Abraham Lincoln, Political and Fist Fighter

Abraham Lincoln is undoubtedly one of the most iconic and celebrated figures in American history, known for his leadership and fighting spirit during the Civil War.  He undoubtedly cemented his legacy as one of the country's greatest presidents. However, many people may not be aware of an interesting fact about Lincoln - he was an accomplished hand to hand combatant.

Born on February 12, 1809, in a log cabin in Kentucky, Abraham grew up on the frontier, where he cultivated his physical strength and toughness.  As a young man, Lincoln was tall and lanky, with long arms and legs, eventually reaching a height of 6’4” and weighing around 180 pounds.  He would later make use of these attributes as a fighter.

In his early twenties, Lincoln moved to New Salem, Illinois, where he first became interested in wrestling, and he soon developed a reputation as one of the best wrestlers in the region. He was known for his unusual style in which he relied on his strength and length to throw his opponents off balance.

As a wrestler, Lincoln was actually said to be almost unbeatable in his weight class, winning around 300 matches and only loosing one. This was a time when wrestling was more of a hand to hand contest than a sport.  And in these contests he made quite and name for himself as quite the bad ass.

One famous story tells of a time when a local champion, named Jack Armstrong, cheated in a wrestling match. Lincoln was so outraged he lifted Armstrong up by the throat, shook him like a ragdoll, and slammed him to the ground.  After which they became life long friends.

Another story tells of the time when, after winning a match and receiving trash talk from an unruly crowd, Abe loudly declared “I’m the big buck of this lick. If any of you want to try it, come on and whet your horns.”  Nobody wanted the smoke.

In the end, Abraham Lincoln's legacy as a fighter may not be as well-known as his accomplishments as a statesman and leader. Nevertheless, it's clear that his love of the sport helped to shape his character and his approach to life, and it provides an interesting insight into a lesser-known side of one of America's most beloved figures.