You probably know him as the guy on the five-dollar bill or the somber man in the stovepipe hat who saved the Union. But before he was "The Great Emancipator," Abraham Lincoln was a terrifyingly effective human pretzel-maker. Honestly, if you saw him walking toward you in a dark alley in 1830s Illinois, you wouldn't be thinking about the Gettysburg Address. You’d be wondering how to protect your neck.
The Abraham Lincoln wrestling hall of fame story isn't some weird internet myth or a bit of "tall tale" Americana. It’s a documented historical reality. In 1992, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame officially inducted him as an "Outstanding American."
He wasn't just a guy who liked to roughhouse. He was a legitimate county champion with a record that would make modern MMA fighters weep.
The 300-1 Record: Fact or Frontier Hype?
Most historians agree that Lincoln competed in roughly 300 matches over about 12 years. His record? Approximately 299 wins and exactly one loss.
Think about those numbers for a second.
In an era where wrestling wasn't a sanitized sport with mats and referees, but a "catch-as-catch-can" brawl on the grass, that level of dominance is insane. He stood 6-foot-4 at a time when the average man was barely 5-foot-7. He had these freakishly long, powerful arms that basically acted like levers. Once he got a hold of you, it was pretty much over.
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His only "official" loss came during the Black Hawk War in 1832. He was out-grappled by a guy named Hank Thompson. Apparently, it was a fair fight, and Lincoln, being the guy we know he was, just shook the man's hand and moved on. No excuses. No rematch drama.
That Famous Night in New Salem
If there’s one reason the Abraham Lincoln wrestling hall of fame induction exists, it’s because of Jack Armstrong.
Lincoln had just moved to New Salem, Illinois, to work at a general store. His boss, a guy named Denton Offutt, was basically the 19th-century version of a hype man. He kept bragging that his new employee could out-wrestle anyone in the county. This didn't sit well with the "Clary’s Grove Boys," a local gang of toughs led by Jack Armstrong.
Armstrong was the local alpha. He was shorter than Lincoln but built like a brick house.
The whole town showed up to watch them go at it behind the store. The match was a stalemate for a long time. Then, Armstrong supposedly tried to "foul" Lincoln—some say he tried to trip him or dig into his leg. Lincoln got furious. He reportedly grabbed Armstrong by the throat, lifted him off the ground, and shook him like a ragdoll.
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Depending on which old-timer you believe, Lincoln either slammed him flat or the rest of the gang jumped in before he could finish the job. Either way, Armstrong was so impressed by the "Railsplitter" that they became best friends. Lincoln even ended up defending Armstrong's son in a murder trial years later.
What kind of wrestling was it?
Don't picture Olympic singlets. This was "Catch-as-catch-can."
- The Rules: There weren't many.
- The Goal: Get the other guy on the ground and keep him there.
- The Style: A mix of what we now call freestyle wrestling, judo-style trips, and old-school "collar-and-elbow" grappling.
Lincoln was known for his "scientific" approach. He wasn't just a brute; he understood leverage. Because of his height, he could reach over opponents and use his long legs to trip them before they even got inside his guard.
Why the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Matters
It's easy to dismiss this as a "fun fact," but the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma, takes this seriously. They didn't induct him just because he was President. They inducted him because he used the "disciplines of wrestling"—toughness, honesty, and physical courage—to navigate his political life.
Wrestling was his social currency. In the 1830s, if you wanted to lead men on the frontier, you had to prove you could physically hold your own. It gave him a "man of the people" edge that helped him win over skeptical voters who thought he was just another book-smart lawyer.
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Misconceptions You've Probably Heard
There's a popular meme going around that Lincoln "invented the chokeslam." While the story of him lifting Jack Armstrong by the neck is technically a chokeslam-adjacent move, he wasn't exactly doing backflips off a turnbuckle.
Also, he wasn't a professional. There was no "pro wrestling" back then. It was all for pride, bets, or to settle a grudge. He stopped competing seriously in his early 30s as his law career took off, but the reputation followed him all the way to the White House.
The Actionable Takeaway for History Buffs
If you’re ever near Stillwater, Oklahoma, go see the mural. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has a dedicated section for "Presidential Grapplers" (George Washington and Teddy Roosevelt are in there too), but Lincoln is the undisputed king of that group.
What you can do next:
- Visit New Salem: If you're in Illinois, visit the reconstructed New Salem State Historic Site. You can stand near the spot where the Armstrong match happened.
- Read the Biography: Check out The Sport of Lincoln by Mike Chapman. It’s the definitive deep-dive into his athletic life.
- Watch the Hall of Fame Virtual Tour: Their website has some great digital archives on the "Outstanding American" wing.
Lincoln didn't just preserve the Union with his words; he spent his youth learning how to stand his ground when things got rough. That grit started in the dirt of a wrestling ring.
Next Steps for You: You should look into the specific records of the Black Hawk War of 1832 if you want to see the only time Lincoln actually admitted to being "thrown" by another man. It’s a rare glimpse into a moment where the future legend was actually human.