17.08.2010, 18:45
Sporting Life, 31 March 1894
Great Wrestling Match at Liverpool
Tom Cannon vs. George Rasso for £ 200 and the Greco-roman championship
"Victory of Cannon"
"Last (Thursday) night Hengler’s Circus, Liverpool, was crowded with spectators, it being estimated that fully 5,000 were present. The occasion was the match, for £ 100 a-side and the Greco-roman Championship of the World, between Tom Cannon, of Liverpool, and of George Rasso, of Hamburg. Cannon’s performances are well known, but the following brief particulars of Rasso’s career will no doubt be read with interest. George Rasso was born in Hamburg on June 10, 1864. After serving his time in the German Army, having won all the prizes as an amateur in the military sports, in June 1890, he received an engagement at Bush’s Circus, Copenhagen, where he met and defeated all professional wrestlers. He afterwards went to Moscow, where he defeated the great Russian giant Gorakokoff. He travelled with the Salomonsky Circus during the season of 1891 through Germany, Austria and Hungary, and defeated all comers. In February 1892, he went to Constantinople and wrestled before the Sultan of Turkey, defeating three of his best wrestlers, and was presented by the Sultan, with a purse of money. His next match of importance was with the celebrated wrestler Carl Abs, whom he defeated in the presence of the King of Saxony, at the Victoria Theatre, in Dresden, on May, 14, 1893. In the same year, he defeated Emil Voss at Stettin. His last match was with the “terrible Greek” Antonio Pierri, at the Feenpalast, Berlin, on the 6th of January last, which he won after one hour and twenty-five minutes. Shortly after nine o’clock the men entered the ring, and after the conditions had been stated, best two out of three falls Greco-roman style, the men go to work. For some minutes, Rasso, who though not quite so heavily built as Cannon, stripped a muscular specimen of humanity, acted entirely on the defensive, but after being together for eight minutes, he began to show to advantage. Ultimately, he secured the first fall in exactly twenty minutes from the start, twisting Cannon over by means of the neck hold. On restarting, Cannon got to work in a determined manner, and although Rasso, at the expiration of five minutes nearly gained a fall, Cannon succeeded in pinning the Teuton down, the bout lasting 6 minutes, 30 seconds. He threw Rasso bodily, and falling on him, quickly pinned the German down. John Wilson officiated as referee, and Bob Lloyd as M.C."
Great Wrestling Match at Liverpool
Tom Cannon vs. George Rasso for £ 200 and the Greco-roman championship
"Victory of Cannon"
"Last (Thursday) night Hengler’s Circus, Liverpool, was crowded with spectators, it being estimated that fully 5,000 were present. The occasion was the match, for £ 100 a-side and the Greco-roman Championship of the World, between Tom Cannon, of Liverpool, and of George Rasso, of Hamburg. Cannon’s performances are well known, but the following brief particulars of Rasso’s career will no doubt be read with interest. George Rasso was born in Hamburg on June 10, 1864. After serving his time in the German Army, having won all the prizes as an amateur in the military sports, in June 1890, he received an engagement at Bush’s Circus, Copenhagen, where he met and defeated all professional wrestlers. He afterwards went to Moscow, where he defeated the great Russian giant Gorakokoff. He travelled with the Salomonsky Circus during the season of 1891 through Germany, Austria and Hungary, and defeated all comers. In February 1892, he went to Constantinople and wrestled before the Sultan of Turkey, defeating three of his best wrestlers, and was presented by the Sultan, with a purse of money. His next match of importance was with the celebrated wrestler Carl Abs, whom he defeated in the presence of the King of Saxony, at the Victoria Theatre, in Dresden, on May, 14, 1893. In the same year, he defeated Emil Voss at Stettin. His last match was with the “terrible Greek” Antonio Pierri, at the Feenpalast, Berlin, on the 6th of January last, which he won after one hour and twenty-five minutes. Shortly after nine o’clock the men entered the ring, and after the conditions had been stated, best two out of three falls Greco-roman style, the men go to work. For some minutes, Rasso, who though not quite so heavily built as Cannon, stripped a muscular specimen of humanity, acted entirely on the defensive, but after being together for eight minutes, he began to show to advantage. Ultimately, he secured the first fall in exactly twenty minutes from the start, twisting Cannon over by means of the neck hold. On restarting, Cannon got to work in a determined manner, and although Rasso, at the expiration of five minutes nearly gained a fall, Cannon succeeded in pinning the Teuton down, the bout lasting 6 minutes, 30 seconds. He threw Rasso bodily, and falling on him, quickly pinned the German down. John Wilson officiated as referee, and Bob Lloyd as M.C."