Minneapolis, Minnesota: October 25, 1910 (Minneapolis Auditorium) … Henry Ordemann b. Charles Cutler to capture the vacant American Heavyweight Title (2/3) (Cutler won the first fall in 40:15, Ordemann took the second in 5:00, and Cutler was unable to continue the match due to a broken kneecap) … (referee: Frank Gotch) *On January 17, 1911 in Minneapolis, Ordemann was defeated in two-straight falls by Russian wrestler George Hackenschmidt. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Wednesday, February 1, 1911 (Minneapolis Auditorium) … Charles Cutler b. Henry Ordemann to capture the American Heavyweight Title (2-0) (Cutler won the first in 31:00 and the second in 7:00) Note: Ordemann was barred from using the toehold and was reportedly outclassed. *On February 10, 1911, Charlie Cutler reaffirmed his claim to the American Heavyweight Title in Chicago based on his victory over Ordemann. Ordemann, he explained, was the wrestler Gotch gave his title to. *On February 22, 1911, George Hackenschmidt, who was barnstorming all over the country, defeated Charles Cutler in two-straight falls at Denver. Chicago, Illinois: Monday, March 6, 1911 (The Coliseum) … Dr. B.F. Roller b. Charles Cutler to capture the American Heavyweight Title (2-0) (40:00, 13:50) (Roller capitialized on Cutler’s “weak knee,” and used toe holds to gain his falls) … Stanislaus Zbyszko b. John Lemm (2-0) … Samson b. Leo Pardello (2-0) … Henry Sutor b. Mike O’Grady … (promoter: Joe Coffey) … (4,000 fans) Notes: The Roller-Cutler match was advertised as the semifinal bout beneath the Zbyszko- Lemm affair and was not billed as being for the American Heavyweight Title. Sutor was billed as the Welterweight champion. The show was under the auspices of the Empire Athletic Club. Buffalo, New York: Saturday, March 25, 1911 (unknown arena) … Charles Cutler b. Dr. B.F. Roller to regain the American Heavyweight Title (2-0) (52:03, 12:12) Note: A newspaper report stated that Cutler “wins back mat honors,” and that this was a clean wrestling match. Des Moines, Iowa: Tuesday, November 7, 1911 (The Coliseum) … Jess Reimer b. Charles Cutler to capture the American Heavyweight Title (2/3) (Cutler won the first in 20:00, Reimer won the second in 27:20 and the third in 24:00) … (2,000 fans) Notes: After the match, Cutler proclaimed that Reimer was better than Henry Ordemann. The Des Moines News reported that Reimer was the American Heavyweight champion following this match. He was known as “Reimer” in Des Moines and as “Jess Westergaard” in other cities. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Thursday, December 14, 1911 (unknown arena) … Henry Ordemann b. Jess Reimer to capture the American Heavyweight Title (2/3) (Ordemann won the first fall in 57:35, Reimer took the second in 6:20 and Ordemann won the third in 20:45) Notes: The Des Moines News reported that “Reimer Loses Title,” after this bout. It was said to be a clean affair. Chicago, Illinois: Monday, March 25, 1912 (Globe Theater) … Charles Cutler b. Henry Ordemann to capture the American Heavyweight Title (2-0) (51:00, 19:00) … Walter Willoughby b. Ernest Kartje (2/3) … Paul Martinson and Illa Vincent drew (50:00, 45:00) (after wrestling 50:00, the two were given a break, and then continued for another 45-minutes) … (promoter: Joe Coffey) … (referee: Ed Smith) Note: Under the auspices of the Empire Athletic Club. *It is not known if Cutler lost a match (not counting any matches to Stanislaus Zbyszko) between this point and early 1913. He was said to be still claiming a championship by a Chicago newspaper in November 1912. *In a match to determine a new American Heavyweight champion, Jess Westergaard (Reimer) and Henry Ordemann were matched up with support from World Champion Frank Gotch. This new lineage has no ties to the Cutler championship. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Tuesday, January 7, 1913 (Minneapolis Auditorium) … Jess Westergaard (Reimer) b. Henry Ordemann to capture the American Heavyweight Title (2/3) (Ordemann won the initial fall in 24:00, Westergaard won the second in 19:00, and Westergaard was given the match when Ordemann was unable to continue due to torn ligaments in his arm) … (referee: Frank Gotch) … (3,000 fans) Dallas, Texas: January 22, 1913 (Orpheum Theater) … American Heavyweight Champion Charles Cutler b. Jess Westergaard to unify the latter’s claim with his own (2/3) (Cutler won the first fall in 33:00, Westergaard took the second in 10:00 and Cutler won the third in 10:00) Benton Harbor, Michigan: Friday, July 4, 1913 (House of David Baseball Field) … Dr. B.F. Roller b. Charles Cutler to capture the American Heavyweight Title (Cutler won the first fall in 20:20, Roller took the second in 13:14, and Roller won when Cutler was disqualified) … (promoter: Floyd FitzSimmons) … (referee: Ed Smith) … (announcer: Edd Epple) Notes: Roller was cheered and Cutler booed after the match. According to the Benton Harbor News-Palladium, this was the city’s “first wrestling match and it proved a thriller from the moment the two mat artists stepped into the ring.” During the third fall, when Cutler had “lost entire control of himself,” and was gripped onto Roller’s throat, the crowd surrounded the ring in anger. Also, Sheriff Franz and his deputies were making their way to the ring when the referee called the match, disqualifying Cutler. Smith called Cutler’s actions deliberate after the match. Cutler was accompanied by his trainer, Jack Coleman. The show began at 3:00 in the afternoon, but the Cutler-Roller match didn’t begin until around 4:40. The newspaper stated that the “bout was witnessed by one of the smallest crowds that ever appeared at the park,” and blamed the hot weather. There were two preliminary boxing matches. The newspaper called this a “championship contest,” and that the winner “will have the opportunity to meet Frank Gotch, present champion, on Labor day for the United States title.” A record breaking crowd was expected. Lexington, Kentucky: September 18, 1913 (Lexington Opera House) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. Dr. B.F. Roller to capture the American Heavyweight Title (2/3) (Roller won the first fall in 22-minutes, Lewis won the second in 58- minutes, and Lewis won when Roller was unable to continue) (Roller suffered a cracked rib in the second fall and had to forfeit) … (promoter: Jerry Walls) … (referee: Jerry Walls) Notes: Lewis weighed 202 to Roller’s 217. The results of the match were featured on the front page of the Lexington Herald. Lexington, Kentucky: October 21, 1913 (Lexington Opera House) … William Demetral b. Ed “Strangler” Lewis to capture the American Heavyweight Title Rock Island, Illinois: July 10, 1914 (unknown arena) … Dr. B.F. Roller b. William Demetral to capture the American Heavyweight Title (Demetral was unable to continue after 78:00, claiming he suffered a fractured rib) Manhattan, New York: Saturday, January 15, 1916 (Manhattan Opera House) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. Dr. B.F. Roller to capture the American Heavyweight Title … Wladek Zbyszko b. George Bayley (3:45) … Sulo Hevonpaa and Johnson drew (20:00) … (promoters: Samuel Rachmann, Jack Curley) … (referee: George Bothner) … (announcer: Joe Humphries) … (timekeeper: John J. Fleeson) Note: This was during the International Wrestling Tournament and Roller may have continued to claim the championship, citing that his loss was apart of the tourney, and not a championship match. Wilkes-Barre, PA: January 8, 1917 (unknown arena) … Wladek Zbyszko b. Dr. B.F. Roller to capture the American Heavyweight Title (2-0) (Zbyszko won the first fall in 54:12 and the second in 3-minutes) Note: Roller’s claim to the American championship is not very strong at this point, but it seems that he was putting over his longtime friend and manager’s (Jack Curley) star here. |
American Heavyweight Title |