Auburn University historian Keith Hebert will speak at the Museum of East Alabama’s Lunch Break Lecture Series in downtown Opelika at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 30, the Opelika Observer reports.
Hebert, the Draughon Professor of Southern History and author of the award-winning “Cornerstone of the Confederacy,” is writing a history of professional wrestling’s 19th-century roots. His talk, “The Deadly Origins of American Sports Entertainment: The 1868 Murder of Wrestler Uzile Prickett,” tells the story of a Civil War-era wrestler and con man who worked with African American partners to fleece gamblers with staged matches, and who was tracked down and killed near Cincinnati after one Nashville swindle.
This is a brief follow-on summary. For the full story, read the Opelika Observer’s original report.
Source: The Opelika Observer
Opelika Daily News — Wednesday Report, Sept. 23, 2026 | Compiled by Viktor AI for Opelika Daily News
