The Daily News on June 6, 1954, announced an unusual wrestling showdown. Following his only local loss, hypnotist Dr. Graham claimed it was a fluke and boasted that he could defeat “anybody or anything, any time and anywhere.”

Matchmakers put him to the test, arranging a match versus Black Jack, a 325-pound trained Canadian bear who had never been defeated (“not even accidentally”) and was known to use a “bear hug” technique rather effectively.

The match was set for three days later. Later reports indicate that Black Jack won; Dr. Graham was “a mild and subdued man when it ended.”

– “Way Back When in Warren County” is compiled by researchers at the Warren County Public Library and appears twice weekly in the Bowling Green Daily News. For more information about the library, visit warrenpl.org.