New Documentary on Frank Gotch Planned

Wednesday, November 20th, 2024 | Documentary, Wrestling | No Comments

Two documentary filmmakers, one from Los Angeles and the other from Iowa, came to Mike’s house on November 20 to film him for a project they are doing about the early days of professional wrestling, with a heavy emphasis on Frank Gotch. They spent the previous day in the Humboldt area to film various spots where the Gotch legend began, and at Bickell Park, where the fabulous statue of Gotch stands tall along the river’s edge. Mike played a key role in that statue’s development and was the guest speaker at the unveiling in 2014.

Tags: Bickell Park, Frank Gotch, Frank Gotch Documentary, Humboldt

Remembering Two Great Iowans on Veterans Day

Monday, November 11th, 2024 | Radio | No Comments

To help celebrate Veterans’ Day, Mike was a guest on the KXEL radio show in Waterloo with Jeff Stein, program director, talking about the legends of Fred Becker and Nile Kinnick. A graduate of East High School in Waterloo, Becker became the first All-American football player at the University of Iowa in 1916 as a sophomore and then volunteered to serve his country in World War I. He died fighting along the Western Front in France on July 18, 1918, and is buried at Fairview Cemetery in Waterloo. Kinnick, from Adel, won the Heisman Trophy for the Hawkeyes in 1939 and lost his life on June 2, 1943, as a pilot off the coast of Venezuela. Mike, a Navy veteran himself, has written extensively about both Becker and Kinnick and his book “Triumph and Tragedy” tells their stories, along with the stories of Jack Trice and Johnny Bright.

Listen to the show here: https://on.soundcloud.com/2Zmx1

Tags: East High School Waterloo, Fred Becker, Jeff Stein, KXEL, Nile Kinnick

Farmer Burns Event a Big Success

Wednesday, July 10th, 2024 | Wrestling | No Comments

The event held in tiny Big Rock, Iowa, on June 22 to honor the life and career of legendary wrestler and trainer Martin “Farmer” Burns was a big success, with Dan Gable being the main attraction. Over 150 people came, and Dan worked the crowd to perfection when he and his wife Kathy arrived, shaking hands and posing for photos. Mike gave him a big introduction and people began standing and clapping as he walked to the podium (which was a large rain barrel). He gave a powerful talk, saying how important it is to keep alive the legends of great wrestlers like Burns and his most famous pupil, Frank Gotch.

After the ceremony, Dan, Mike and Wes Fox, the man who came up with the idea, walked to the large display board and pulled down the curtain as people gathered around and cheered. There are two large boards, the top one which has a photo of Burns and a brief bio, and the bottom one which lists the names of the many donors who helped make the project possible. Wes has lived in the Big Rock area all his life.

Burns is credited with having competed in 6,000 matches with just six losses. He ran a very successful wrestling school and mail-order wrestling business for many years. He was born and raised in Big Rock and died in 1937. He is buried in Toronto, Iowa, just ten miles away,

Curran Jacobs, who has won several top-level catch tournaments and starred in and directed the documentary “For the Love of Catch”, came from Michigan to record the event for a podcast.

Upcoming Events – May and June 2024

Monday, April 15th, 2024 | Speaking, Wrestling | No Comments

May 9 – Ben Peterson, two-time Olympic wrestling medalist (gold in 1972 and silver in 1976) and also a two-time NCAA champion for Iowa State, will be the featured speaker at the “Voices of Inspiration” program sponsored by the United Way of Jasper County. Ben is a terrific speaker with a powerful message about his Christian faith and lifestyle, and the value of sports in general. He will have his book “Road to Gold” on sale. Mike wrote the introduction for the book and will introduce Ben. The event will take place at the DMACC Auditorium in Newton, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free, and donations are welcome.

May 16 – Mike will be a speaker at the same event a week later and at the same place and time. He will talk about his book-writing career and offer stories about the many fascinating people he has met during his 40-year journalism career – including Ronald Reagan, Muhammad Ali, Robert Redford and many other stars of film and sports. Mike has appeared in nine documentaries, over 100 radio talk shows, and has been featured on ESPN, Fox Sports, the A&E Network, Iowa Public Television and the popular morning show, Fox and Friends. He has written 32 books and will have some of them for sale. Admission is free.

June 12 – The Jasper County Musuem in Newton holds a “Brown Bag Lunch” monthly to attract people to the beautiful facility and Mike will be the guest speaker there on June 12, beginning at 11:30 am. He will talk about his many experiences in journalism and have a few of his 32 books for sale. The event is open to the public and free of charge.

June 22 – Martin “Farmer” Burns is one of the most influential figures in the history of Iowa sports and on this date a memorial plaque in his honor will be unveiled in the tiny berg of Big Rock, Iowa, where he was born and raised, and Mike will be a featured speaker at the event. Farmer Burns was a world champion in professional wrestling in the early 1900s, and had over 6,000 matches, losing just six. He helped coach the first-ever high school state championship team in 1921, and also trained Humboldt’s Frank Gotch, the greatest wrestler in history. Mike has written extensively about Farmer Burns and was asked by Wes Fox, a longtime Burns fan, to help with the project. It will take place at 4 p.m. in Big Rock, about 50 miles east of Cedar Rapids, and is free to the public. Several Farmer Burns historic items will be on display.

Tags: Ben Petersen, Big Rock, Farmer Burns, Frank Gotch, Jasper County Museum