Joseph Acton

Infobox Wrestler
name=Joseph Acton

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img_capt=
names=Joe Acton
height=
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birth_date = March 8, 1852
death_date = death date and age|1917|06|26|1852|03|08
birth_place = England
death_place = Portland, Oregon, United States
resides=
billed=
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debut=1880
retired=|

Joseph Acton (March 8, 1852 - June 26, 1917 [ cite web |url=http://www.garywill.com/wrestling/decwres.htm |title=Gary Will: Deceased Pro Wrestlers - A Tribute to Mat Stars of the Past |accessdate=2007-06-18 |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Gary Will's Pro Wrestling History |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] ), known by his ringname "Little Joe" or "Limey Joe", was a British professional wrestler and world champion who competed in England and America during the late 19th century. Acton is one of a handful of wrestlers credited with introducing "catch-as-catch-can" wrestling (also known today as free-style), with its roots in old Lancashire wrestling, to the United States. Wrestling under the name Joe Acton, and nicknamed "The Little Demon," Acton was considered one of the top wrestlers of his era. Acton began wrestling in his native Great Britain during the 1870s defeating Tom Cannon to become the first World Catch-as-Catch-Can Heavyweight Champion on December 12, 1881. He toured the United States that same year facing several prominent wrestlers including Edwin Bibby, [ "A Big Wrestling Match Arranged". New York Times. 08 Jun 1882 ] Arkansas Heavyweight Champion Clarence Whistler, [ "The Garden In An Uproar.; An English Champion And The "Kansas Demon" Provoke Hurricanes Of Hisses." New York Times. 19 Dec 1882 ] and Matsada Sorakichi [ Bismarck Tribune. 20 Jun 1884 ] as well as several rematches against Tom Cannon and was widely regarded as the best wrestler in America by 1887, although he lost the American "catch-as-catch-can" championship bout to Evan "Strangler" Lewis on March 14, 1887 in one of the biggest matches of the decade. [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestlingclassics.com/wawli/REDUXNos.51-60.html |title=Lewis And Acton: The Strangler Finally Gets The Better Of His Famous Adversary |accessdate=2007-06-18 |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=1887-04-12 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Chicago Tribune |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

He would also face Australia bare knuckle boxer William Miller in a series of wrestling matches in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between March and July 1888 [ cite web |url=http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/WilliamMiller.htm |title=Cyber Boxing Zone: William Miller |accessdate=2007-06-18 |author=Callis, Tracy |authorlink= |coauthors=Mike Attree |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=CyberBoxingZone.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] as well as Bob Fitzsimmons in 1891. ["The Wrestlers.; Joe Acton Downs Bob Fitzsimmons at San Francisco. The Pugilist Secures One Fall, but the "Little Demon" Proves Too Much for Him in the Two Other Boats". Los Angeles Times. 28 Nov 1891 ] [ "Sporting Notes From Frisco" Washington Post. 20 Sept 1908 ] Although retiring sometime during the turn of the century, he did agree to several exhibition matches while a student instructor at [Multnomah Athletic Club] in Portland, Oregon. [ "Current Notes Picked Up From Sporting Arena" Washington Post. 20 Sept 1908 ]

In one of his final matches, at age 59, Action faced Tokugoro Ito in a jacketed wrestling match at the Grand Opera House in Seattle, Washington on May 11, 1911. Although he had previous experience in jujitsu-style fighting having faced British judoka Yukio Tanai in 1904, he lost to Ito in two bouts, in three and two minutes respectively. [ cite web |url=http://ejmas.com/jalt/2006jalt/jcsart_Svinth_0706.html |title=Tokugoro Ito |accessdate=2007-06-18 |author=Svinth, Joseph R. |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2006 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=InYo: Journal of Alternative Perspectives |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

Championships and accomplishments

*Dublin Collar & Elbow Championship (1 time)
*European Catch as Catch Championship (1 time) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/world/catch-h.html |title= World Catch-as-Catch-Can Heavyweight Title (19th Century) |accessdate=2007-06-18 |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]
*American Catch as Catch Championship (1 time) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/world/catch-h.html |title= World Catch-as-Catch-Can Heavyweight Title (19th Century) |accessdate=2007-06-18 |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

Further reading

*Zarnowski, Frank. "All-Around Men: Heroes of a Forgotten Sport". Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8108-5423-6

References

External links

* [http://www.bodyslamming.com/deceased/joeacton.html Deceased Superstars: Joe Acton]
* [http://genforum.genealogy.com/acton/messages/544.html Family tree records]