Mahmout Beats Jenkins in Straight Falls

On Thanksgiving in America, Thursday, November 26, 1908, Yussouff Mahmout wrestled former American Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Tom Jenkins at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Mahmout recently to the United States to wrestle Frank Gotch for the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship.

If Mahmout defeated Jenkins, Mahmout would prove to be a bona fide challenger to Gotch. Jenkins was the only wrestler to defeat Gotch more than one time in their historic series of matches.

At the time of this match, Jenkins had been semi-retired for three years. Jenkins took the position of self-defense instructor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Jenkins was 36 years old compared to Mahmout’s 30 years of age.

Jenkin at his peak wrestled at about 196 pounds. Jenkins weighed 220 pounds for this match. Mahmout weighed 199 pounds.

The contest started slowly as Mahmout and Jenkins tugged on each other for seven minutes without an advantage. Mahmout finally threw Jenkins to the mat. Jenkins laid on his stomach and did not allow Mahmout to turn him on the mat. Jenkins stood back to his feet.

Mahmout tried for a stranglehold. The referee warned Mahmout that Mahmout could not use the illegal hold.

At around the twenty minutes, Jenkins struck Mahmout twice with a palm strike. The referee warned Jenkins about striking Mahmout.

Around the thirty-minute mark, Mahmout took Jenkins to the mat with a crotch hold. Mahmout could not pin Jenkins with the crotch hold, so Mahmout switched to a three-quarters Nelson. Mahmout pinned Jenkins at thirty-two minutes, forty seconds of the first fall.

After a fifteen-minute intermission, Mahmout secured a waist hold and slammed Jenkins face first to the mat. Jenkins tried to stand back up, but Mahmout slammed Jenkins heavily with a body hold.

After trying to turn Jenkins, Mahmout switched to a hammerlock and turned Jenkins to his back. Realizing his precarious position, Jenkins tried to bridge to prevent the pin.

Despite Jenkins’ bridge, Mahmout pressed his body into Jenkins chest eventually pinning Jenkins at seven minutes, thirty seconds of the second fall. Mahmout won the match in two straight falls.

Even though Jenkins was not the champion wrestler of old, Mahmout’s dominant performance earned Mahmout the title shot with Frank Gotch. It was yet to be seen if Mahmout could defeat the dominant world champion.

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Sources: The New York Times (New York, New York), November 27, 1908, p. 6

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