Presidential Fight Club
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Presidential Fight Club

James Early and Scott Rank
Historians have ranked U.S. presidents on leadership, economic management, and pursuing justice, but they have never asked themselves which one could beat up all the others. This show will change that. Hosted by two history professors—James Early and Scott Rank—this is an NCAA-style tournament in which all presidents fight each other one-on-one until there is one champion. You'll see Barack Obama fight William Howard Taft (who literally weights twice as much), Abraham Lincoln try to knock the wooden teeth out of George Washington, and several other rumbles among the commander-in-chiefs.

James and Scott narrate each of these 44 fights by comparing the physical abilities of each president, military experience, and special abilities that would help them win. Did they have combat training? Were they generals? Were they ex-wrestlers? The presidents are also ranked how well they would do in hand-to-hand combat at about the age of 35 (no, FDR won’t be fighting as a polio-riddled man in a wheelchair).
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Midwest Regional 4- Abraham Lincoln vs. Grover Cleveland
July 11, 2018 - 7 min
Abraham Lincoln vs. Grover Cleveland  
Midwest Regional 3- Barack Obama vs. William Howard Taft
July 10, 2018 - 6 min
Barack Obama vs. William Howard Taft
Midwest Regional 2- Warren G. Harding vs. William McKinley
July 9, 2018 - 7 min
Warren G. Harding vs. William McKinley
Midwest Regional 1- Grover Cleveland vs. Benjamin Harrison
July 8, 2018 - 8 min
Grover Cleveland vs. Benjamin Harrison
Western Regional 1- Richard Nixon vs. George W. Bush
July 7, 2018 - 6 min
Richard Nixon vs. George W. Bush
Western Regional 2- Ulysses S. Grant vs. Bill Clinton
July 6, 2018 - 8 min
Ulysses S. Grant vs. Bill Clinton
Western Regional 3- Lyndon B. Johnson vs. Herbert Hoover
July 5, 2018 - 9 min
Lyndon B. Johnson vs. Herbert Hoover
Western Regional 4- Dwight D. Eisenhower vs. George W. Bush
July 4, 2018 - 8 min
Dwight D. Eisenhower vs. George W. Bush
Western Regional 5- Zachary Taylor vs. Ulysses S. Grant
July 3, 2018 - 9 min
Zachary Taylor vs. Ulysses S. Grant
Western Regional 6- Ronald Reagan vs. Lyndon B. Johnson
July 2, 2018 - 11 min
Ronald Reagan vs. Lyndon B. Johnson
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Meet Your Hosts
Meet Your Hosts
James is an Adjunct Professor of History at San Jacinto College in Pasadena, TX. He has published one book and two scholarly articles. He is also the cohost (with Scott Rank) of the Presidential Fight Club, Key Battles of the Civil War, Key Battles of the Revolutionary War, and Key Battles of World War I podcasts.
Meet Your Hosts
Scott Rank is the host of the History Unplugged Podcast and a PhD in history who specialized in the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey. Before going down the academic route he worked as a journalist in Istanbul. He has written 12 history books on topics ranging from lost Bronze Age civilizations to the Age of Discovery. Some of his books include The Age of Illumination: Science, Technology, and Reason in the Middle Ages and History’s 9 Most Insane Rulers.. Learn more about him by going to scottrankphd.com.
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