Throughout the 1910s, and into the early '20s, Sheridan was a significant wrestling town with the likes of Farmer Burns, Mike Yokel and Clarence Eklund appearing regularly. Grover Titus was a well known wrestler out of Laramie, Wyoming in 1914 and was looking for a bout against Mike Yokel. He trained at Sheep Mountain, where his brother Leroy had a ranch. In the Sheridan Enterprise (6/25/1914), featherweight wrestler Billy Lynn of Hardin, Montana issued a challenge to B.J. Finn. Lynn weighed 128 pounds. In February 1920, George McLeod was claiming to be the World Middleweight wrestling champion. He was training in Casper and hoping to wrestle Denver jiu-jitsu wrestler Professor Takahashi soon. One writer said that if the two were to meet, it was sure to be a "thriller." George McLeod promoted wrestling in Casper in 1921. The Rawlins (WY) Wyoming Reporter newspaper (Tuesday, July 22, 1924) reported that last Saturday, the Eyer Brothers of Rawlins faced off with two wrestlers from the Snapp Brothers Exposition Shows and both siblings were able to stay the allotted time with the pros. The champion of Snapp Brothers show made many comments about the Eyer Brothers, which angered many of the people in attendance. It was claimed that the referee gave the local boys the advantage, which was denied. Mr. Kells was the referee. The Snapp Brothers were set up at the city camping grounds. In 1925, Doc Reid promoted wrestling in Cheyenne. He planned a show on October 6 with "Sailor" Jack Lewis headlining. Lewis was said to be a "heavyweight champion on the Pacific Coast." Reid signed him to wrestle "Toots" Mondt. Mondt and Dave Rutz, another grappler on the show, were both from Greeley, Colorado. Mondt beat Jack Lewis in Cheyenne on Tuesday, October 13, 1925, taking two-of-three-falls. Reid scheduled his next program for November 2 with Lewis wrestling Joe Bruno, who claimed the Polish wrestling championship of New York City. Bruno reportedly came to the United States three years earlier and wanted a match with Ed Lewis. On March 14, 1934, a Denver woman wrestler named Mabel Stance lost to Curley Lewis of Cheyenne in a bout in the latter city. Lewis won the only fall in seven minutes with a body pressure hold. They both weighed 140 pounds. Research by Tim Hornbaker May 13, 2011 |
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