President Lincoln Was a Dominant Wrestler Who Was Inducted Into The National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Published on May 10th, 2025 5:38 pm EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


President Abraham Lincoln is widely regarded as one of the best Presidents in the history of the United States.

Much is known about President Lincoln, but did you know that he was a dominant wrestler who was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1992?

And did you also know that it was President Lincoln that likely invented the "chokeslam" that is used in professional wrestling?

President Lincoln grew up as a laborer and developed a tremendous amount of natural strength as a result.

With his natural strength and imposing 6'4, 210 pound frame, the future President of the United States was practically unbeatable when it came to freestyle wrestling.

In fact, there are reports that President Lincoln engaged in roughly 300 wrestling matches over the course of his life, and that he lost just ONE of these bouts.

A famous 1831 match against Jack Armstrong may have resulted in the invention of the "chokeslam", which involves picking your opponent up by the throat and throwing them to the mat.

Jack Armstrong was considered to be one of the toughest men in the area and challenged Abraham Lincoln to a match.

Armstrong was supremely confident in his skills, though quickly grew frustrated against the lanky and extremely strong Lincoln.

Many of Armstrong's friends were in attendance, and they egged on their friend, who was clearly losing against Abraham Lincoln.

Armstrong started employing some dirty tricks in order to try to win the match, and this infuriated Lincoln.

Those in attendance claim that Lincoln actually picked up Armstrong by the throat and slammed him to the ground, which may have been the first recorded "chokeslam" attempt in human history.

The move worked, as Armstrong was knocked unconscious and Lincoln won the match.

Armstrong and his friends were impressed by Lincoln, and the two sides ended up becoming friends.

President Abraham Lincoln is known for so much, though most people aren't aware that he was literally one of the most dominant wrestlers in the world for a period of time.