“Baserritarrak” Burns Puts in a Full Night

Urtean 1899, Martin “Baserritarrak” Burns was transitioning into the role of part-time wrestler and full-time trainer. Bat his most famous pupils would be Frank Gotch, who Burns defeated a week after this match. Burns was 38 years-old and had lost his American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship two years earlier.

Burns blended both roles on a very busy December night in Sioux City, Iowa. Astelehenean, Abendua 11, 1899, Burns was booked to wrestle “The Terrible Turk 2”, Morad Ali, in a 2-out-of-3 falls match. The first fall would be contested in Greco-Roman wrestling, the second fall would be contested in catch-as-catch-can (catch) wrestling and the third fall style determined by coin toss.

Burns also accepted challengers from the crowd and gave a wrestling seminar. Burns signed on for a full night.

“Terrible Turk” was a common gimmick in America at the end of the 19th Century and beginning of the 20th Century because of the success of the original “Terrible Turk”, Yusuf Ismail.

I’m not familiar with Morad Ali, who likely adopted the gimmick after Ismail left America in 1898. Ismail tragically drowned when the French ocean liner, SS La Bourgogne, collided with another ship off the coast of Novia Scotia. 549 passengers, including Ismail died, when the ship sank.

Burns met Morad Ali at Sioux City’s Grand Opera House. Ali weighed 228 libera, while Burns weighed his typical 168 libera.

Ali must have had some skill in Greco-Roman wrestling. After 9 minutu, Ali secured a half-Nelson on Burns. He used the hold to turn Burns to his back for the first fall.

The next fall was in Burns’ specialty, catch wrestling. Burns grabbed a Full Nelson but Ali slipped out. Burns immediately transitioned into a half-Nelson and hammerlock combination. The hammerlock can injured the shoulder, so Ali was forced to turn onto his back to avoid injury. Burns won the second fall in 2 minutu.

The third fall involved the men trading half-Nelsons until Burns locked Ali up with his half-Nelson and hammerlock combination. Burns won the third fall and match after 20 minutes of back and forth wrestling.

After winning the match, Burns offered to wrestle anyone in the crowd. Burns would pay $25, if anyone could survive 15 minutes with him. Scott Miller, a local Iowa wrestler, accepted the challenge. Wrestling defensively, Miller actually lasted 16 minutes as the timekeeper “accidentally” let it go one minute too long. Miller was $25 richer and may have become one of Burns newest students.

Burns also gave a wrestling seminar prior to the wrestling match. Using his brother Tom, which was almost certainly not his brother but one of his students, Burns demonstrated a Greco-Roman wrestling side hold, a collar and elbow tie-up, and Cornish wrestling holds. Burns also demonstrated some of Evan “Strangler” Lewis’ submission holds and how Burns neutralized them in their 1895 title match.

Fans certainly got their money’s worth. Burns won a match, lost a challenge and taught a seminar all in one night. The Trainer of Champions was a busy bee.

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Source: The Courier (Waterloo, Iowa), Abendua 13, 1899 edition, p. 9

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