Campagnes de Browning au Kansas

Dans 1922, le futur champion du monde de lutte des poids lourds Jim Browning a commencé sa carrière au Kansas. Browning a quitté sa ville natale de Vérone, Missouri in 1921 s'entraîner pour une carrière de lutteur professionnel. Tom Law, la Wichita, Promoteur du Kansas, a supervisé la formation de Browning.

By May 1923, Browning était déjà dans l'événement principal lors de plus petits spectacles. Sur une Augusta, Carte du Kansas, Browning wrestled Jack Roller in a best 2-out-of-3-falls match. Roller actually won the first fall in 36 minutes with an armbar.

Browning took over the match after the first fall. He won the next two falls with the leg scissors. It took him 10 minutes to win the second fall. Roller was a little harder to defeat in the third fall. It took Browning 14 minutes to apply the leg scissors for the third fall.

Browning used a number of different holds and didn’t really specialize in one finishing hold. Cependant, his successful use of the leg scissors drew comparisons to past and future World Champion Joe Stecher. Fans and reporters started referring to Browning as “Young Stecher”. The nickname stuck for several years.

Browning was bigger than Stecher and was a large heavyweight for the day. He stood 6’03” et pesé 215 livres. Browning was a lean, muscular young wrestler the fans could get behind.

It wasn’t all success for the young prospect though. On June 22, 1923, Browning a lutté “Sailor” Jack Lewis. Browning had previously defeated Lewis in March 1923. This rematch was the undercard of a Dick Daviscourt-Taro Miyaki main event in Wichita. It was a tough match for Browning.

In what may have been an accident, Lewis kicked Browning under the chin near the ropes. Browning fell through the ropes. Ringside spectators said Browning’s head struck the floor.

Whether it was a bad fall from a worked spot or a stiff kick, Browning appeared legitimately injured. The referee stopped the match. Browning was reportedly semi-conscious for 30 minutes after the fall.

Five days later on June 27th, Browning recovered enough to wrestle Charles Jenkins of Emporia, Kansas for the chance to meet Kansas Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Alan Eustace. Law scheduled the match for Eureka, Kansas.

Jenkins won the first fall in 58 procès-verbal. Browning took the second fall in 26 procès-verbal. Neither man was able to win the third fall before the 2-hour time limit expired. Law was disappointed with the small crowd, not an uncommon occurrence in the summer months.

It was obvious by his early wins and wrestling in the main event on smaller cards that Tom Law had big plans for Jim Browning. It is doubtful at this time, if either man knew how big a star Browning would become one day.

You can leave a comment or ask a question about this or any post on my Page Facebook ou Profil Twitter.

Sources: The Augusta Daily Gazette (Augusta, Kansas), Mai 8, 1923 édition, p. 1, Herrington Times (Herrington, Kansas), Mars 22, 1923 édition, p. 3, Wichita Daily Eagle, Juin 23, 1923 édition, p. 3 and The Eureka Herald (Eureka, Kansas), Juin 28, 1923 édition, p. 1

Pin It