As a professional wrestler, he claimed the American Heavyweight Championship by defeating Evan "Strangler" Lewis in 1895 and held the title for two years, during the time when contests were legitimate.

Growing up amidst the Civil War, Burns was exposed at an early age to the sport of wrestling, which was a preferred activity among the soldiers while stationed in camp.

Consequently, the sport's popularity further increased during the 1860s, and many historians also speculate that the added interest may be due to the fact that President Abraham Lincoln had himself been a wrestler in his younger years.

However, while these men focused on brute strength, Burns spent much time meticulously perfecting the strategies and techniques of catch wrestling, which is a grappling style where various holds and tactics are used with the intent to either submit or pin both opponent's shoulders to the ground at once.

By 1880, Martin Burns had developed a formidable reputation; and at 19, he wrestled his first match against a professional grappler when he battled David Grafft to a 2-hour and 19 minute draw.

The next challenge was Burns's much-awaited rematch against Evan “Strangler” Lewis, who was now the reigning Catch-as-Catch-Can Heavyweight Champion, having defeated Joe Acton on March 14, 1887.

However, fifteen minutes proved not enough time for Lewis to throw Burns; and again, the unknown “Farmer” was declared the winner and was subsequently lauded as a wrestling hero the next day in Chicago newspapers.

However, Burns became known as the master of the pinfall, as he perfected the art of trapping his opponents’ shoulders to the mat while contriving such dangerous maneuvers as the full and half-nelson, hammerlock, double-wrist lock, chicken wing, and a variety of submission toe holds.

Farmer Burns soon encountered the renowned Sorakichi Matsuda, who is regarded as Japan's first-ever pro wrestler, and who had been a top challenger to World Wrestling Champions William Muldoon and Ernest Roeber during the previous decade.

He opened a gymnasium in Rock Island, Illinois, in 1893, and helped to establish schools that enlightened young grapplers to the world of catch wrestling.

Burns would then mold Gotch into perhaps the greatest wrestling champion of all time, as he defeated George Hackenschmidt in 1908 to claim the undisputed World Heavyweight Title.

Other big names he personally trained included Rudy Dusek, Joe Malcewicz, Emil Klank, Jess Westergaard, Fred Beell and Jack Sherry.

In 1914, Burns published a 96-page mail-order course entitled The Lessons in Wrestling and Physical Culture, which incorporated breathing techniques, calisthenics, stamina exercises, and Eastern martial arts principles, thus becoming the bible for all aspiring wrestlers during the early 1900s.