Detroit tribune. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1933-1933, 1933-09-23
CROWN HEAD OF
GRUNT BRIGADE
SEEKS MATERIAL
Jack Nelson Anxious
To Train The
Youngsters

Tennessee has afforded the
country some great Negro athletes,
among whom are Bruce Buddy
Petway, Norman Turkey Stearnes.
Joe Hewitt. Dixie Kid. Jumping
Joe Virgins and many others.
And now Tennessee steps for
ward with another athlete in a line
OF sport entirely different from
that of the above mentioned ath-
letes.. Jack Nelson is the name of
the athlete and he is wrestler.
Nelson halls from Beal ST.. in
good Old Memphis town And il
was there, on the banks of the
Mighty Mississippi. that he learned
the fundamentals OF the groan ana
grunt game.
Man Of Many Names
This was back in late l920's. In
the succeeding years, when the big
cfellow who an ers to
the BLACK Panther" Black
Bear" " Dark Flash "Bearcat, :"
and other euphonius appellations,
had become proficient in his craft,
the wanderlust struck him and he
began 10 roam about the country.
seeking matches with other arti-
sans OF the craft
Thus it was that Nelson arrived
in Toledo when that bustling little
burg was in the midst OF wrest-
ling tournament TO decide "A colored
heavyweight champion OF the UNI
VERSE. Without any hesitation Nell
son filed his entry.
When the last grunt and groan
had been waited to the remote raft
ers of the big stadium. Nelson was
astriAe Raymond Laraux. Montreal
am the referee was tapping him OF
the shoulder to inform him that TIT
gold belt. emblematic OF tn
| Worlds colored heavyweight cham
pionship. This was In 1880.
This championship tournament
was sponsored by the Terminal Ath
letic Club OF Tpledo and under the
auspices of the National Wrestling
hletic club. OF Toledo and under the
Association. Nelson is one of the
seven Negroes holding membership
in the association.
AS the road traversed by cham
pions is cluttered with obstacles.
il was no surprise when the cham
pion bumped into a tough mem
Der of the craft on a certain night
in Windsor and saw his champion
ship bauble wrested from his
grasp.
Regains Title
But the stalwart Nelson was not
satisfied with the decision. demand
ing another chance with Jack
Sampson. In the return bout Mel
his title.
In the INTERVENING years since
son clamped several of his favorite
leg splits on Sampson and regained
first vaulting to national promin-
ence in the butt and slap game.
Nelson has met some Of the best of
the craft. Jimmy Logas. Fred Kop-
fer, Pat Fraley, Ted Saroff. JIM
my Stevenson, Ellie Love. Benny
Stefanski, Bob Green. Frank Tay-
lor, Douglass Mercel. Jack Con-
way. c. Marnoff. Red Lyons, Paul
Orth. AL Steink. Elmer Guthrie.
Orval Grubaugh. Jack Brown Vic
tor Basinski. hive winehed under
the pain of Nsisou's repertoire Of
holds.
Nelson Nho. towers above 6 fee:
and scales 100. IL powerfully
bully and versatile. His speciality
is the leg split and double reverse
armlock He is also an exponent
OF the shoulder slam. His mat YER
satility. coupled with his grimac-
ing ability, make him one OF the
best attractions in the game.
At present Nelson is located at
the Arena Gardens in Detroit, where
he is training wrestlers. II is his
ambition to organize a group OF
youngsters and drill them in the
fundamentals of the game. II Is
Nelson's belief that there are Just
as good wrestlers as there are
fighters in the group.