Little Demon Wrestles Tom Cannon

En el 33è aniversari de Joe Acton, Març 8, 1885, va lluitar contra el seu compatriota Tom Cannon en un partit de 2 de 3 caigudes a Sportsman Park de Nova Orleans, Louisiana. Acton i Cannon van tenir una llarga història junts.

Tots dos homes van néixer a Anglaterra a principis 1952. Cannon va néixer un mes més tard que Acton l'abril 19, 1852. Both men started wrestling in the 1870s. En 1881, Acton won the British Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling Championship by defeating Cannon. When Acton traveled to America to wrestle in late 1881, Cannon soon followed.

Acton’s nickname was the “Little Demon” because he stood 5’05” weighing only between 140 i 150 lliures. Despite his small size, he was able to defeat most of the large heavyweights of the day.

Cannon definitely had the size advantage at 5’10” i 175 pounds for this bout. Cannon looked even larger than his 175 lliures.

Jere Dunn promoted the match. Dunn secured Jack Dempsey the Nonpareil, the great middleweight boxing champion, as special referee. Despite the big name for special referee and the men’s storied careers, the match only drew a small crowd.

In the 19th Century, Greco-Roman wrestling and catch-as-catch-can wrestling were the dominant American styles. Catch-as-catch-can would eventually supplant all other styles by the 20th Century but Greco-Roman was still popular until the late 1890s.

Besides the dominant styles, there were multiple other styles such as Cornish wrestling with jackets, etc. Consequently, falls within matches were often contested in separate styles.

In this bout, the first fall was back hold, the second fall was catch-as-catch-can wrestling and the third fall was Greco-Roman wrestling. Cannon specialized in back and side hold wrestling, so he was thought to have the advantage in the first fall.

Cannon proved observers right, when he used his superior size to push Acton to the mat for the first fall in less than a minute. It was the only time his superior size would help him against Acton.

Acton seemed perturbed by Cannon’s fast fall. Acton started the second fall quickly. He was the aggressor throughout.

Acton caught Cannon’s leg forcing Cannon to sprawl out on all four to prevent being thrown. Acton moved to a leg and body hold but was unable to turn Cannon. Acton pushed on Cannon with his head but was unable to break his posture.

Acton let Cannon up but used the tactic to set up another hold. Acton secured an armlock and took Cannon back to the mat. Acton moved to a heel hold.

When Cannon escaped this move, Acton moved to a body hold. Cannon again escaped, so Acton applied an armlock. When Cannon was able to pull his arm back, Acton grabbed a neck hold. Fans were amazed at Acton’s ability to move from position to position with such ease chaining the movements together in a continuous offensive flurry.

Cannon finally scored a little offense by grabbing a leg hold on Acton. Però, Acton shook off the move. Cannon’s lone attempt at offense left him vulnerable to a counter. Acton grabbed Cannon’s head and neck. With a powerful twist of his hips, Acton flipped Cannon onto his back. Acton won the second fall at the 5 minute mark.

While there was no intermission between the first and second falls, a 10-minute rest occurred between the second and third falls. When the men returned to the mat, the Greco-Roman wrestling fall began in earnest.

Acton was again the aggressor and continued to chain positions together. Acton was unable to turn Cannon with a neck hold. Cannon briefly secured a body hold but Acton slipped out of his grip.

Acton flowed from a body hold to a neck and arm hold but had trouble pulling the larger Cannon off his steady pins. Acton finally pressed Cannon to the ground with an arm and body hold.

Cannon realized his perilous positions and began bridging with all his might. It took 2 minutes but Cannon’s neck muscles finally gave out. Acton secured the third fall and the match at 7 acta, 8 segon.

Because most matches lasted a long time, there were no other matches on this card. Promoters would begin scheduling 2 o 3 matches for cards in case the main bout was a short one like this contest. Acton and Cannon would continue to wrestle through out the 1880s.

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Sources: Times-Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana), Març 9, 1885 edition, p. 8 and www.wrestlingdata.com.

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