Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Upcoming Event - Artur Petrosyan Interview

I will interview boxing gym owner and trainer Artur Petrosyan on Wednesday, December 28, 2016. The interview will be featured on an upcoming episode of our new podcast The Weigh-In. Artur is an Armenian National Boxing Champion, former professional fighter, and co-owner of Camelback Boxing Club in Phoenix, Arizona.

If you have any questions that you would like Artur to answer, please post them in the comments of this blog entry, or send them to me via Twitter @RevWarBuff23 and Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mwhistoryexperience

For more information on Artur Petrosyan, please visit the following websites:

Camelback Boxing Gym Page - http://www.camelbackboxinggym.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Camelback-Boxing-Gym-163396117188198/

BoxRec Page - http://boxrec.com/boxer/38345

MW


Monday, December 26, 2016

Upcoming Event - Sonny Gutierrez Interview

I will interview boxing gym owner and trainer Sonny Gutierrez on Tuesday, December 27, 2016. The interview will be featured on an upcoming episode of our new podcast The Weigh-In. Sonny runs Sonny's Boxing Gym in Goodyear, Arizona. 

If you have any questions that you would like Sonny to answer, please post them in the comments of this blog entry, or send them to me via Twitter @RevWarBuff23 and Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mwhistoryexperience

For more information on Sonny Gutierrez, please visit the following websites:




Thursday, December 22, 2016

Upcoming Event - Randy Neumann Interview

I will interview former professional boxer and referee Randy Neumann on Tuesday, January 10, 2017. The interview will be featured on an upcoming episode of our new biweekly podcast The Weigh-In. Randy currently serves as a certified financial planner (CFP) at Randy Neumann Wealth Management in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

Randy captured the USA New Jersey State Heavyweight Title on December 9, 1971 with a victory over Chuck Wepner. He worked as a professional boxing referee from 1983 to 2014, and refereed hundreds of matches featuring boxing legends such as Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Wladimir Klitschko, and many others.

If you have any questions that you would like Randy to answer, please post them in the comments of this blog entry, or send them to me via Twitter @RevWarBuff23 and Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mwhistoryexperience

For more information on Randy Neumann, please visit the following websites:

Randy Neumann Wealth Management Page http://www.randyneumann.com/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Randy-Neumann-Wealth-Management-166936240016388/

New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame Page http://www.njboxinghof.org/randy-neumann/

BoxRec Page http://boxrec.com/boxer/16069

Twitter - @RandyNeumannCFP

MW


Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Happy Holidays!

"Dear George, remember no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings, Love Clarence." - It's a Wonderful Life

Happy Holidays from Matt and Peter (aka the "Wets Bandits"... J/K!) at the Matt Ward History Experience Blog and Podcast!

The twelfth and final episode of the MWHE Podcast will be posted on January 1, 2017. This episode features my interview with historian and author David Petriello

Our podcast will return on February 1, 2017 in a new biweekly format. The Weigh-In will feature interviews that focus on the sport of boxing both past and present. Our first episode will feature my interview with former super middleweight boxing contender Frank Savannah. We look forward to another fun season of podcast episodes, and hope all of the MWHE readers and listeners will join us for our new show! 

Your Friends,

The MWHE/The Weigh-In Team 



Sunday, December 18, 2016

The Matt Ward History Experience Podcast - Episode #11

Check out the eleventh edition of The Matt Ward History Experience Podcast!



Episode #11 contains the following segment:
  1. The Weigh-In - Interview with boxing historian and author Gene Pantalone
You can check out Gene Pantalone and Madame Bey's: Home to Boxing Legends online via the following websites:

First and foremost I would like to thank my guest Gene Pantalone for sitting down to talk boxing with me. 

This episode would not have been possible if it had not been for the technical support of my good friend Peter Lloyd of One Stone Recording and Mastering. Pete mixed and cleaned up the original recordings into the great episode that you can now stream on SoundCloud and iTunes.

Last but certainly not least, I would like to thank all of my readers and listeners - Especially our friend JP Favara who supports the MWHE on Patreon

YOU can also support the MWHE on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4183621

The Matt Ward History Experience is brought to you by One Stone Recording and Mastering in New Brunswick, NJ. Check out One Stone Recording and Mastering for all of you mixing and mastering needs. Go to onestonerecording.com/mwhistory and receive 10% off your first session!




Friday, December 16, 2016

Upcoming Event - Frank Savannah Interview

The Matt Ward History Experience will interview former professional boxer, trainer, and New Jersey Boxing Hall of Famer Frank Savannah on Tuesday, December 20, 2016. This interview will be part of an upcoming episode of the blog's podcast. Frank Savannah fought professionally from 1991-1997, and retired with an impressive record of 15 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw.

If you have any questions that you would like Frank to answer, please post them in the comments of this blog entry, or send them to me via Twitter @RevWarBuff23 and Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mwhistoryexperience

For more information on Frank Savannah, please visit the following websites:

Trainer Page - http://www.nickcatonefitness.com/instructors/

BoxRec Page - http://boxrec.com/boxer/6089

New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame Page http://www.njboxinghof.org/frank-savannah/

MW


Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Article - Cambria Athletic Club

An article I wrote for the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's website PhilaPlace.org on the history of the Cambria A.C. in Philadelphia was published on their website this evening.

You can check out the article via the below link:

"Cambria Athletic Club" by Matthew Ward

http://www.philaplace.org/story/1888/

Enjoy!

MW

Monday, December 12, 2016

Upcoming Event - David Petriello Interview

The Matt Ward History Experience will interview historian and author David Petriello on December 18, 2016. This interview will be part of an upcoming episode of the blog's podcast. David Petriello is the author of a number of books including, A Pestilence on Pennsylvania Avenue: The Impact of Disease Upon the American Presidency and Bacteria and Bayonets: The Impact of Disease in American Military History.

If you have any questions that you would like David to answer, please post them in the comments of this blog entry, or send them to me via Twitter @RevWarBuff23 and Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mwhistoryexperience

For more information on David Petriello, please visit the following website:

Amazon Author Pagehttps://www.amazon.com/David-Petriello/e/B00MS9CAGS/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1481550042&sr=8-1

MW



Sunday, December 11, 2016

Article - Joe Frazier's Gym

An article I wrote for the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's website PhilaPlace.org on the history of Joe Frazier's Gym in Philadelphia was published on their website this evening.

You can check out the article via the below link:

"Joe Frazier's Gym" by Matthew Ward

http://www.philaplace.org/story/1879/

Enjoy!

MW


Tuesday, December 6, 2016

University of Maryland Terrapins Football

Maryland Stadium 
90 Stadium Dr.
College Park, MD 20742

The Matt Ward History Experience traveled to Maryland Stadium in College Park, Maryland for the sixth stop on the 2016 College Football History Tour. The University of Maryland Terrapins hosted the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights (New Brunswick, New Jersey) on November 26th.




The University of Maryland (then the Maryland Agricultural College) football team played their first season in 1892. The team went scoreless in all three of their games. The following season, the team went 6-0. For the first two decades of the team's history, Maryland primarily competed against local universities and high schools, including Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. 

In 1911, Harry "Curley" Byrd was named head coach of the team. Byrd held this position for more than two decades before being named the university president. Maryland joined the Southern Conference in 1921, where it remained for thirty years.

Maryland adopted their mascot the Terrapins, or Terps for short, during the 1933 season after a species of turtle that is native to the state of Maryland. Between the 1935 and 1946 seasons, the team had several head coaches including Frank Dobson and Paul "Bear" Bryant. 

Head coach Jim Tatum led the Maryland football team from 1947 to 1955. Under Tatum, the Terps had a series of successful seasons. During the 1949 season, Maryland was ranked 14th nationally and participated in their first bowl game. The team defeated Missouri in the Gator Bowl by a score of 20 to 7. Maryland Stadium was opened on September 30, 1950. From 1950 to 2015, it was known as Byrd Stadium after Harry "Curley" Byrd. 

Maryland was ranked third nationally in 1951 and defeated Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl. In 1953, Maryland and six other teams left the Southern Conference to form the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). During this season, Maryland also captured an ACC Championship and National Championship. In 1955, the Terps again captured an ACC Championship, and went on to lose to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. 


Maryland was nationally ranked again in 1973 under Head Coach Jerry Claiborne. During this season, the team was ranked 20th and was defeated by one point in the Peach Bowl by Georgia. The Terps were again ranked nationally from 1974-1976, and captured two ACC Championships in 1975 and 1976. In 1978, the Terps were ranked nationally for the last time under Head Coach Claiborne's tenure. That season #20 Maryland was blown out by Texas in the Sun Bowl. 

In 1982, Bobby Ross took over the head coaching duties for Maryland. From 1982 to 1985, the Terps had yet another run of successful and nationally ranked seasons. This run was highlighted with ACC Championships from 1983 to 1985, and victories in the Sun Bowl (1984) and Cherry Bowl (1985).


Former Maryland player Ralph Friedgen took over as head coach in 2001. During this season, Maryland captured its first ACC Championship since 1985. The team under Friedgen also went to be nationally ranked in 2002 and 2003, with victories in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (2002) and Toyota Gator Bowl (2003). Maryland also had bowl appearances in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010. 

In 2011, Randy Edsall was hired as head coach of the Terrapins. Edsall led the team to two bowl appearances in the 2013 Military Bowl and 2014 Foster Farms Bowl. The team was defeated in both games. Edsall was fired during the 2015 season. That year, a resolution was passed to remove Harry "Curley" Byrd's name from the stadium due to his past segregationist policies. The stadium was renamed Maryland Stadium.

As of 2016, the head coach of the Terps is former Michigan defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin. Following a 6-6 season, the team was selected to face Boston College in the Quick Lane Bowl on December 26th in Detroit. 

Below are a few more photos, along with two links with more information on the history of Maryland football:

http://www.umterps.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=208126655

http://www.nationalchamps.net/NCAA/database/maryland_database.htm

MW






Monday, November 28, 2016

Article - Saint Monica Parish and Tommy Loughran

An article I wrote for the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's website PhilaPlace.org on the history of Saint Monica Parish in Philadelphia and boxer Tommy Loughran was published on their website this evening.

You can check out the article via the below link:

"Saint Monica Parish and Tommy Loughran" by Matthew Ward

http://www.philaplace.org/story/1866/

Enjoy!

MW

Friday, November 25, 2016

Article - Veteran Boxers Association Ring One

An article I wrote for the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's website PhilaPlace.org on the history of the Veteran Boxers Association Ring One in Philadelphia was published on their website this afternoon.

You can check out the article via the below link:

"Veteran Boxers Association Ring One" by Matthew Ward

http://www.philaplace.org/story/1858/

Enjoy!

MW


Thursday, November 24, 2016

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

The MWHE Podcast is on iTunes!

The MWHE Podcast is now available on iTunes!

You can check out my podcast on iTunes via the following link:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/matt-ward-history-experience/id1178237076

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE!

The MWHE is also still available on SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/matt-ward-427598454

THANK YOU for your support!

MW


Monday, November 21, 2016

Waylon Jennings' Grave

Waylon Jennings' Grave 
City of Mesa Cemetery
1212 N. Center St.
Mesa, AZ 85201
(Near 9th and B Streets)

Waylon Jennings was a country music singer who was born on June 15, 1937 in Littlefield, Texas. Jennings began singing and playing the guitar at age of ten, and started performing professionally at the age of 12. In 1959, Jennings was playing bass guitar in Buddy Holly's backing band. He was supposed to be a passenger on the February 1959 flight that crashed and killed Holly, but he gave up his seat to J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. Singer Richie Valens was also killed in the crash. 

Jennings went on to work as a DJ for radio stations in Coolidge and Phoenix, Arizona. In 1961, he signed a record deal with Trend Records, and had success with his single "Another Blue Day". In 1963, he signed a contract with A&M Records. At A&M, he recorded a number of popular songs including, "Four Strong Winds" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right". His first solo album, Waylon at JD's was released in 1964 on the label Sound Limited. From 1966 to 1986, Jennings released numerous albums on the RCA Victor and RCA Records labels, including the popular 1974 album The Ramblin' Man featuring the hit single "I'm a Ramblin' Man". His first record on MCA Records, Will the Wolf Survive, was released in 1986. This was the first of four albums released on the label. 

Throughout his career, Jennings wore his trademark black cowboy hat and dark attire. These articles of clothing accented his dark hair, beard and mustache. 


From 1979 to 1985, Waylon Jennings performed the opening theme for the television show Dukes of Hazzard "Good Ol' Boys". He also served as the narrator for the series. 


Jennings teamed up with other country music legends including Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson. These four artists put out three albums as the Highwaymen between 1985 and 1995. 


Jennings' style of country music inspired many future artists including Travis Tritt and Charlie Daniels. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. He recorded over 60 albums, and had sixteen Number One country music singles.

Jennings suffered from diabetes throughout his later life. Complications from diabetes ultimately led to his death at age 64 in 2002. Jennings passed away in Chandler, Arizona and is interred in the City of Mesa Cemetery in Mesa, Arizona. Jennings' final album, Goin' Down Rockin': The Last Recordings, was released about ten years after his death in 2012. 



Below are three links with more information on Waylon Jennings and his grave site, along with a few more photos that I took of his grave in Mesa:

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/a-visit-to-the-grave-of-waylon-jennings-6615880

http://www.savingcountrymusic.com/a-visit-to-the-grave-of-waylon-jennings/

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/readers-poll-the-10-best-waylon-jennings-songs-20140616

MW





Wednesday, November 16, 2016

The Matt Ward History Experience Podcast - Episode #10

Check out the tenth edition of The Matt Ward History Experience Podcast!



Episode #10 contains the following segment:
  1. The Weigh-In - Interview with boxing historian and Editor-in-Chief of Philly Boxing History.com John DiSanto

You can check out John DiSanto and Philly Boxing History.com online via the following websites:

Philly Boxing History.com Page - http://www.phillyboxinghistory.com

Philly Boxing History.com Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/Philly-Boxing-History-114800752100/?fref=ts

Philly Boxing History.com Twitter - @phillyboxing

John DiSanto Twitter - @johndisanto


First and foremost I would like to thank my guest John DiSanto for sitting down at the Veteran Boxers Association Ring One to talk boxing with me. 

I would also like to thank the members of the band Replicant and my guest announcer Nigel Corning Browning for stopping by the One Stone Recording and Mastering Studio to be a part of this milestone episode. You can check out all things Replicant via the following link: 


This episode would not have been possible if it had not been for the technical support of my good friend Peter Lloyd of One Stone Recording and Mastering. Pete mixed and cleaned up the original recordings into the great episode that you can now stream on SoundCloud.

Last but certainly not least, I would like to thank all of my readers and listeners - Especially our friend JP Favara who supports the MWHE on Patreon

YOU can also support the MWHE on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4183621

The Matt Ward History Experience is brought to you by One Stone Recording and Mastering in New Brunswick, NJ. Check out One Stone Recording and Mastering for all of you mixing and mastering needs. Go to onestonerecording.com/mwhistory and receive 10% off your first session!

One Stone Recording and Mastering:




MW

Friday, November 11, 2016

Happy Veterans Day!

Happy Veterans Day to my brothers and sisters in arms, both past and present!

The second photo is a photo of yours truly at Kuwait Naval Base during my 2010-2011 deployment with the U.S. Army.

MW



Monday, November 7, 2016

Two Year Anniversary!

Two years ago, the Matt Ward History Experience launched!

Thank you to all of my readers, listeners, and podcast guests for your support!

Here's to many more years of the MWHE!

Cheers!

Your friend,

MW



Wednesday, November 2, 2016

University of Pennsylvania Quakers Football

Franklin Field 
235 S. 33rd St.
Philadelphia, PA 19104

The Matt Ward History Experience traveled to Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the fifth stop on the 2016 College Football History Tour. The University of Pennsylvania Quakers hosted the Brown University Bears (Providence, Rhode Island) on October 29th.





Founded in 1876, the University of Pennsylvania Quakers football team bills itself as "college football's most historic program." Over their long history, Penn has played in over 1,300 football games, more than any school in college football. Penn plays its home games at Franklin Field, the oldest stadium in football. The stadium was built in 1895, and once served as the home of the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles from 1958-1970. Franklin Field has also been the home of the Penn Relays, the oldest and largest track and field competition, since 1895.


Penn football has seven national championships (1894, 1895, 1897, 1904, 1907, 1908, 1924), and a 1917 Rose Bowl Game Championship. The Quakers defeated Oregon 14-0 on New Year's Day to capture this title. From 1938 to 1953, George Munger served as head coach of Penn football. Along with coaching some of the best players in the program's history, Munger compiled an outstanding record of 82-42-10.


The Quakers competed as an Independent until the 1956 season when they joined the Ivy League, a conference that they continue to compete in today. Penn captured its first Ivy League Championship in 1959. Penn has captured a total of 17 Ivy League Championships, with the most recent title coming in 2015 under head coach Ray Priore.


Penn football has had a number of notable players over the years, including 63 First Team All-Americans. John Heisman, the namesake for the annual trophy given to the best player in college football, graduated from Penn in 1892. Heisman played for the Quakers from 1890 to 1891, and coached the team from 1920 to 1922.


The Maxwell Award is given out to the collegiate player of the year. As of 2016, three Penn players have received this honor including Bob Odell (1943), Chuck Bednarik (1948), and Reds Bagnell (1950). Penn also has its share of College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame members, including Chuck Bednarik (Class of 1949) who was inducted in both halls of fame.




Below are a few more photos, along with two links with more information on the history of Penn football:

http://www.pennathletics.com/page/football-history

http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/features/sports/football/1800s/sources.html

MW