Ian Douglass (MSJ2006)

“Gentleman Jack and Rough Rufus: The Rise of Black American Wrestling” is a biography by Ian Douglass (MSJ ’06) about two Black professional wrestling pioneers that doubles as a socio-historical account of the development of an identifiable Black pro wrestling style between 1930 and 1960. Douglass covers the unforgettable rises and tragic downfalls of Jack Claybourne and Rufus Jones in microscopic detail, and in a way that enables readers to clearly identify the historical importance of both figures within the broader context of the professional wrestling landscape. Moreover, readers will be able to plainly see how the influence of the two athletes continues to be evident nearly 100 years after both wrestlers made their in-ring debuts.