“Little Demon” Unable to Beat Whistler

Joe Acton bio je jedan od najboljih engleskih hrvača tijekom 19. stoljeća. 151-pound Acton went through England’s middleweight ranks before plowing through the heavyweights. After beating the best England had to offer including Tom Cannon, Acton decided to test his abilities in the United States.

Joe Acton settled in Philadelphia at Arthur Chamber’s Champions Rest during the summer months of 1882. Acton issued challenges to all wrestlers but only fellow countrymen Edwin Bibby and Tom Cannon would wrestle him. Acton beat both men handily. Acton je tada uputio nove izazove svakom američkom hrvaču.

Clarence Whistler, a Colorado professional wrestler, answered Acton’s challenge. The December 19, 1882 izdanje New York Sun provodi se u obzir borbe.

While Whistler only weighed 165 funti, he was a physical powerhouse. Whistler bi dao Williamu Muldoonu, koji je vagao između 190 i 200 funti, najteži mečevi njegove hrvačke karijere. Whistlerova neobična snaga držala je mnogo veći i moćniji Muldoon na odstojanju. Također je Whistlerova snaga bila ta koja bi Actonu zadala mnogo problema.

The match was setup for $1,000 a side and the “World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship” although a claim to this title would have been tenuous at best. Joe Acton was 30 godina, stood 5’05” and weighed 151 funti. He would probably be a featherweight in today’s mixed martial arts competitions.

Clarence Whistler was 28 godina, stood 5’07” visok i težio 165 funti. Whistler agreed to a two-out-of-three falls match with a fifteen minute rest period between falls. Edwin Bibby served as the referee for the match.

2000 gledatelji su se okupili u Madison Square Gardenu s uvjerenjem da će vidjeti dobar prikaz profesionalnog hrvanja. Like many combat sports bouts before and after, this match utterly failed to live up to the hype.

The men began the bout at 8:22 poslije podne. Joe Acton and Clarence Whistler tied up and strained against each other for the first eight minutes. Acton je konačno kliznuo iza Whistlera kako bi ga uhvatio za struk i ruku. Whistler immediately sprawled on all fours. As Acton gamely tried to turn Whistler with an arm and head hold, Whistler sprang back to his feet and disengaged from Acton.

Muškarci su ponovno izjednačili s Actonom koji je po drugi put uspio kliznuti iza Whistlera. Whistler se odmah spustio na sve četiri. Acton tried to turn Whistler again only this time, Whistler grabbed an ankle lock. Whistler stood to his feet and tried to use the ankle lock to flip Acton on his back but Acton immediately slipped free.

For the next hour, this scene was repeated over and over. Finally at 90 zapisnik, the men were given a two-minute rest. Acton was clearly frustrated with Whistler’s continued sprawling.

The men tied up again with the same result. Acton was ready to walk off the stage but his second Arthur Chambers reminded him that a $1,000 was at stake. The men tied up one more time without result. Na 1 hour and 55 zapisnik, Acton and Whistler agreed to a draw.

Ova odluka i nedostatak akcije razbjesnili su gomilu, koji je izviždao i siktao odluku dok su izlazili iz Madison Square Gardena. Whistler se nije uplašio reakcijom navijača. Izjavio je da bi se provlačio cijelu noć umjesto da je prepustio Actonu.

Obojica će se nastaviti natjecati u hrvačkom krugu. Whistler bi prerano umro u 32 years of age while on tour of Australia. Alcohol was considered a contributing factor in his death. Joe Acton would live until 1917, where he passed away at the age of 65 in Portland, Oregon, gdje je i umirovljen 1911. Počeo je trenirati hrvače nakon odlaska u mirovinu. He never returned to England.

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