Jenkins Makes Himself Top Contender

(This excerpt is from my newest book on the history of the American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship.)

Jenkins proved himself the top contender as soon as McLeod won the title. Të mërkurën, Nëntor 17, 1897, Tom Jenkins wrestled former title holder Martin "Farmer" Burns in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The men wrestled a best two-out-of-three-falls match according to catch-as-catch-can wrestling rules. Jenkins stood about the same height as Burns, but he outweighed him by twenty-five pounds. Jenkins weighed one hundred ninety pounds for this match.

While Jenkins and Burns had equal wrestling skills, Jenkins’ size and strength advantage proved decisive in this match.

The men stood in a tie-up for the first fifteen minutes before Jenkins used a single leg takedown to bring Burns to the mat. Jenkins secured a half-Nelson, which he used to try and turn Burns. Burns slipped out of the hold though.

Burns switched to Jenkins’ back but could not gain an advantage. Jenkins spun to Burns back and began working for a full Nelson.

Jenkins secured four full Nelsons in succession. Burns slipped the first three attempts, but Jenkins continued chasing the hold. After full locking in the full Nelson, Jenkins turned Burns’ shoulders to the mat for the first fall in twenty-nine minutes.

The wire services inaccurately reported Jenkins won the second fall in thirty-four seconds, but it was a misprint. Burns put up a good defense during the second fall.

After another extended tie-up, Burns tried for an arm lock, but Jenkins shook him off. Burns followed up with a hammerlock attempt but Jenkins powered out of this attempt as well.

After about thirty minutes, Jenkins lifted Burns off the mat. During the slam back to the mat, Jenkins secured an arm and crotch hold combination. Burns tried to bridge out of danger, but Jenkins pushed Burns’ shoulders into the mats at the thirty-four-minute mark.

Jenkins’ dominating win over “Farmer” Burns in two straight falls set him up as a top challenger for Dan McLeod’s title.

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Source: The Indianapolis News, Nëntor 18, 1897, p. 5

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