BIG MAHMOUT EXPOSES FAKERS IN WRESTLING
Originally Published In The Seattle Times, January 1, 1911, Page S1.
The wrestling trust seems to be on the way to busting. In Chicago, the garden of roses for all the wrestling gents, the fans are beginning to see that they have been made fools of in paying their good money to see all those prearranged contests.
Some entertaining facts have been divulged in the negotiations for a match between Mahmout, the Turk, and Zybysko, the Pole, and the most interesting is the fact that in the last three years there have been but three matches in Chicago that were on the square.
One was the Hackenschmidt-Gotch match, which as an exhibition was the worst ever seen. But it was honest. Another with a taste of squareness was the Mahmout-Americus contest, on fall of which was on the level. The other square bout is not exactly known.
The information comes with the declaration of Mahmout, the Turk that he is going to reform; that he won’t stand for fixings any more; that he is going to wrestle honestly or not at all.
In a square match it is proposed that Mahmout should throw Zybyszko twice in one hour for a real purse and real side bet, the best man win. And yet Zybyszko, in his exploitation by the wrestling trust, beat the Turk.
With the three square matches in the last three years Chicago is more favored than most cities that might be mentioned, one of which is not very far from the soldiers’ and sailors’ monument.
It is safe to say that 99 per cent of all wrestling matches where an admission fee is charged and where professionals take part have been prearranged before the men shake hands. Many have even trained together – those that made any show of training. The hitting and biting in the matches, the kicking, the calling of foul, vulgar names, the threats, the falls from the stage, the challenges from the audiences – all those things are the little jokers used to stir up the maddened crowd. It does little harm and it makes the game “good,” say the wrestlers.
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