Okay, there were only eleven presidents known to have wrestled, and the details on how much they actually wrestled are rather murky. So to be perfectly honest, this top ten list is really all the American presidents ever to have been mentioned as wrestlers. Many online wrestling blogs cut and paste the names of famous wrestlers without providing evidence they actually ever wrestled. The list below summarizes the wrestling accomplishments of these presidents with the best grapplers at the end.
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10 (tie). The invisible wrestling presidents
Andrew Jackson (D), aka "Old Hickory," and John Tyler (I), aka "Young Hickory," are listed on all the famous wrestler lists; however, no online searches found any proof the actually wrestled. That's not to say they didn't wrestle; their scuffler stories could be hidden in dusty library books, just not online.
Andrew Jackson (D), aka "Old Hickory," and John Tyler (I), aka "Young Hickory," are listed on all the famous wrestler lists; however, no online searches found any proof the actually wrestled. That's not to say they didn't wrestle; their scuffler stories could be hidden in dusty library books, just not online.
9. Ulysses S. Grant (R) – aka Unconditional Surrender Grant
Again, there were no hits substantiating the claim Grant was a scuffler beside the fact he would wrestle with his son and the Photoshopped picture of him as the World Wrestling Foundation Champion.
Again, there were no hits substantiating the claim Grant was a scuffler beside the fact he would wrestle with his son and the Photoshopped picture of him as the World Wrestling Foundation Champion.
8. Chester A. Arthur (R) – aka Elegant Arthur
The only evidence that Chester A. Arthur was a wrestler was found in The Magnificent Scufflers published in 1959 by Charles Morrow Wilson, which stated Arthur “was never much of a scuffler.” Not only is there little evidence Arthur was a wrestler; there's less evidence he was actually born in the United States. (Many believe he was born in Canada.) So whether or not he wrestled is as much up in the air as his citizenship.
The only evidence that Chester A. Arthur was a wrestler was found in The Magnificent Scufflers published in 1959 by Charles Morrow Wilson, which stated Arthur “was never much of a scuffler.” Not only is there little evidence Arthur was a wrestler; there's less evidence he was actually born in the United States. (Many believe he was born in Canada.) So whether or not he wrestled is as much up in the air as his citizenship.
7. Calvin Coolidge (R) - aka Silent Cal
Charles Morrow Wilson also wrote that Col. John Coolidge, father of President Calvin Coolidge, described his son as a "tolerable good" wrestler until around age 14 when he took to "duding around and daydreaming about being a big-city lawyer."
Charles Morrow Wilson also wrote that Col. John Coolidge, father of President Calvin Coolidge, described his son as a "tolerable good" wrestler until around age 14 when he took to "duding around and daydreaming about being a big-city lawyer."
6. Zachary Taylor (W) – aka Old Rough and Ready
He was a collar and elbow wrestler while an Illinois Volunteer and favored wrestling as an army sport.
He was a collar and elbow wrestler while an Illinois Volunteer and favored wrestling as an army sport.
5. George Washington (I) – aka The Father of our Country
Washington learned wrestling at Rev. James Maury’s Academy at Fredericksburg. At the age of 18, he held a "collar and elbow" wrestling championship that was at least county-wide and perhaps colony-wide. Almost thirty years later, at the age of 47, he dealt flying mares to seven consecutive challengers from the Massachusetts Volunteers.
Washington learned wrestling at Rev. James Maury’s Academy at Fredericksburg. At the age of 18, he held a "collar and elbow" wrestling championship that was at least county-wide and perhaps colony-wide. Almost thirty years later, at the age of 47, he dealt flying mares to seven consecutive challengers from the Massachusetts Volunteers.
4. Dwight Eisenhower (R) – aka Ike
Dwight D. Eisenhower is one of West Point’s most famous wrestling alumni with Gen. Omar Bradley and Gen. George S. Patton. Later as president, he practiced what his West Point wrestling coach told him - get up off the canvas with a smile.
Dwight D. Eisenhower is one of West Point’s most famous wrestling alumni with Gen. Omar Bradley and Gen. George S. Patton. Later as president, he practiced what his West Point wrestling coach told him - get up off the canvas with a smile.
3. Theodore Roosevelt (R) – aka Teddy
Roosevelt boxed and wrestled at Harvard. While governor of New York, he hired the American middleweight wrestling champion to coach him several times a week. Later, he turned to Japanese wrestlers for training.
Roosevelt boxed and wrestled at Harvard. While governor of New York, he hired the American middleweight wrestling champion to coach him several times a week. Later, he turned to Japanese wrestlers for training.
 Roosevelt's 1904 letter to his son, published in The Pittsburgh Press, December 10, 1919 |  Roosevelt's 1904 letter to his son, published in The Pittsburgh Press, December 10, 1919 |
2. William Howard Taft (R) – aka Big Bill
Taft was the heaviest wrestling president, competing at his “best weight” at 225 pounds. A fourth generation wrestler, he was the undergraduate heavyweight champion at Yale.
Taft was the heaviest wrestling president, competing at his “best weight” at 225 pounds. A fourth generation wrestler, he was the undergraduate heavyweight champion at Yale.
1. Abraham Lincoln (R) – aka Honest Abe
Abraham Lincoln wrestled a free for all style and was the wrestling champion of his county at age 21. His most well known matches were throwing hijackers overboard from his stepbrother’s river barge when he was 19 years old and beating the county wrestling champion when challenged to compete ten years later. Through a dozen years of wrestling bouts, he is only known to have only one recorded defeat.
Abraham Lincoln wrestled a free for all style and was the wrestling champion of his county at age 21. His most well known matches were throwing hijackers overboard from his stepbrother’s river barge when he was 19 years old and beating the county wrestling champion when challenged to compete ten years later. Through a dozen years of wrestling bouts, he is only known to have only one recorded defeat.
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