and impressed with the great contest. The Australian Hercules and Bauer wrestled many more times, they were not always well received though.
For the next six months or so Miller stayed on the West Coast touring until the local population caught on to the fact Miller and Bauer were working together to put on fixed wrestling matches. The following is from the Annuals of the Olympic Club, San Francisco, published during 1914:
"This craze manifested itself in the seventies, first in San Francisco, where a stream of gold poured into the pockets of Theobaud Bauer and Professor Miller until the suspicion arose that their contests were more theatrical than sincere, and then they shifted the scene of their activities to New York."
Which is exactly what they did. By the summer of 1875 both men had made their way east. Miller's first big bouts in New York were against another famed French athlete, Andre Christol. Miller won them both (October 12 and November 9) and with those wins was claiming the American Graeco-Roman Championship. During the summer months of 1876 he joined up with the Howe's and Cushing's Circus for a tour, performing exhibitions with John Dwyer.
On August 29, 1876 he lost his title to Thiebaud Bauer in Cincinnati, Ohio, but the title had now been classed as a World title as on December 25, 1875 Miller defeated Louis Carteron, who claimed the French Championship. He and Bauer switched the title back and forth in various cities over the course of the next eighteen months.
In June of 1877 Miller took part in two huge matches. One was against an upcoming William Muldoon. Miller won, but was impressed enough to mentor Muldoon. Eventually, at least publicly, they became bitter enemies though. Muldoon claimed it was actually he who got Miller his job instructing pupils at the New York Police Athletic Club. Their later disagreement certainly did scream of a possible work though, but of course that is always a point of speculation and debate with historians.
Miller took a trip out of the United States during 1878 and returned by the beginning of 1879. On the 23rd of January he competed in a fifty hour walking match against Duncan C. Ross where Miller won by a long way. It was that year something called "Combined Graeco-Roman" cropped up too. Colonel James Hiram McLaughlin and Miller seem to be the two principle participants of the new hybrid style.
Basically it was all the Graeco-Roman holds with the added bonus of a Collar & Elbow tie up with kicks below the knee and trips also being legalized. There appears to have even been a short lived title for it, that William Miller won on June 13, 1879 when he defeated McLaughlin three falls to none in Baltimore, Maryland. When he lost it is currently unknown.
That was not the only unusual thing to crop up for Miller though. He was known as a boxer and had laid claim to being a champion in that field, but, on April 29, 1879 he faced Patrick Ryan in a "Blackened Glove Match." The men's gloves were dipped in lampblack and olive oil, so the gloves left marks to show a punch had connected. The crowd found the whole affair humorous as the men ended up "black as Zulus."
After a few more matches with Bauer, Miller faced Muldoon again, the latter had since picked up the Graeco-Roman Championship from Bauer. They met on March 23, 1880 in Madison Square Garden with 3,000 fans present. After seven hours of wrestling the bout was called a draw. Soon after, on April 3, Miller left America for England on the Potosi.
He arrived in Melbourne, Australia after a short vacation on the British Isles in July of the same year. On arrival he was billed as being the "champion athlete of the world." A title he boasted and actually proved belonged to him for the next five years. He was also recognized as the Australian Graeco-Roman Champion.
It was not until the young Clarence Whistler met Miller on September 26, 1885 that Miller suffered any real difficulty on the mat. Whistler proved too much for him though and won in two straight falls at the Theater Royal in Melbourne. He made a trip back to America in late 1887 that lasted through 1888, but it was nowhere near as heralded as his previous run.
He fought in a fair few boxing matches including a loss to the extremely well known James J. Corbett. By the winter of 1889 it was time for him to head back to Australia and to finally retire from competitive athletics. Previously in 1883 he had opened up his own gymnasium in Australia and then coached in the Melbourne Olympic Club.
Like most of the guys of that era, and wrestlers of all eras in fairness, he found it very hard to completely retire and still competed in the occasional exhibition, but most of his time was spent coaching at the Melbourne Athletic Club, from his return in 1889 onward until he moved back to America. San Francisco to be more precise. There he acted as coach at the San Francisco Athletic Club.
Until 1917 he stayed in San Francisco. Then he moved to his final location of Baltimore, Maryland. He made that his home until he died on March 11, 1939 at the age of 92. At the time he was remembered as one of the greatest all-round athletes who ever lived. As mentioned that memory is still held on to in Australia, although his importance to the sporting world seems to have shamefully faded elsewhere.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Biography of Professor William Miller.
Author: Jimmy Wheeler.
Published: July 2014.
Biography: #92.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Updated: December 27, 2018.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Biography of Professor William Miller.
Author: Jimmy Wheeler.
Published: July 2014.
Biography: #92.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Updated: December 27, 2018.