Ernst Roeber reclama un títol vacant

Quan William Muldoon es va retirar com a campió mundial de lluita grecoromana de pes pesat 1889, no hi havia cap successor preparat per al campionat. Evan “Estrangulador” Lewis va ser el millor lluitador dels Estats Units sense el nom de William Muldoon, però la seva especialitat era la lluita lliure de catch-as-catch-can. El millor lluitador grecoromà nord-americà, Clarence Whistler, had died in Australia during 1885.

Muldoon’s handpicked successor was German-born Ernst Roeber. Muldoon had trained Roeber for several years and thought he would be the perfect successor. Però, the American public was slow to adopt Roeber as the new champion.

Inicialment, Roeber was billed as the American Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion. En 1892, Roeber was matched against Monsieur Apollo, the current European Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion. I believe Apollo was actually Louis Uni, a French wrestler. He wrestled as both Apollon and Apollon le Colosse. Apollon was in the United States during 1892.

I’ve not been able to verify that Apollon was the European Champion, però. His billing could have been a promotional tactic to solidify Roeber’s credentials as a World Champion.

Al juliol 25, 1892, Roeber met Apollon at the Academy of Music in New York for the vacant world title. The match was scheduled for 2 out of 3 cau. The match itself was relatively short.

Apollon secured a body lock and threw Roeber in 5 acta, 47 segon. After the typical 15 acta, Roeber returned the favor by throwing Apollon in 5 acta, 6 segon.

At a fall apiece, the third fall would decide the match. After only 2 acta, Apollon claimed his side hurt and he could not continue. Apollon then ran off the stage. Roeber was declared the World Heavyweight Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion. Or was he?

The fans and pundits don’t seem to have bestowed this recognition on Roeber. When he wrestled Evan “Estrangulador” Lewis for the undisputed American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship in 1893, Roeber was still billed as the American Heavyweight Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion.

The odd end to the match obviously hurt his claim. Instead of defeating him cleanly, Apollon retiring from the match so strangely probably put the stench of a “hippodrome” or worked match on their meeting. Even though most matches in this era were contests, I also wonder if this match was not a work.

While William Muldoon would have liked to see his protégé as the World Champion, the fans determine whether a hand-picked successor was accepted or not. The promotor or manager couldn’t make it happen despite their best efforts.

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Sources: El Los Angeles Times, Juliol 26, 1892 edition, p. 1 and Wrestlingdata.com

 

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