Wrestling Heritage

Most of the catch wrestlers were really small chaps and the heavyweight class didn’t really exist; any wrestler who was at least 10st of weight was considered a heavier division.

There were just a couple of big and heavy men in this profession, one of whom was Sam Hurst who was destined to become the champion pugilist of England, but he started as a pro wrestler…this does remind me of Primo Carnera’s championship run.

Hurst was big and slow, who could not do much of what the smaller guys did in ring, yet he had to somehow learn to entertain the people who paid to go watch him wrestle, hence – the double-ear was a most logical solution. This hold in fact is as old as the wrestling show is!

“The betting at starting being 5 to 4 on Hurst. The contest having finished in a very unsatisfactory manner to many parties, a brief notice of it here must suffice. After struggling with each other for about an hour and twenty minutes, Heywood accused Hurst of laying hold of his ears, which be properly maintained was unfair. Upon this the referee was appealed to…”
(New York Clipper, 6 November 1858).

MANCHESTER WEEKLY TIMER, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1858.
GREAT WRESTLING MATCH FOR £100. There was a very numerous attendance on Monday last, at the Copen-hagen Race Ground, to witness a match between Daniel Heywood, of Hollinwood, and Samuel Hurst (alias Infant), of Stalybridge, to wrestle Lancashire fashion, catch as catch can, two back falls out of three. Mr. Ralph Bayley, was chosen referee. The betting was 5 to 4 on Hurst. At two o’clock the men entered the arena and at once commenced notion. After pulling and hauling each other for some hour and a half, Hurst commenced catching his opponent by the ears, to which Heywood strongly objected and appealed to the referee, who tried to arrange, matters between them, but failing to do so at once left the ground, and thus ended the affair for the first day. Yesterday both men again appeared on the ground, but Heywood would not wrestle any more on account of the injuries he had received the previous day. The referee at once gave his decision that Hurst should receive the whole of the stakes. Mr. Holden accordingly handed them over to him at once.”