The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-11-17
HIGH SPOTS IN
WRESTLING HISTORY
Professional Wrestling Popular in the
United States Past 81 Years
Lewis Holds Worlds Title.

Professional wrestling has been a pop
ular sport in the United States the past
- years, and owing to the strong hold
il has OH the sporting public, especially
since Ed ("Strangler) Lewis won the
championship, a review of the mat cham
pions will be Of interest to the younger
generation of fans and viii recall to the
older fans the famous wrestling stars OF
early days.
The first tournament for professional
wrestlers in this country was held March
10. 1870, at Detroit. collar and elbow
style, for the championship belt and II
gold purse. James II. Mclaughlin was
Mclaughlin caught fast man june
%, 1876, at Detroit, when he met James
H. Martin for the championship and
81 coo before a large crowd. The match
ended in draw after the men had
urestled five hours without a fall. On
Oct. is Mclaughlin won a match and
81 600 from Martin in New York.
Wrestling took a boom Dec. %
James Owens, 4 husky young wrestler,
beat Mclaughlin for the championship
and $1,000
In 1877 Owens held the collar and
Martin at New York May % for 1000.
On Sept. 10 at Boston, he won from
Charlie Murphy and purse of $500.
During 1888 John Graham bested Clar-
ence Whistler, mixed style. The big
match of the year took place at Boston
Dec. 3 when Fl. Nj. Dufur beat John
AlcMahon for the collar and elbow
and $4,000.
The season of 1884 opened at Detroit
Jan. 81 when Mclaughlin beat Dufur
two cut of three falls. collar and elbow
and $1,000
Catch-as-catch-cnn wrestling became
most popular in 1900, when Gotch de-
feated Duncan Mcmillan. On Jan. %.
1904, Gotch defeated Tom Jenkins and
won the American championship. losing
it in 1905 to Tom jenkins. In 1906
GOtch defeated Jenkins and on Dec. /.
1906. Gotch was defeated by Fred Beel
at New Orleans On Dee II, the same
City, Mo. and again won the American
In 1908 Gotch won the worlds heavy
weight championship from George Hack
cnschmidt in Chicago April 3. He re
tired in 1913.
came to the front. In 1915
Ed t"Strangler") Lewis and Joe Stecher
wreStled two-hour draw. In 1916
Lewis and Stecher wrestled a five-hour
draw at Omaha. The same year Lewis
won the international catch-as-catch-can
in New York. Lewis proved
TO be 4 revelation in the science of
30 of the foremost European and Ameri-
can wrestlers.
Lewis originated the famous deadlock.
which experts declare rs be the most
effective and terrible hold ever invented
by any wrestler.
In 1913 Lewis defeated Joe Stecher.
Earl Caddock, Wladek Vhrszko. John
Pesek and many other leading heavy
weights.
In 1920 stanislaus Zbyszko returned
from Europe and defeated Joe Stecher
Earl Caddock and all leading grapplers
IN 1920 Zbyszko defeated Lewis in New
York city for the championship. On
March 3 Xbyszko and Lewis again wres-
tied at Wichita. Hans, and Lewis was
returned the winner. In May, 1922,
ltabe kaukmann, promoter of the Cen
tral Athletic club at Kansas CITY.
again matched Lewis and ZhySzko for
the worlds championship at Kansas
'lty. the club Offering beautiful $4,000
diamond championship belt to the win
ner. Lewis won two out of three falls
and has since successfully defended the
title.