Martin "Farmer" Burns (1861-1937) is an American
wrestling champion. Born in Cedar County, Iowa at the beginning of the Civil War, he began working in farms and grading camps after his father died when he was 11 years old. It was a life of hard,
physical labor, which has a profound effect on his physique. His famous physical attribute is his 20 inch
neck. He took up wrestling at a young age, honing his skills with impromptu
matches with other boys around his neighborhood, and in grading camps. He won his matches early on, not only through his strength, but also through his analytical intellect and good conditioning. In his career he had over 6,000 matches under his belt, losing only seven times.
he gained his wrestling title after defeating Evan Lewis in 1895. In 1897 he lost it to Tom Jenkins. He regained it again and held it until 1908. In his retirement he opened a
successful wrestling school in Omaha, Nebraska. He also developed his equally successful mail-order correspondence course in wrestling and physical culture. Farmer Burns weighs 175
pounds, but managed to defeat opponents who outweighs him by 50 or 100 pounds. His 20 inch neck was so strong that he performs his proverbial stunt, the hangman drop, where he is hanged six feet above ground, while whistling "Yankee Doodle Dandy. He is also an excellent trainer, coaching fellow Iowan Frank Gotch to become a World Heavyweight Champion. He remained in good health until his death in 1937.
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