The biggest championship tourney in catch wrestling history was the 1908 Hengler's Circus Tourney in London, Great Britain. It had an open to the world status and featured the very best exponents of catch wrestling as well as of other wrestling styles such as Greco-Roman, Swiss Lutte Libre, German Ringen and Japanese Jiu Jitsu. My favorite American catch wrestler of the XXc Sam Anderson was among the heroes of that tourney. He was a runner up to the champion who was a legend of the XXc pro wrestling the father of All-in Wrestling Henry Irslinger of Austria himself. Few weeks after the end of this great tourney a similar international tourney also promoted by famous Wm Bankier was held in Manchester, Lancashire. This time Anderson was unstoppable he defeated all his opponents and became the first and only American wrestler who held the most coveted Champion Wrestler Belt of Lancashire. Upon his return to the US Anderson enjoyed the fame of being recognized by the top national pro sports authority The Police Gazette of NYC the undisputed champion wrestler of the world in his weight class (middleweight). It was him who passed the torch to Joe Turner in 1912, a man who remained the champ for decades and never lost his title. After losing his title Anderson retired from pro catch wrestling and became a freestyle/catch wrestling coach in Harvard University.
Sam Anderson with his Champion Wrestler Belt of Lancashire.
Great top class support for this event with the Earl of Lonsdale's family associated with Boxing and Lord Stanley heir of the Earl of Derby of the Derby horse race fame
Hengler's Circus was on the site of what is now the London Palladium.