Some old old newspaper wrestling reports

Vince135792003

A guy called Karl Stern who I guess you could call a wrestling historian spent a long time compiling all the newspaper results done on wrestling since it was first reported in the US.

Anyway he gave up and has sent all of it to Bryan Alvarez at figure four and is beginning to post more of them up.

I just thought I'd post a few. I think they're pretty entertaining. They come from various newspapers and I just picked out the most bizarre ones:

New York City: May 24, 1901
(Academy of Music) ... (graeco-Roman) Ernest Roeber beat Nouroulah (foul) ... (Att.-3,000)
Note: The Turk was to throw Roeber three falls in 1 hour. After 26 minutes, Nouroulah grabbed Roeber below the waist and sat on his face. Referee O’Donnell was unable to get Nouroulah off. A policeman entered the ring to get the Turk off his foe. The referee disqualified him as holds below the waist are not allowed in graeco-roman contests. Roeber can now go around the country as the only man to defeat Nourolah, and the later will sail back home.

San Francisco, California: May 22, 1894
(Central Park) … (man vs beast) Sandow beat lion Commodore (who was muzzled and had boxing gloves on his paws) Sandow lifted the lion and swung him around, but it was of no avail.


MAT FAN UNAWARE HE SHOT HIMSELF
(Associated Press, Friday, May 26, 1950)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- An Erie, Pa., wrestling fan was so intent on last night's bouts at Public Hall that he didn't know he'd shot himself in the leg until another spectator pointed to the blood.

William Jost, Jr., 29, an Erie used-car dealer, said a small automatic pistol he carried in his coat pocket went off when he arose to let latecomers past him to their seats. But, he said, he didn't know he had a flesh wound in his right calf until another spectator pointed to blood on his trouser leg.

Post said he drove here from Erie especially to see his favorite wrestler, Don Eagle, a 23-year-old grappler who won the American Wrestling Association championship in a bout with Frank Sexton of Columbus.


Just some smaller bits from various reports:

-Nouroulah, the big Turk, or Bulgarian, or whatever kind of pagan he may be, set the stamp of his 350 pounds on a novice name McWeeney with so little trouble that only two minutes of actual work were necessary for the two falls.

-William Muldoon and Ernest Roeber facing all comers this week. Jake Kilrain boxes and Sebastian Miller smashes rocks with his fists.

-Brooklyn, NY: December 6, 1892
(Turn Hall) ... amateur negro boxing matches including a 4 man battle royal

Mr.Nice Guy

Vince135792003 wrote:

After 26 minutes, Nouroulah grabbed Roeber below the waist and sat on his face. Referee O’Donnell was unable to get Nouroulah off. A policeman entered the ring to get the Turk off his foe. The referee disqualified him as holds below the waist are not allowed in graeco-roman contests. Roeber can now go around the country as the only man to defeat Nourolah, and the later will sail back home.

I would have expected Roeber to retire after that.