Giant Wrestler Fails On Boast

Coos Bay OR Times – August 21, 1948

Eric (Body Beautiful) Holmback gave away $200 of his hard-earned money at last night’s wrestling program at the Coos Bay Armory, promoted by Thorn Jensen, when he failed to down two 185-pound wrestlers, as promised, in 30 minutes. Holmback, weighing 270 pounds, had challenged any two of the smaller men, one at a time, and promised to defeat them in 30 minutes.

Gordon Hessel, chosen by Jensen to meet Holmback first, had a rough time all the way. His most valiant efforts seemed to affect the heavyweight not the least, but Gordon couldn’t find any hold that would hurt the bigger wrestler. After 19 minutes of trying and taking a terrific beating all the way, Hessel was pinned to end the first part of the match.

The Phantom was chosen to make a final try against Holmback, and not only tried, but did an excellent job of taking the big boy apart. Eric, softened up by Hessel, had a real battle with the masked man, and couldn’t gain any ground up to the final bell … the bell that tolled the passing of his $200. The money was divided between Hessel and The Phantom in the ring.

The companion feature between Hessel and The Phantom was another rough and ready match, with The Phantom rolling like a steamroller, all het up after his victory over the heavyweight earlier. He took the first fall in 16 minutes with a stepover toe hold, and returned with a series of head butts and another stepover toe hold to take the winning fall in eight minutes, giving The Phantom a clean sweep for the evening.

The opener featured Danno McDonald versus Tiger Nenoff, the man with the handle-bar mustache. Nenoff took the first fall in 21 minutes with an armbreaker, and McDonald returned to sit on Nenoff with a Boston crab for the second fall in 15 minutes. The bout was called on the 45-minute time limit, leaving the men with a draw, and Danno with a sizeable chunk of Nenoff’s mustache as a souvenir of the evening’s festivities.

Jim Phillips refereed all matches, which played to a capacity house.