Memphis, TN: January 3, 1901
(Phoenix Athletics Club) … Louis Baptiste drew with Eddie Donnelly … (Boxing) Bobby
Dobbs drew with Kid Ashe (20 rounds)

New York City NY: January 4, 1901
Martin Julian reports receipt of a cablegram from his agent in Paris advising of the
imminent arrival of the "big wrestling Turk, Nouroulah," due to arrive here in two days ...
Immediately upon his arrival, Julian says he will deposit $500 as a forfeit and a side bet for
his man to meet the best in the lands, Pons, Jenkins, or Roeber preferred ... Nouroulah is
said to be six-feet-five and weigh 300 pounds in condition, at age 27 ... Julian claims that
Nouroulah has won all the European competitions over the past four years and that Pons
positively refused to make a match with him in Paris during the summer exposition of 1900.

Springfield IL: January 4, 1901
(Auburn Athletic Club, att. 2,000) ... (Mixed Styles) John J. Rooney beat Ali "Terrible Turk  
No. 2" (2-1) ... (plus boxing) ... NOTE: Rooney won both his falls at Graeco-Roman, the
Turk at catch.

Chicago IL: February 23, 1901
(Chicago A.A.) ... John Rooney beat James McWeeney (1-1, cnc) ... Jack Carey beat
Nelson Provost (2-0) ... NOTE: McWeeney won the first fall in 10:30 but Rooney "went at
him in tiger-like fashion in the second bout and, securing what is termed a foothold, twisted
McWeeney's left foot, causing the latter to shriek with pain. Rooney, however, continued
twisting until he secured a good arm and body hold and flattened McWeeney on his back"
in 6:28 ... McWeeney tried the third fall, but was in no condition to continue, and conceded
after just two and half minutes ... "The contest was without doubt the best seen in Chicago
in years and was strictly on the level." -- Chicago Tribune, Feb. 24, 1901 ... "The
entertainment opened with a neat bag-punching act by Charles Lavine."

St. Louis MO: February 23, 1901
Articles are signed for a finish match between Tom Jenkins of Detroit MI and Halil, the Turk
... George V. Tuohey for Jenkins and M. Charlson for the Turk agree the match shall come
off prior to March 11, probably here ... It is to be catch-as-catch-can, all holds allowable,
and pin falls only to count, best two of three, with the entire purse or a percentage of the
receipts to the winner.

Chicago IL: March 1, 1901
Tom Jenkins, who is appearing a downtown theater all this week, will meet John McWeeny
tonight, if the latter's leg, injured in his match with John Rooney, is improved enough to
permit him to go on.

St. Louis MO: March 8, 1901
Tom Jenkins beat Halil, the Turk (2-0)

Montreal QC: March 11, 1901
(att. 6,000) ... (Handicap) Paul Pons FTT "Little" (aka Dan McLeod) (five times in one hour;
no falls taken) ... NOTE: Pons weighed 270, McLeod 168

Chicago IL: March 13, 1901
Tom Jenkins, matched to meet John Rooney at Cleveland for $5,000, wired inquiring
whether Rooney would be ready to meet him on March 25 ... "Can't get ready before April
15," answered Rooney ... "Jenkins is the toughest proposition in the wrestling business,
and I want to be on edge when I meet him."

Chicago IL: March 13, 1901
Articles of agreement are signed for a catch-as-catch-can wrestling match between
MacDonald, the Canadian wrestler, and John Rooney of Chicago ... Conditions call for
best two of three falls, strangle barred, for $250 a side and a percentage of receipts ...
The match probably will take place at Springfield IL the latter part of this month or the first
week in April.

New York City NY: March 21, 1901
(Grand Central Palace) … Nouroulah beat Jim McWeeney (2-0) … The time of the falls
were 1:30 and 0:30.

St. Louis, MO: March 22, 1901
(catch) George Baptiste beat Peter Schumacher (2-0)

Louisville, KY: March 22, 1901
Adamson (Louisville) beat John Wille (2-1)

Chicago IL: April 3, 1901
George Siler reports in this day's Chicago Tribune that Martin Julian has written the
following to Charles Essig: "I will be in St. Louis with my Turk (Nouroulah) about April 22
and will then be prepared to match with Rooney. I will arrange to let Rooney stay any
length of time you suggest and will see to it that his reputation for future contests is not
injured." ... Siler says John Rooney, when shown the letter, responded: "Permit me to stay,
will he! How does he know he can throw me? I'll wrestle him Graeco-Roman style, strangle
hold barred, but it must be on the level, and the quicker he can put my shoulders on the
mat the better it will suit me, but you can bet I will keep him busy. Judging from the easy
manner in which he tossed McWeeney I guess he is a pretty tough Turk, but I'll give him a
game."

Alton IL: April 6, 1901
John J. Rooney vs Madrid Ali

St. Louis IL: April 8, 1901
(Exhibition Coliseum, att. 8,000) ... (Mixed Styles) Tom Jenkins beat Ernest Roeber (2-1) ...
NOTE: Jenkins won the first fall at catch in 25:30, Roeber evened things at Graeco-Roman
in 30:40, while Jenkins, getting his choice of catch-as-catch-can, finished off the match in
11:45 with a half Nelson and leg hold ... The sponsoring West End Club had on offer a
$1,200 purse.

Burlington IA: April 10, 1901
(Opera House) ... Martin (Farmer) Burns beat Oscar Wasem (2-1)

St. Louis MO: April 11, 1901
It is announced that Nouroulah -- "the big Bulgarian wrestler" -- and Charles Wittmer of
Cincinnati will meet at the Exposition Coliseum here on April 22 in a catch-as-catch-can
affair.

Chicago Tribune: April 12, 1901
George Siler reports the "Tom Jenkins-John Rooney championship wrestling match, which
was to have taken place at Cleveland on April 15, will probably take place at St. Louis on
April 22. Jenkins and Roeber drew a large crowd to their recent contest at St. Louis and
the West End club management of that city has made a liberal offer to Rooney to meet
Jenkins in St. Louis instead of at Cleveland."

Chicago Tribune: April 19, 1901
Jack Curley, local matchmaker for Carroll’s club, has matched Tom Cody and Harry Forbes
to fight twenty rounds at 122 pounds on May 6.

Omaha, NB: April 20, 1901
Farmer Burns beat Frank Coleman (2-1) … NOTE: Coleman secured the first fall in twenty
nine minutes with a half nelson and combination. Burns got the second fall in six minutes
with a half nelson and body hold and won the third fall and the match with a full nelson in
eleven minutes. Coleman weighed 155 and Burns 164 pounds.

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan: April 24, 1901
Farmer Burns beat Ole Marsh (of Decorah, Iowa) (3-2)

Brockton, MA: April 26, 1901
Harvey Parker beat Ronley Reakes (2-0)

Boston, MA: April 29, 1901
Harvey Parker beat Ernest Roeber (60:00, no fall) … NOTE: Roeber refused to continue
after the first hour, claiming his understanding was that the bout would end if no falls were
scored in an hour. The general understanding was that the men should wrestle until a fall
was taken.

Alton IL: May 2, 1901
John J. Rooney beat Bob McDonald (2-0) … The falls were 22:00 and 20:00, both with the
strangle hold … Promoter: John McAdams ... NOTE: For $250 side bet, best two of three,
catch, no holds barred ... McDonald claims to be "champion wrestler of Canada" ...
Summerfield & Essig are listed as Chicago agents for Rooney

New York City NY: May 7, 1901
(MSG) ... Tom Jenkins vs Nouroulah ... Referee: Charley White ... NOTE: Best two of three,
pin falls only to count, and all holds to go.

Burlington, IA: May 20, 1901
Oscar Wasem beat Monradaloup (1-1, alleged Turk refused to continue)

Fargo, ND: June 6, 1901
John J. Rooney beat Terrible Turk #2 (2-1, dq) … Turk won the first fall in eighteen
minutes and Rooney won the second in nine, both winning with half nelsons. The referee
awarded Rooney the third fall after fifteen minutes of account of the Turk using a strangle
hold.

Cleveland OH: June 11, 1901
(Central Armory) ... (Handicap) Tom Jenkins beat Tom Sharkey (two falls in one hour) ...
Referee: Matt Hinkle NOTE: Sharkey fell in a combined time of 39:45 in his first mat
appearance since quitting the fight game

Chicago Tribune: June 30, 1901
Veteran ring writer George Siler makes some cogent observations anent the mat game: "
... We have had wrestling matches wherein life and limb were in danger, but those
occurred in the long time ago. Bouts on the mat, purely on the level, have been few and
far between. That between 'Strangler' Lewis and the Jap, Sorakichi, at the Central Music
Hall, when Lewis almost succeeded in wrenching the Jap's leg from its socket, was for
keeps. The Lewis-Connors match in Pittsburgh about a dozen years ago, when both left
the mat 'bunged' up like a pair of fighters, was also on the level. So was that between
Yousoff and Lewis at Tattersall's, when the Turk (after being robbed of the purse)
strangled the 'Strangler' until he became black in the face. The press, however,
denounced those contests because of the brutality indulged in by the contestants. That,
however, is not why wrestlers handle one another with kid gloves at present. They've
learned by experience that a wrestling exhibition in which all the famous holds nad locks
are secured and successfully broken, and all the turns, twists, and head spins neatly
exhibited, are more pleasing and instructive to the general public. Such exhibitions should
be encouraged, provided the public did not get fleeced out of its money betting on the
results. A fake wrestling match, with its twists and turns, is a nice thing to witness but the
betting end of the game is bad and has been the direct cause of placing it in its present
deporable and suspicious condition."
++++

South Bend IN: July 1, 1901
John J. Rooney beat James McWeeney (2-1) ... NOTE: Billed as "the greatest wrestling
match that the West has ever seen" ... strangle hold barred, catch, best two of three for
receipts and a side bet of $250 ... Rooney is referred to as "the giant gripman" of Chicago
IL ... McWeeney is said to be a law student at Notre Dame ... Rooney wins the first and
third falls, each time with a half Nelson, in 14:00 and 21:20, outweighing the South Bender
by 20 pounds ... McWeeney used a half Nelson, too, to take the middle fall in 9:00 ...
Rooney thus claims to have earned a shot at champion Tom Jenkins

Cleveland OH: July 4, 1901
(Forest City Park, att. 5,000) ... Tom Jenkins beat Gus Johnson (of New York City NY) (2-0)

New York City, NY: July 9, 1901
(Madison Square Garden) … (G-R) Gus Ruhlin beat Bob Fitzsimmons (2-0) … (Att.-3,000)
… fall times were 14:34 and 12:37.

Worcester, MA: July 18, 1901
Hjalmer Lundin beat Tom Sharkey (4:50 of second bout)

Philadelphia, PA: July 20, 1901
(mixed styles) Tom Sharkey drew with Peter Maher … Neither boxer showed much ability
as wrestlers.

Buffalo NY: July 29, 1901
(Lyceum Theater) ... Dan McLeod beat Ed Atherton (of Portageville NY) (2-0)

Cleveland OH: July 29, 1901
(League Park) ... (Mixed Styles) Tom Jenkins beat Charles Wittmer (2-1) ... NOTE: The
match was billed as being for the "mixed styles championship" and involved a purse of
$1,500 ... Jenkins won the first fall in 15:28, Wittmer the second in 21:48 and Jenkins the
finale in 2:30.

Worcester MA: August 23, 1901
(Coliseum) ... (Handicap, Mixed Styles) Tom Jenkins FTT Hjalmar Lundin (twice in one
hour; Jenkins got a catch fall in 11:02) ... NOTE: Jenkins, billing himself as "champion
catch-as-catch-can wrestler of the world," was unable to pin Lundin with Graeco-Roman
rules in the remaining 48:58 of their hour on the mat.

Cleveland OH: September 1, 1901
The Southern Athletic Club of New Orleans LA has offered Tom Jenkins a purse to meet
"Professor" Schoenfeld in a handicap contest some time during the present month.

Rochester, NY: September 30, 1901
(Fitzhugh Hall) … (amateur) Max Wiley beat Farmer Davis

Cleveland OH: October 8, 1901
Tom Jenkins beat John Rooney (2-0) ... NOTE: Jenkins made the visitor submit to a
hammerlock in the second fall ... "Rooney weighed fully twenty-five pounds more than
Jenkins and claimed he had been unable to do any satisfactory training owing to the strike
in Chicago. Jenkins was in superb condition and ready for the contest of his life. After the
match Rooney challenged Jenkins for a return match." -- Chicago Tribune, Oct. 9, 1901 ...
Dan McLeod was at ringside and challenged the winner ... Tom Scanlon of the Central
Armory responded by putting up a $2,500 purse to pull off a Jenkins-McLeod match.

Cleveland OH: November 7, 1901
(Central Armory) ... Tom Jenkins beat Dan McLeod (2-1) … Butch Sarr beat Gouldin …
(Att.-6,000) NOTE: McLeod won the first fall in 39 minutes. Jenkins took fall two in fifteen
minutes. The final fall lasted nearly thirty minutes with Jenkins using a half nelson to win.
Jenkins was said to have won the championship of the world in this match.

Los Angeles, CA: November 20, 1901
Thiebaud Bauer, once world’s champion wrestler, but who is now insane, was committed to
an asylum today.

New Orleans, LA: November 21, 1901
(Southern Athletic Club) … (mixed styles) Tom Jenkins beat Charles Wittmer (2-1) …
(referee- Professor Otto Schoenfield) … NOTE: Jenkins won the first fall catch style in 28:
45. Wittmer took the second fall G-R in 29:40. Jenkins chose catch style in the final fall
winning in 9:11.

New York City, NY: November 22, 1901
(Lenox Lyceum) … (G-R) Ernest Roeber beat Nechad the Turk

Chicago Tribune: December 22, 1901
In a special dispatch from London ENGLAND, dated Dec. 10, 1901, Charles E. (Parson)
Davies writes, "Wrestling and boxing entertainments of a first-class nature are given under
difficulties in London. It is almost impossible to secure a suitable building in a desirable
location, as they are already secured for other entertainments many months in advance.
There is, however, a considerable revival of interest in the wrestling game. Jack Carkeek,
the well-known American wrestler, has been here several months, appearing in the
different cities at the principal music halls with considerable success. Recently at the Tivoli,
one of our leading London music halls, I was more than agreeably surprised to hear his
clever speech. He looked quite the swell in his evening dress. His remarks caught the
spectators, and his wrestling bout later on highly pleased the onlookers. Carkeek appears
to have improved physically and also in his work."

Chicago, IL: December 24, 1901
(Sam T. Jack’s theater) … (Handicap match) Harvey Parker vs Billy Hogan (15:00) …
NOTE: From December 22 through December 28, Parker met all comers


Research by J Michael Kenyon
Chicago Wrestling Results - 1901