Jenkins Schools Roeber
Wrestling fans know Tom Jenkins as Frank Gotch’s toughest opponent and a multiple time American Heavyweight Wrestling Champion. In 1899, Jenkins was campaigning for a match with current American Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Dan McLeod. To further boost his chances of securing a match with McLeod, Jenkins wrestled Ernst Roeber at the League Ballpark in Cleveland, Ohio on Tuesday, July 4, 1899.
William Muldoon hand picked Ernst Roeber, a Greco-Roman wrestling specialist, to succeed Muldoon as World Heavyweight Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion in 1889. However, the fans did not recognize Roeber as world champion. Roeber did claim to be the American Heavyweight Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion, which the fans did recognize until Evan “Strangler” Lewis defeated Roeber in 1893.

Tom Jenkins, who went 3-3 with Frank Gotch in competitive matches (Public Domain)
Six years later, fans and newspaper reports considered Roeber a solid, nationally known contender. If Jenkins could defeat Roeber, the victory would help establish Jenkins as a top contender for the American title.
The men wrestled a best two-out-of-three-falls match under catch-as-catch-can wrestling rules. Jenkins stood six feet tall and weighed 185 pounds. Roeber stood five feet, nine inches tall and weighed 180 pounds. Newspaper reporters noted that Jenkins looked to be the much bigger man.
6,000 fans filled the ballpark to see the match. The referee started the match at 4:15 p.m. The men wrestled on a mat near home plate not in a wrestling ring.
It took Jenkins two minutes to take Roeber to the ground. Jenkins put three quarter-Nelsons on Rober. Roeber slipped all three attempts and stood back to his feet.
Jenkins took Roeber back to the mat, applied a half-Nelson, and turned Roeber to his back. Roeber bridged until Roeber was able to stand back to his feet.
Jenkins and Roeber went back to the mat and traded positions a handful of times. Jenkins tired of trading spots and switched to a leg hold. Jenkins nearly submitted Roeber before Roeber escaped the hold. Jenkins applied a crotch hold and half Nelson to pin Roeber in twenty-nine minutes, fifteen seconds.

Ernst Roeber, William Muldoon’s handpicked successor (Public Domain)
At the start of the second fall, Roeber tried rough tactics. Jenkins shrugged off the rough tactics and took Roeber back to the mat. Jenkins stayed in the top position except for one mistake. Jenkins tried to force Roeber over but slipped. Roeber nearly pinned Jenkins, who scooted out of danger.
Jenkins nearly submitted Roeber with a hammerlock, but Roeber rolled out of it. Jenkins applied a full Nelson before switching to a half-Nelson and crotch hold. Jenkins released the crotch hold, switched to the arm lock with the half-Nelson that Jenkins never released. Jenkins pinned Roeber at fifteen minutes, four seconds. Jenkins won the match in two straight falls.
Jenkins was set up as the top challenger to Dan McLeod. How long would McLeod make Jenkins wait for a title match? You can read about Jenkins’ title reigns in Shooting or Working? The History of the American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship.
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Sources: The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio) July 5, 1899, p. 6