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49-582: Haft's was originally the manager and booker of John Pesek , who would go on to become World Heavyweight Champion. He was also involved in amateur wrestling and was the head wrestling coach at the Ohio State University , leading "The Buckeyes" to their first team title in 1923. He also holds the Ohio State Second-Year Coaching Record to this day. In his early life, Haft was an in-ring competitor in professional wrestling, entering

98-486: A carnival , travelling funfair or travelling show ( British English ), is an amusement show that may be made up of amusement rides , food vendors, merchandise vendors, games of chance and skill, thrill acts, and animal acts. A traveling carnival is not set up at a permanent location, like an amusement park or funfair, but is moved from place to place. Its roots are similar to the 19th century circus with both being fitted-up in open fields near or in town and moving to

147-610: A carousel , ridable miniature railway , miniature roller coaster , or an inflatable bounce house . For older children and adults, there can be many different types of rides. These rides are designed to use height, speed, g-force , or centrifugal force to appeal to the riders' senses. Some examples are the Chair-O-Planes , Ferris wheel , Zipper ride, and the Tilt-A-Whirl . The rides are generally painted in bright vibrant colors such as red, yellow and orange. Multicolored lighting

196-519: A circus , vaudeville show, burlesque show, or a magic lantern show. It is believed that the 1893 Chicago World's Fair was the catalyst that brought about the modern traveling carnival. At the Chicago World's Fair was an avenue at the edge of the grounds called the Midway Plaisance . This avenue of the fair had games of chance, freak shows, wild west shows (including Buffalo Bill whose show

245-566: A heart attack . He was buried at the Highland Cemetery outside Ravenna. A bronze statue of Pesek with two greyhounds was being created at the time of his death, and it was unveiled in front of Ravenna Bank on May 28, 1978. Although lesser known than some of his contemporaries, John Pesek is recognized today as one of the best wrestlers of his era. He was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2005, as well as

294-447: A "trustbuster" in his own right. It turned out that none of the titles he did hold were either won or lost in the ring. From 1931 to 1933, he was the recognized Midwest Wrestling Association (MWA) champion, until he forfeited the title to wrestle for another promotion. Later, Pesek was recognized for a time as National Wrestling Association champion . He was belatedly given the vacant NWA championship on September 13, 1937, as he had been

343-497: A New York Times article dated November 15, 1921. New York's athletic commission refused to award Pesek his prize money and banned him from wrestling in the state, but the Tiger Man had done his job. On another occasion, Pesek was hired to give Lewis' ally, Boston -area promoter Paul Bowser , a hand in his battle with rival promoter Jack Curley . Curley was aggressively promoting Olympic wrestling medalist Nat Pendleton and issued

392-594: A fair would also have had a significant number of market stalls; today this is rare and most sidestalls only offer food or games. The first fairground rides began to appear in the 18th century. These were small, made of wood and propelled by gangs of boys. In the 19th century, before the development of mechanical attractions, sideshows were the mainstay of most funfairs. Typical shows included menageries of wild animals, freak shows , wax works , boxing / wrestling challenges, and theatrical shows . In 1868, Frederick Savage, an agricultural engineer from King's Lynn , devised

441-449: A method of driving rides by steam. His invention, a steam engine mounted in the center of the ride, transformed the fairground industry in England and around the world. The preeminent carousel maker in the 19th century, his fairground machinery was exported globally. Through most of the 19th century, rural North America enjoyed the entertainment of traveling shows. These shows could include

490-638: A new location after a period of time. In fact, many carnivals have circuses while others have a clown aesthetic in their decor. Unlike traditional Carnival celebrations, the North American traveling carnival is not tied to a religious observance. In 1893, the Chicago's World's Columbian Exposition (also called the Chicago World's Fair) was the catalyst for the development of the modern traveling carnival. The Chicago World's Fair had an area that included rides, games of chance, freak shows, and burlesque . After

539-471: A one-time National Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Champion . Pesek was born to Bohemian parents near Ravenna, Nebraska , the fifth of seven children, and grew up in a small town in the Midwestern prairie. His father Martin died in an accident when John was twelve. Pesek originally planned a career in boxing but took to professional wrestling instead, with which he became familiar by attending

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588-455: A series of haughty challenges, among them boasting that Pendleton could beat Lewis and any other wrestler on the same night. Pesek was enlisted to face Curley's protégé, and in a legitimate contest held on January 25, 1923, Pesek defeated and injured Pendleton to claim an $ 8000 purse and give Bowser a major financial and publicity victory. Pesek would memorably cross paths with Joe Stecher again, wrestling him three times in 1926. Stecher, now

637-479: A severe beating (through continual fouling) that Plestina was hospitalized. All three falls of the match were forfeited due to repeated head butting and eye gouging by Pesek. His repeated fouling caused a near riot. The New York Times credits Plestina with "intensified fairness" in the face of Pesek's continued fouling. This is the reason Pesek was banned from wrestling for life in New York. These comments are taken from

686-564: A variety of food and beverages. They offer snack items like cotton candy , popcorn , ice cream , fried dough , funnel cake , candy , or caramel apples and french fries . Meal items may include pizza , hamburgers , hot dogs , and chicken. Beverages may include soda , coffee , tea , and lemonade . Local and regional specialties, along with ethnic foods such as empanadas and tacos , are often available. At autumn and winter carnivals, drinks like hot cider and hot chocolate may be available. Junk food items like deep fried candy bars ,

735-501: Is also used to enhance the rides' appearance at night. Each ride also plays its own music: a carousel may have calliope music playing while the ride next to it may have rock music for its riders. The music for each ride is usually upbeat; however, a ride such as a ghost train will have more somber music. These rides are designed to be quickly set up and taken down, thus helping the carnival operator in moving them. Some state governments have agencies that inspect carnival rides to ensure

784-479: Is common for the independent owners within a traveling carnival to be related, or have intertwined family histories. Many carnival operators are so big that they have carnival "units" or divisions. Each of these units may consist of six or more major rides. By having these units, a carnival operator can have a carnival operating in many different areas during the same week. Rides and stands are generally transported by truck. The rides generally have wheels mounted on

833-688: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1996; Pesek had earlier been inducted into the Lincoln Journal ' s Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame in 1957. His contributions to the sport of greyhound racing have also been recognized by his induction to the Greyhound National Hall Of Fame in 1978 – his dogs "Gangster" and "Just Andrew" were inducted in 1964 and 1975, respectively. Traveling carnival A traveling carnival ( American English ), usually simply called

882-515: The bouncy castle . In the past, many traveling carnivals also had a sideshow that accompanied them. Admission to see these curiosities or exhibits required an extra fee. Some sideshows featured a single exhibit, but some had multiple acts or exhibits under one tent (slang term: Ten-in-One). Human acts may include people with multiple arms or legs, midgets , extremely tall people, obese people, people born with facial or other deformities , and tattooed people. The term used for this type of show

931-498: The coconut shy in which players throw balls at coconuts balanced on posts, winning the coconut if they manage to dislodge it. Other side stalls range from the trivially easy, such as hooking rubber ducks from a water trough in which nearly every player is expected to win a prize, to the deceptively challenging, which includes games which utilize optical illusions or physical relationships that are difficult to judge. Highly profitable (and therefore timeless) games include: Much of

980-415: The deep-fried Twinkie , chocolate hot dogs, Dippin' Dots ice cream, the blooming onion , and "deep-fried butter on-a-stick" are some of the delicacies that can be found at carnival food stands. At many traveling carnivals, there are games of chance and skill. Games like the " Crossbow Shoot" game or the " Balloon and Darts " game will test an individual's target shooting ability. Other games, such as

1029-506: The traveling carnivals of the era. His first high-profile match was in 1914 when he defeated Wladek Zbyszko . Pesek was nicknamed "The Nebraska Tiger Man" for his ferocity and catlike dexterity. He was also legitimately strong and could hold his own on the mat against opponents that frequently outweighed him considerably. Pesek is recorded as losing only about 20 matches in his entire career, which he began undefeated until January 16, 1920, when he lost to fellow Nebraskan Joe Stecher . Among

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1078-566: The " Baseball and Basket " or "Stand the Bottle" game, may offer a large prize to any winner. While the majority of game operators run honest games, some people are wary of carnival games. This may be because carnival games in the past gained a reputation for being dishonest. The term "mark" (slang term: " sucker ") originated with the carnival. When dishonest carnival game operators found someone whom they could entice to keep playing their "rigged" (slang term: "gaffed") game, they would then "mark"

1127-413: The " Water gun " game, will pit a group of individuals against each other to win the game. Chance is involved in games like the "Duck Pond" game or the "Pingpong Ball" and "Fishbowl" games. Most games offer a small prize to the winner. Prizes may be stuffed animals, toys, posters, etc. Continued play is encouraged as multiple small prizes may traded in for a larger prize. Some more difficult games, including

1176-565: The Chicago World's Fair, traveling carnival companies began touring the United States. Due to the type of acts featured along with sometimes using dishonest business practices, the traveling carnivals were often looked down upon. Modern traveling carnivals usually make contracts with local governments in order to play both state and county fairs , as well as smaller venues (such as store parking lots, church bazaars, volunteer fire department fund raisers, and civic celebrations). Originally,

1225-723: The MWA with the NWA. Towards the end of November 1949, Brown suffered injuries in an automobile accident and the promoters of the NWA met in St. Louis to recognize Lou Thesz as the World Heavyweight Champion. During this, George and Haft were also re-elected to their positions of President and Vice President. The organization remained the largest governing body in the sport until the mid-1980s national expansion of Vince McMahon 's World Wrestling Federation . By that time, Haft had long since retired from

1274-684: The Midwest Wrestling Association and booked a match pitting Pesek against Joe Stecher to crown the initial champion. The bout was backed by the Ohio State Athletic Commission. Pesek beat Stecher and Haft’s working relationship with Kansas and Missouri territories expanded Pesek’s star-power and booking potential. An outdoor arena, Haft opened Haft's Acre at the southwest corner of Park Street and Goodale Boulevard in 1927 in Columbus . Boxing and wrestling were staged there until

1323-501: The World's Fair, and began a tour of the northeast US. His company closed due to poor business practices before completing its first tour. Some members of his company formed successful traveling carnivals after Otto Schmitt's company closed. The appeal of this new type of entertainment was embraced. In 1902, there were seventeen traveling carnivals in the US. The number grew to 46 in 1905; by 1937 there

1372-526: The base and the rest of the ride is then dismantled and folded up to allow for over the road transport. Food stands are usually tow-behind trailers , although there are still some booths that require complete take down and packing. Some large carnival operators use the railroad to transport their equipment from one location to another. A traveling carnival operator may schedule their carnival for certain seasons. They will have their carnivals in warm climate southern areas and then move into northern regions during

1421-448: The business. John Pesek John Pesek (February 21, 1894 – March 12, 1978) was an American professional wrestler and greyhound racing dog breeder. Nicknamed 'The Nebraska Tiger Man' for his ferocity, aggression and catlike dexterity, Olympic freestyle wrestling gold medallists Robin Reed and Russell Vis both regarded Pesek as the greatest wrestler they ever met. He was

1470-583: The early 1960s. Wrestlers such as Gorgeous George , Nature Boy Buddy Rogers and Wild Bull Curry all competed at the Haft events. In 1948 Haft jointed four fellow, prominent wrestling promoters (including Pinkie George to form the National Wrestling Alliance . In September of the same year, Pinkie George was the first NWA President and Haft was elected the Vice President. The newly formed outfit

1519-465: The few other men to ever defeat Pesek were Jim Londos and Ed "Strangler" Lewis . A true "hooker" who believed in professional wrestling as legitimate competitive sport, Pesek disliked the wrestling "trust" that emerged in the 1920s for its booking of pre-determined match outcomes. His reluctance to co-operate with promoters isolated him from the wrestling mainstream for much of his career. One important wrestling figure with whom Pesek did agree to work

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1568-613: The most attractive aspect of a fair, but many people come for other reasons. Fairs usually only feature one or two coasters. Funfairs are seen as family entertainment, and most include a significant number of children's rides. Many of these are smaller, platform based rides like, cup & saucer , toy sets, train rides, as well as smaller slower versions of the adult rides, Ferris wheels , waltzers, even children's bumper cars. Such rides are usually referred to as "juvenile rides" or just "juveniles". There are also other items for children such as slides, mirror mazes fun houses, and variations on

1617-429: The nation's leading stables. He won several national titles, and the pedigree of one of his greatest dogs, Australian-born "Just Andrew", could be found in 95 percent of American greyhound stock by 1975. Pesek semi-retired from professional wrestling by the early 1940s to focus on his greyhound racing career, but he continued to appear occasionally in special exhibition matches through the 1950s, long enough to wrestle on

1666-518: The only man to post a $ 1000 bond for a proposed tournament one year earlier. However, he was soon stripped of the title when he refused to meet two challengers. Pesek was again awarded the vacant MWA championship in 1938, but was stripped of it in June 1940 for, once again, failing to meet the top contenders. By the end of the 1920s, Pesek had begun turning his focus towards racing greyhounds, and on 800 acres (3.2 km ) of his Nebraska farm he built up one of

1715-531: The overheads of running fairground equipment – the cost of merchandise, diesel, staff, and rents. Typical prizes change to reflect popular tastes. A traditional fairground prize used to be a goldfish in a small plastic bag, but these have fallen out of favor, partly because goldfish are no longer seen as exotic, but also because of animal welfare concerns. Many stalls offer cuddly toys as prizes. Many traveling carnivals bring with them an assortment of rides. Some rides are for young children and may include

1764-469: The player by patting their back with a hand that had chalk on it. Other game operators would then look for these chalk marks and entice the individual to also play their rigged game. This is not common practice anymore, although there still are a few confidence men in the carnival business. Learning about how carnival games work can help an individual from being cheated . Most stalls feature games of skill or strength. The most traditional example being

1813-406: The ring in 1917 and competing under the ring name Young Gotch. He competed sporadically until 1932 but his full-time focus as an in-ring performer was short lived, deciding instead to focus on his growing success as a promoter. Haft began wrestling promoting in 1919. His interest in joining the professional ranks was sparked after he met John Pesek, a fellow wrestler who Haft considered the best in

1862-653: The safety of the riders. Regulation varies by jurisdiction. There is constant innovation, with new variations on ways to spin and throw passengers around, in an effort to attract customers. With the requirement that rides be packed into one or more trailers for travel, there is a limit to the size of the rides, and funfairs struggle to compete with much larger attractions, such as roller coasters , found in amusement parks . See also amusement rides . Some fairs may feature compact roller coasters to attract teenagers and preteens. Roller coasters feature steep drops, sharp curves, and sometimes loops. Roller coasters are generally

1911-417: The same card as son Jack, who would go on to enjoy a lengthy wrestling career of his own. He wrestled his final exhibition match in 1965. Pesek married Myrl Mahoney (died 1966) on February 14, 1921. The couple had seven children: Elizabeth, Jack, Virginia, Mary Lee, Kevin, Catherine and Steve. Jack Pesek went on to become a professional wrestler like his father. Pesek died at his home on March 12, 1978, from

1960-480: The title. Stecher was said to have cried after the match. Despite making a good living in America, Pesek eventually grew tired of backroom politics and opted to go overseas for a while in 1929. Traveling to New Zealand and Australia , he became a sensation there, winning 47 consecutive bouts. Pesek's reputation as a maverick held him back from holding many championships in his career, and he has been characterized as

2009-483: The true "con artistry" has been driven out of funfairs in the twentieth century, and combined with an increasing emphasis on the role of families and small children in such entertainment, contemporary showmen often find greater profit in pricing their games far above the value of the prizes being offered, with complex formula for upgrading to the large prizes that advertise the game and instill desire among customers. The rises in pricing of many side stalls must often reflect

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2058-422: The warmer months. Admission is often charged for county or state fairs, but is usually free at most carnivals. Tickets or all-day passes are usually sold for rides. When a carnival is "playing" a fair, exhibits or displays may charge their own entry fee, as well as some entertainment acts (such as a music concert, tractor pulling , or a demolition derby ). There are food stands at carnivals which serve

2107-433: The world champion, won the first meeting on April 29, and the second match on August 25 ended in a draw. Then, on October 6 at Los Angeles ' Olympic Auditorium , subbing for Ed Lewis, Pesek diverted from the planned result and trapped Stecher in a wrist lock. Stecher appeared to submit, but in order to save face the referee disqualified Pesek under the pretense that he had used an illegal choke hold, allowing Stecher to retain

2156-403: The world. Haft became Pesek's manager and brokered deals for him throughout the United States and abroad. In 1929, Haft sent Pesek for a wrestling tour of Australia where he came out victorious. He returned to the United States a star and soon entered the discussion of World Heavyweight Championship contenders. With Haft by his side, Pesek became the World Heavyweight Champion. In 1931, Haft created

2205-457: Was Ed Lewis, for whom he became a "policeman" to ward off the so-called "trustbusters", outlaw wrestlers who posed threats to promotions and their champions by refusing to co-operate (fix matches) during matches. On November 14, 1921, Pesek squared off against one of the most prominent trustbusters, Croatian -born wrestler Marin Plestina at Madison Square Garden . Pesek proceeded to administer such

2254-428: Was an estimated 300 carnivals touring the country. Worldwide there are many different traveling carnival companies. Most carnivals are not made up of just one operator of rides, food or games. Many of these venues are operated by independent owners who contract (or "book") with the carnival. These independent owners are contract to pay the carnival operator a percentage of what their ride or stand gross in sales. It

2303-474: Was called a freak show . Animal oddities, such as the two-headed calf, the miniature horse , etc., were featured in the freak show as well. Changing public opinions and increased medical knowledge have led to a decline of these type of shows. Another type of act at the sideshow was the thrill act. Examples of these acts included fire eaters , sword swallowers , the human blockhead , the human pin cushion, and knife throwers. Some of these types of acts, such as

2352-541: Was set up near the fairground) and burlesque shows. It also featured the original Ferris Wheel , constructed by George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. Following the Chicago World's Fair, the term "midway" was adopted from the Midway Plaisance to denote the area at county and state fairs where sideshow entertainment was located. Otto Schmitt, a showman at the world's fair, formed Chicago Midway Plaisance Amusement Company. The company featured thirteen acts, including some from

2401-442: Was to operate talent exchanges, establish a territorial system and recognise one world champion per weight class. The NWA soon grew to become the largest body in professional wrestling, with recognised territories throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Japan. Haft's MWA World Heavyweight Champion Orville Brown defeated Otto Kuss in a match soon thereafter and was crowned the inaugural NWA World Heavyweight Champion, merging

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