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The Belgian Goliath
Laurent Gerstmans was a powerful Belgian heavyweight who made his way to Britain for a just two high profile bouts. Laurentius Gerstmans had been born in Antwerp on 26th February, 1885.
His amateur credentials were without question and in 1912 he wrestled in the Greco Roman heavyweight competition of the Stockholm Olympic Games, losing both his matches, to the Swede Gustaf Lindstrand and Finland’s Emil Backenius.
There are records of Gerstmans in the professional ring just two months after the closing ceremony of the Stockholm Olympics. But this wasn’t wrestling. The website BoxRec.com lists the pro boxing debut of Laurent Gerstmans on 26th September, 1912, when he knocked out another Belgian, Danges. Just two more professional boxing matches are recorded.
In the 1920s Gerstmans established himself as one of the top Belgian wrestlers, equalled only by Constant LeMarin. The Huddersfield Daily Examiner reported that in 1920 Gerstmans defeated the Japanese jiu jitsu master Mikinosuke Kawaishi, who would later wrestle in Britain under the name Matsuda. In February 1922 he made his debut in the United States when he pinned John Grandovichin just over ten minutes.
When he came to Britain in 1933 to wrestle Douglas Clark at the Headingley Rugby League ground in Leeds Gerstmans was billed as European heavyweight champion. Local and regional newspapers did a splendid job at building up the drama of the match, with precise details of telegrams received from Belgium, training arrangements and profiling the two combatants.
The date was set for 3rd July, 1933.
The match, scheduled over six ten minute rounds, was billed as the All-In Heavyweight Championship of the World. It was a perfect summer’s night, with men discarding their suits to watch in tennis shirts and flannels. Even at this late stage there was drama in the summer evening’s air. Master of Ceremonies Ben Green announced Gerstman’s refusal to wrestle unless he received his share of the purse money, £175, in advance. Arrangements were hastily made and the money was handed over to Gerstman’s manager.
There is little doubt that of the ten thousand fans that went through the turnstiles of Headingley Stadium were, to a man, there to witness the crowning of Douglas Clark, as World champion. Gerstmans was a formidable opponent, of similar height but around three stones heavier than Clark. For a man of nineteen stones Gerstmans was very nimble. Gerstmans was the more aggressive of the two and much of the match saw Clark on the defensive. Even Clark’s famous cross buttock and scissors hold failed to make an impression on the powerful Gerstmans.
Six ten minute rounds passed without either man gaining a fall. “A draw” declared, Fred Davis.
A week later the Yorkshire Post announced arrangements had been agreed for Laurent Gerstmans and Douglas Clark to meet again on July 24th at Fartown, Huddersfield.
This time the bout was both more fierce and of much shorter duration. Gerstmans failed to match Clark on this occasion and succumbed to a knockout after six minutes of the fourth round.
Be of no doubt, though, that Gerstmans was by any means outclassed. He opened aggressively with a spectacular throw of Clark across the ring. Again he forced the pace of the match and was the quicker of the two men. Speed and power were enough to give Gerstmans the first fall in the second round.
Clark equalised with a pinfall in the following round, leaving the two men equal as they went into round four.
The promise of an unlimited number of rounds came to nothing in round four . Escaping from a toe hold Clark kicked Gerstmans in the stomach with his foot. Germans was propelled through the ropes and was counted out by the referee. Plans for further matches between the two men, in both Huddersfield and Antwerp, came to nothing.
Laurent Gerstmans died on 3rd April, 1955.
Page added 31/03/2024
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