Jenkins’ ve Beell's Closed Door Match

Tom Jenkins had the distinction of being the only wrestler to defeat Frank Gotch multiple times. Jenkins and Gotch traded the American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship between 1902 ve 1906. At the time of this match, Jenkins was the champion again.

Fred Beell had been campaigning for a match with Jenkins for months. Beell finally convinced Jenkins to meet him but not in the way he thought the bout would occur.

An exceptionally talented but small heavyweight Beell defeated good wrestlers, but they were just under the level of Gotch and Jenkins. A victory over Jenkins would take Beell to the next level.

Beell’s biggest weakness, despite his powerful build, was Beell stood only five feet four inches, ve tartılmıştır 165 lira. Jenkins was similarly muscled but stood five feet, on inç boyunda ve tartılmış 210 lira.

Instead of a match in an arena, which Beell expected, the men wrestled in a New York City gymnasium. 100 VIPs and sporting men paid to watch the private match. The bout was 2-out-of-3-falls for $1,000.00 bir taraf.

Beell participated in worked matches, but this match was a contest. The contest taxed the strength and endurance of both men.

The men wrestled on a mat, which abutted the wall of the gymnasium. After 2 hours of wrestling without an advantage for either man, Jenkins secured a half-Nelson as both men were near the corner of the wall.

Jenkins worked to turn Beell, when Beell was able to reverse out of the half-Nelson. Jenkins was momentarily off-balance allowing Beell to toss Jenkins with a head and arm chancery. Beell scored the first fall shocking Jenkins.

The quick fall forced Jenkins out of his lethargy. Jenkins grabbed the smaller Beell and threw him bodily against the wall along the mat. Beell landed on his head. The impact knocked Beell senseless. Jenkins grabbed a half-Nelson and turned Beell for the second fall at 1 minute, 13 saniye.

Beell refused to withdraw even though he was obviously concussed. Jenkins mercifully slammed Beell right after the referee restarted the match and pinned Beell in less than a minute. Jenkins could have roughed up Beell, but Jenkins did not have any animosity towards Beell despite all the public challenges.

Tom Jenkins lost the title back to Gotch months later and went into semi-retirement. The U.S. Army’s Military Academy at West Point appointed Jenkins to the position of physical education and self-defense teacher. Jenkins wrestled sporadically after his appointment.

Beell continued wrestling until 1919. Frank Gotch was in Beell’s future in a result that surprised fans and newspaper reporters.

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Source: Spokane Chronicle (Spokane, Washington) Haziran 10, 1905 baskı, p. 5

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