Ernst Roeber Mengklaim Judul Kosong

Ketika William Muldoon pensiun sebagai Juara Dunia Gulat Yunani-Romawi Kelas Berat di 1889, tidak ada penerus kejuaraan yang siap. Evan “Pencekik” Lewis adalah pegulat terbaik di Amerika Serikat yang tidak bernama William Muldoon tetapi spesialisasinya adalah gulat tangkap-tangkap-kaleng. Pegulat Yunani-Romawi Amerika terbaik, 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. However, the American public was slow to adopt Roeber as the new champion.

Mulanya, Roeber was billed as the American Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion. Di 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, namun. His billing could have been a promotional tactic to solidify Roeber’s credentials as a World Champion.

Pada tanggal 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 falls. The match itself was relatively short.

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

At a fall apiece, the third fall would decide the match. After only 2 menit, 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 “Pencekik” 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: The Los Angeles Times, Juli 26, 1892 edisi, p. 1 and Wrestlingdata.com

 

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