Joe Stecher Days – Dodge, Nebraska

Thursday, May 10th, 2018 | Speaking | No Comments

After a year-long battle with various health issues, Mike is finally getting back in action. Mike will be in Dodge on Saturday, July 14, to help honor Joe. Mike is being hosted by EAT restaurant at 327 2nd Street, a unique establishment with a great atmosphere and a wide variety of food. Mike will have Joe Stecher memorabilia on display from noon to 6:30 p.m.and will give a talk at 2:30, and then show a 20-minute documentary film of Joe Stecher wrestling Earl Caddock for the world heavyweight championship, held January 30, 1920, in Madison Square Garden. Mike will have various Stecher-related items for purchase, as well.

Tags: Dodge Nebraska, Joe Stecher

Battle of Waterloo Hall of Fame

Monday, November 27th, 2017 | Awards, Wrestling | No Comments

Mike is among the five men being inducted into the Battle of Waterloo Hall of Fame in early December. The Battle of Waterloo is a multi-class tournament that hosts 32 Iowa high school teams over two days in Young Arena. The tournament is collaboration between the Waterloo East and Waterloo West athletic departments.

A reception for the Class of 2017 will be held on Thursday, Dec. 14, from 5-7 p.m. at the Cedar Valley Sportsplex, located at 300 Jefferson Street in Waterloo, across the street from the Dan Gable Museum. The public is invited free of charge.

The formal induction will take place on Saturday, Dec. 16, around 3 p.m. at Young Arena, prior to the start of the championship rounds.

“Any time a hall of fame extends such an honor, it is deeply appreciated,” said Mike, who is now a member of 10 halls of fame. “I have spent 45 years trying to promote the sport in various ways, and since I am from Waterloo, this award has very special meaning.”

Click to see the full class of 2017…

Tom Tyler Interview

Saturday, November 18th, 2017 | Books | No Comments

Mike recently was interviewed by Mike Radich, owner of an internet web site dedicated to film personalities and sports stars, about the sensational movie and athletic career of Tom Tyler. Tom appeared in over 100 movies during his long career, starring in many westerns and in 1941 playing the first comic book super hero EVER in the movies, Captain Marvel. Two years later, Then Tom played another comic book hero, The Phantom.

Tom was also a terrific weightlifter during his early movie career, winning a national title and several other major meets and becoming the first American to ever lift 300 pounds overhead. He was the Arnold Schwarzenegger of his era. Tom died tragically in 1954 at the age of 50, from a rare disease called scleroderma. Mike wrote Tom’s biography in a 2005 book entitled “The Tom Tyler Story: From Cowboy Star to Superhero.” The book is now out of print and considered a collector’s item. Click on this site to hear the interview.

Listen to the interview here on youtube: https://youtu.be/HQm4CYyP48Q

The Day When Tarzan and “The Beast” Got Together

Thursday, August 24th, 2017 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

The annual Tarzan convention was held August 3-5 in Coldwater, Michigan, and that gave longtime friends Dan “the Beast” Severn (right) and Mike Chapman (left) a chance to get together again…and do a little arm wrestling for fun. Dan was an All-American wrestler in college at Arizona State who went into mixed martial arts and became a super star. He is a former three-time champion of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships) and is a veteran of nearly 130 cage matches. He was world heavyweight champion in professional wrestling, as well. Dan has appeared in several movies and TV shows and is member of numerous halls of fame. He owns a MMA training facility in Coldwater and came to the Tarzan convention to hang out with Mike, who was a guest speaker and exhibitor. Mike, who is a member of 9 halls of fame, has hosted three Tarzan conventions and is a former recipient of the Golden Lion award, the top honor in the Tarzan world.