Daily Times – July 14, 1931
Reginald Siki, European catch-as-catch-can wrestling champion, who will be featured in the one-fall match offered by Promoter C. J. Henaghan at the Davenport Municipal stadium tomorrow night, arrived in the tri-cities this afternoon from Columbus, O., and took part in a light workout, which completes his training for the bout with George Mack, Boston caveman.
Siki is the only Abyssinian grappler in the game, and is now a student at Ohio State university in Columbus. He is a native of Dire Dahouah, Ethiopia, but was educated in the United States before returning to Abyssinia to take charge of his father’s imported rug business.
Wins European Title
The colored giant, who is known as the Abyssinian Panther, came back to America last year after winning the European championship, and is now wrestling his way to the top in the heavyweight division in this country.
Promoter Henaghan is bringing the young giant to Davenport at great expense in order to pit him against Mack. If Siki is successful against the Boston bad man, he will be offered a match here later with either Karol Zbyszko or Gus Sonnenberg.
The Siki-Mack match is an added attraction on the Leonard-Sullivan boxing card at the stadium. Thirty-six rounds of fighting are booked. Sullivan and Leonard completed training this afternoon, and both are reported in excellent condition for the ten-round windup. Louie Mays and Jake Hunzinger, who meetin the eight-round semi-windup, will arrive tomorrow morning. The other boxers are now in Davenport.
Started at Los Angeles “Y”
Much interest has been aroused in the appearance of a colored wrestler on the local card. Siki stands six feet two inches, and weighs 220 pounds. The big fellow became interested in wrestling while an active member of a Y. M. C. A. gym class in Los Angeles. He broke into professional wrestling in Newark in 1927, but decided to return to Abyssinia in 1928 to go into business. Early in 1930 he forsook the merchandise business and went to Europe to resume grappling.
He has participated in many matches in Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Germany, France and Spain, and is the proud possessor of a championship belt which he is now displaying at the Puff Cigar store gym here. Siki is a student of languages and speaks, reads and writes, besides his native tongue, Ahmaric, English, French, Spanish, Polish and German.
Tickets for the Wednesday show are on sale at Hickey’s Martins and the Puff Cigar store at $1, $1.50 and $2. Women will be admitted to the stadium for 50 cents.
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