*An international catch-as-catch-can wrestling tournament was scheduled to begin on
Monday, December 3, 1917 at the Lexington Theatre in Manhattan, New York.  Among
those who entered the tournament were World Champion Earl Caddock, Wladek Zbyszko,
Yussiff Hussane, Jess Westergaard, Dr. Roller, Demetrius Tofalos, William Demetral, and
Cyclone Burns.

Manhattan, New York:  Monday, December 3, 1917
(Lexington Theatre) … Wladek Zbyszko b. George Manich (2:27) … Dr. B.F. Roller b.
Tom McDermott (26:18) … Charles Pospishil b. Carl Busch (11:47) … Americus b. Harry
Stevens (13:37) … Joe Rogers b. Harry Vogel (4:27) … Sulo Hevonpaa and Ivan Linow
drew (20:00) … (promoter:  Jack Curley) … (announcer:  Joe Humphries)

Manhattan, New York:  Tuesday, December 4, 1917
(Lexington Theater) … Wladek Zbyszko b. Fred Pilakoff (20:15) … John Freberg b. Pierre
LeBelge (23:10) … Demetrius Tofalos b. Ed Delivuk (10:10) … Cyclone Burns and Tom
Draak drew … Carl Pospishil and Joe Rogers drew … Steve Savage b. Alex Thomas (4:
15) … (promoter:  Jack Curley) … (announcer:  Joe Humphries)

Manhattan, New York:  Wednesday, December 5, 1917
(Lexington Theatre) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. Charles Pospishil (18:01) … Harold
Christensen b. Carl Busch (9:48) … Sulo Hevonpaa b. Karl Vogel (18:10) … Joe
Malcewicz and Steve Savage drew (20:00) … John Heracia and Frank Leavitt drew (20:
00) … Americus b. Tom Draak (42:30) … (promoter:  Jack Curley) … (referee:  George
Bothner) … (announcer:  Joe Humphries)

Manhattan, New York:  Thursday, December 6, 1917
(Lexington Theatre) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. Frank Leavitt (12:00) … Alex Thomas b.
Harry Stevens (19:02) … Dr. B.F. Roller and Fred Pilakoff drew (20:00) … Cyclone Burns
and Demetrius Tofalos drew (20:00) … Ivan Linow b. Tom McDermott (18:40) … Harold
Christensen and John Freberg drew … Joe Rogers b. John Heracle (16:35) … (promoter:  
Jack Curley) … (referee:  George Bothner) … (announcer:  Joe Humphries)

Manhattan, New York:  Friday, December 7, 1917
(Lexington Theatre) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. Fred Pilakoff (14:12) … Joe Rogers b.
Pierre LeColosse (2:10) … Wladek Zbyszko b. Steve Savage (11:42) … Dr. B.F. Roller b.
Frank Leavitt (15:18) … Cyclone Burns b. Harry Stevens (16:35) … Americus and Pierre
LeBelze drew (20:00) … Sulo Hevonpaa and Joe Malcewicz drew (20:00) … (promoter:  
Jack Curley) … (referee:  George Bothner) … (announcer:  Joe Humphries)

Manhattan, New York:  Saturday, December 8, 1917
(Lexington Theatre) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. Sulo Hevonpaa (15:34) … Wladek Zbyszko
b. Hilmar Johnson (25:30) … Ivan Linow b. Carl Busch (12:40) (Busch suffered an arm
injury and was unable to continue) … Harold Christensen and Carl Pospishil drew (20:00)
… Cyclone Burns and John Freberg drew (20:00) … Tom Draak b. Karl Vogel (8:48) …
Pierre LeBelge b. Pierre LeColosse (default in 9:55) … (promoter:  Jack Curley) …
(referee:  George Bothner) … (announcer:  Joe Humphries)

Manhattan, New York:  Monday, December 10, 1917
(Lexington Theatre) … Yussiff Hussane b. Fred Pilakoff (7:59) … Dr. B.F. Roller and
Demetrius Tofalos drew (20:00) … Tom McDermott b. Ed Delivuk (14:30) … Harold
Christensen and Hjimar Johnson drew (20:00) … Alex Thomas b. Henry Vogel (10:50) …
Joe Rogers b. Harry Stevens (10:26) … Wladek Zbyszko b. Pierre LeBelge (7:13) …
(promoter:  Jack Curley) … (referee:  George Bothner) … (announcer:  Joe Humphries)

Manhattan, New York:  Tuesday, December 11, 1917
(Lexington Theatre) … Fred Pilakoff b. Frank Leavitt (9:02) … John Freberg and Charles
Posposhil drew (20:00) … Joe Rogers and Wladek Zbyszko drew (20:00) … Ed
“Strangler” Lewis b. Ivan Linow (1:16:40) … Yussiff Hussane b. George Manich (7:52) …
(promoter:  Jack Curley) … (referee:  George Bothner) … (announcer:  Joe Humphries)

Manhattan, New York:  Wednesday, December 12, 1917
(Lexington Theatre) … Wladek Zbyszko b. Harold Christensen (27:25) … Tom Draak and
George Manich drew (20:00) … Charles Pospishil b. Harry Stevens (11:16) … Fred
Pilakoff b. Tom McDermott (16:35) … Sulo Hevonpaa and Yussiff Hussane drew (20:00)
… Joe Rogers b. Pierre LeBelge (11:35) … Dr. B.F. Roller b. John Heracle (14:05) …
(promoter:  Jack Curley) … (referee:  George Bothner) … (announcer:  Joe Humphries)

Manhattan, New York:  Thursday, December 13, 1917
(Lexington Theatre) … Yussiff Hussane b. Sulo Hevonpaa (21:56) … John Heracle b.
Hans Assam (8:30) … Frank Leavitt and George Manich drew (20:00) … Pierre LeBelge
and Wladek Zbyszko drew (20:00) … Dr. B.F. Roller b. Charles Pospishil (14:56) … Ivan
Linow b. Fred Pilakoff (37:50) … (promoter:  Jack Curley) … (referee:  George Bothner)
… (announcer:  Joe Humphries)

Manhattan, New York:  Friday, December 14, 1917
(Lexington Theatre) … World Heavyweight Champion (catch-as-catch-can style) Earl
Caddock b. Dr. B.F. Roller (40:59) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. Pierre LeBelge (2:32) … Joe
Rogers b. Sulo Hevonpaa (12:35) … Yussiff Hussane and Wladek Zbyszko drew (20:00)
… Harold Christensen b. George Manich (15:42) … Tom Draak and John Freberg drew
… (promoter:  Jack Curley) … (referee:  George Bothner) … (announcer:  Joe
Humphries) … (large crowd in attendance) (biggest to date in tournament)
Note:  Earl Caddock made his New York debut.

Manhattan, New York:  Saturday, December 15, 1917
(Lexington Theatre) … World Heavyweight Champion (catch-as-catch-can style) Earl
Caddock b. John Freberg (45:15) (Freberg was a substitute for Tom Draak) … Ed
“Strangler” Lewis and Wladek Zbyszko drew (20:00) … Yussiff Hussane b. Fred Pilakoff (2:
20) … Sulo Hevonpaa and Charles Posishil drew (20:00) … Joe Rogers b. George
Manich (14:07) … Ivan Linow b. John Heracle (23:18) … (promoter:  Jack Curley) …
(referee:  George Bothner) … (announcer:  Joe Humphries)

Manhattan, New York:  Monday, December 17, 1917
(Lexington Theatre) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. Wladek Zbyszko when he was unable to
continue (1:24:33) … Harold Christensen b. Pierre LeBelge (13:48) … John Freberg and
Yussifff Hussane drew (20:00) … George Manich b. Frank Leavitt (20:22) … Charlse
Pospishil b. Sulo Hevonpaa (DQ) (22:45) … (promoter:  Jack Curley) … (referee:  George
Bothner) … (announcer:  Joe Humphries) … (3,000 fans)

Manhattan, New York:  Tuesday, December 18, 1917
(Lexington Theatre) … Wladek Zbyszko b. Joe Rogers (47:04) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b.
Dr. B.F. Roller (33:01) … Yussiff Hussane b. John Heracle (14:35) … John Freberg and
Ivan Linow drew (20:00) … Sulo Hevonpaa and Pierre LeBelge drew (20:00) …
(promoter:  Jack Curley) … (referee:  George Bothner) … (announcer:  Joe Humphries)

Manhattan, New York:  Wednesday, December 19, 1917
(Lexington Theatre) … Wladek Zbyszko b. Demetrius Tofalos (17:54) … Ed “Strangler”
Lewis b. Tom Draak (13:11) … Sulo Hevonpaa and Ivan Linow drew (20:00) … Dr. B.F.
Roller b. Pierre LeBelge (13 seconds) … John Heracle and Fred Pilakoff drew (20:00) …
(promoter:  Jack Curley) … (referee:  George Bothner) … (announcer:  Joe Humphries)

Manhattan, New York:  Thursday, December 20, 1917
(Lexington Theatre) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b. George Manich (5:37) … Dr. B.F. Roller b.
Fred Pilakoff (31:14) … Sulo Hevonpaa b. Henry Vogel (12:47) … Yussiff Hussane b.
Charles Pospishil (11:42) … Henry Fuerst b. Hans Assam (13:50) … (promoter:  Jack
Curley) … (referee:  George Bothner) … (announcer:  Joe Humphries)

Manhattan, New York:  Friday, December 21, 1917
(Lexington Theatre) … Dr. B.F. Roller b. John Heracle (13:12) … Wladek Zbyszko b. Fred
Pilakoff (15 seconds) … Cyclone Ress b. Kara Allah (23:00) … Ivan Linow b. George
Manich (21:28) … Joe Rogers b. Sulo Hevonpaa (14:10) … Ed “Strangler” Lewis b.
Demetrius Tofalos (8:23) … Harry Stevens b. Joe Samson (8:04) … (promoter:  Jack
Curley) … (referee:  George Bothner) … (announcer:  Joe Humphries)

Manhattan, New York:  Saturday, December 22, 1917
(Lexington Theatre) … Tournament Final … Wladek Zbyszko b. Ed “Strangler” Lewis (1:
47:37) … Tom Draak b. Henry Fuerst (14:30) … (promoter:  Jack Curley) … (referee:  
George Bothner) … (announcer:  Joe Humphries)

Research by Tim Hornbaker
August 13, 2010
New York City Results - 1917