Roderick McMahon
Encyclopedia
Roderick James "Jess" McMahon (May 26, 1882 – November 21, 1954) was a professional wrestling
and professional boxing
promoter, and the patriarch of the McMahon wrestling family
. McMahon was the founder of the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, along with Toots Mondt
.
to New York City
, Roderick was born in 1844 and Elizabeth in 1846. He and his siblings; Lauretta (b.1876), Catharine (b.1878) and Edward (b.1880) attended Manhattan College
where Roderick graduated with a commercial diploma at the age of 17. The loss of their father resulted in the two brothers taking jobs as bank clerks and the two sisters married prominent businessmen. The McMahon brothers showed a higher interest in sports, compared to that of a career.
. Facing a loss of public interest in boxing, the two McMahons overcame obstacles to appease the public with high quality fights. They expanded their affairs in 1911, founding the New York Lincoln Giants
, a black baseball team, which played at Olympic Field in Harlem. With a team that included five of the best black players in the nation, who the McMahons recruited away from teams in Chicago and Philadelphia, the Lincoln Giants dominated black and white opponents for three seasons. In 1914, financial difficulties then forced them to sell the team; however, they retained the contracts of many of the players, and for three more years they operated another team, the Lincoln Stars, using Lenox Oval on 145th Street as a home field. Touring with the squad, McMahon and his brother ventured to Havana, Cuba, where in 1915 they co-promoted the World Boxing Association match between Jess Willard
and then-champion Jack Johnson
in a 45-round fight.
In the 1930s, the McMahons operated the Commonwealth Casino, on East 135th Street in Harlem. Boxing was the primary attraction, and the McMahons booked black fighters to cater to Harlem's growing black population; fights between blacks and whites drew the largest, racially-mixed crowds. In 1922, they established a black professional basketball team, the Commonwealth Big 5, to try to attract patrons to the Casino. For two years, the team defeated black and white opponents, including Harlem's other black professional team, the Rens
, and sportswriters considered the Big 5 the best black team in the nation, although they could not defeat the dominant white team of the time, the Original Celtics. Despite their success, the Big 5 did not attract large crowds, and the McMahons shut the team down after the 1923/1924 season, leaving the Rens to become the dominant black team of the 1920s and 1930s.
After 1915, Jess anchored in Long Island
, where he became the first McMahon to promote professional wrestling, at the Municipal Stadium
. The vicious wrestling wars led McMahon to ally himself with another independent faction captained by Carlos Louis Henriquez. Together they booked the Coney Island
and Brooklyn Sport Stadiums, with Carlos being the main fan favorite. The formation of the "Trust" calmed New York territory enough to allow McMahon to have access to a larger pool of wrestlers. Among the wrestlers were the likes of Jim Browning, Hans Kampfer, Mike Romano and Everette Marshall. By 1937, wrestling popularity was waning, however while most bookers left the city for fresher ground, Jess dug in for the long haul. His contacts allowed him to freely trade wrestlers with promoters in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut.
A perpetual force in the Northeastern
sportsworld, Jess would most probably be remembered for his spell as matchmaker at the Garden
than for his 20 years as a wrestling promoter. On November 21, 1954, as a result of a cerebral hemorrhage, Jess died at a hospital in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
. Upon Jess's death, his second son, Vincent J. McMahon took over the business, eventually creating the World Wide Wrestling Federation, known today as World Wrestling Entertainment
, or WWE.
woman named Rose E. Davis (b.1891), who was of Irish
descent, and together they had three children, Vincent J. McMahon
, Roderick Jr., and a daughter named Dorothy. His grandson, Vincent K. McMahon
, currently runs WWE
. Jess's great-granddaughter Stephanie McMahon also works for the company
. His great-grandson Shane McMahon
also worked for the company before ending his 20 year stint in 2010. His great-great-grandson was seen at the opening of Wrestlemania XX
.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
and professional boxing
Professional Boxing
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, emerged in the early twentieth century as boxing gradually attained legitimacy and became a regulated, sanctioned sport. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse which is divided among the fighters and promoters as determined by contract...
promoter, and the patriarch of the McMahon wrestling family
McMahon wrestling family
The McMahon wrestling family are the founders and owners of WWE.It began when Roderick McMahon, known as "Jess", started promoting wrestling shows in 1925. When he died in 1954, his son, Vincent J. McMahon, took over the business. Vincent J. had two wives, Victoria and Juanita, with Vickie still...
. McMahon was the founder of the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, along with Toots Mondt
Toots Mondt
Joseph Raymond "Toots" Mondt was a former wrestling promoter who revolutionized the wrestling industry in the early to mid 1920s and co-promoted the World Wide Wrestling Federation...
.
Early life
Roderick James McMahon was born May 26, 1882, to hotel owners Roderick and Elizabeth McMahon. His parents had recently moved from IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Roderick was born in 1844 and Elizabeth in 1846. He and his siblings; Lauretta (b.1876), Catharine (b.1878) and Edward (b.1880) attended Manhattan College
Manhattan College
Manhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City, United States. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 10 miles north of Midtown. Manhattan College offers...
where Roderick graduated with a commercial diploma at the age of 17. The loss of their father resulted in the two brothers taking jobs as bank clerks and the two sisters married prominent businessmen. The McMahon brothers showed a higher interest in sports, compared to that of a career.
Career
By 1909, the McMahon brothers were managing partners of the Olympic Athletic Club and bookers at the Empire and St. Nichols Athletic Clubs, located in HarlemHarlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
. Facing a loss of public interest in boxing, the two McMahons overcame obstacles to appease the public with high quality fights. They expanded their affairs in 1911, founding the New York Lincoln Giants
Lincoln Giants
The Lincoln Giants were a Negro League baseball team based in New York City from 1911 through 1930.- Founding :Jess McMahon, a white promoter, hired Sol White, former manager of the Philadelphia Giants, to put together a club...
, a black baseball team, which played at Olympic Field in Harlem. With a team that included five of the best black players in the nation, who the McMahons recruited away from teams in Chicago and Philadelphia, the Lincoln Giants dominated black and white opponents for three seasons. In 1914, financial difficulties then forced them to sell the team; however, they retained the contracts of many of the players, and for three more years they operated another team, the Lincoln Stars, using Lenox Oval on 145th Street as a home field. Touring with the squad, McMahon and his brother ventured to Havana, Cuba, where in 1915 they co-promoted the World Boxing Association match between Jess Willard
Jess Willard
Jess Willard was a world heavyweight boxing champion. He won the heavyweight title from Jack Johnson in April 1915 and lost it to Jack Dempsey in July 1919....
and then-champion Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson (boxer)
John Arthur Johnson , nicknamed the “Galveston Giant,” was an American boxer. At the height of the Jim Crow era, Johnson became the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion...
in a 45-round fight.
In the 1930s, the McMahons operated the Commonwealth Casino, on East 135th Street in Harlem. Boxing was the primary attraction, and the McMahons booked black fighters to cater to Harlem's growing black population; fights between blacks and whites drew the largest, racially-mixed crowds. In 1922, they established a black professional basketball team, the Commonwealth Big 5, to try to attract patrons to the Casino. For two years, the team defeated black and white opponents, including Harlem's other black professional team, the Rens
New York Renaissance
The New York Renaissance, also known as the Renaissance Big Five and as the Rens, was an all-black professional basketball team established February 13, 1923, by Robert "Bob" Douglas in agreement with the Renaissance Casino and Ballroom...
, and sportswriters considered the Big 5 the best black team in the nation, although they could not defeat the dominant white team of the time, the Original Celtics. Despite their success, the Big 5 did not attract large crowds, and the McMahons shut the team down after the 1923/1924 season, leaving the Rens to become the dominant black team of the 1920s and 1930s.
After 1915, Jess anchored in Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, where he became the first McMahon to promote professional wrestling, at the Municipal Stadium
Municipal Stadium
Municipal Stadium can mean:*Hiroshima Municipal Stadium , in Japan*Municipal Stadium , in Morocco*Municipal Stadium , in Romania*Jinnah_Stadium_, in Pakistan*in the United States of America:...
. The vicious wrestling wars led McMahon to ally himself with another independent faction captained by Carlos Louis Henriquez. Together they booked the Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
and Brooklyn Sport Stadiums, with Carlos being the main fan favorite. The formation of the "Trust" calmed New York territory enough to allow McMahon to have access to a larger pool of wrestlers. Among the wrestlers were the likes of Jim Browning, Hans Kampfer, Mike Romano and Everette Marshall. By 1937, wrestling popularity was waning, however while most bookers left the city for fresher ground, Jess dug in for the long haul. His contacts allowed him to freely trade wrestlers with promoters in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut.
A perpetual force in the Northeastern
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
sportsworld, Jess would most probably be remembered for his spell as matchmaker at the Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
than for his 20 years as a wrestling promoter. On November 21, 1954, as a result of a cerebral hemorrhage, Jess died at a hospital in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
. Upon Jess's death, his second son, Vincent J. McMahon took over the business, eventually creating the World Wide Wrestling Federation, known today as World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
, or WWE.
Personal life
Roderick married a young New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
woman named Rose E. Davis (b.1891), who was of Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
descent, and together they had three children, Vincent J. McMahon
Vincent J. McMahon
Vincent James "Vince" McMahon, better known as Vince McMahon, Sr. was an American professional wrestling promoter. He is best known for founding the American promotion, World Wide Wrestling Federation, which is now known as WWE.-Early life:Vincent James McMahon was born on July 6, 1914 in Harlem,...
, Roderick Jr., and a daughter named Dorothy. His grandson, Vincent K. McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
, currently runs WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
. Jess's great-granddaughter Stephanie McMahon also works for the company
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
. His great-grandson Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon
Shane Brandon McMahon is an American executive, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of YOU On Demand. A former executive and professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment , he is the son of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and former US Senate candidate Linda...
also worked for the company before ending his 20 year stint in 2010. His great-great-grandson was seen at the opening of Wrestlemania XX
WrestleMania XX
WrestleMania XX was the twentieth WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on March 14, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York....
.