James Owens
Born on a Fairfield, Vermont farm in 1850, Owens must have had wrestling in his blood. He was the cousin of one of the biggest names of the early 20th century, John McMahon, and another well known Collar & Elbow star, Edward Cox. Due to his upbringing on a farm Owens had the advantage that the work on a farm provided a much rounder work-out than could be achieved by any other form of exercise, building muscles and endurance with every day on it.
Most likely he received some training from one of his two cousins, if not both, but that is not confirmed. Whether he was or not he became a big star in Vermont before ever receiving national spotlight and would stay that way for several years. Exactly when he decided to step up to the big names within Collar & Elbow is not known.
On December 28, 1876 though Owens pulled off the unthinkable: Being the younger, less experienced wrestler, as well as having a size disadvantage he still managed to defeat McLaughlin and started his first reign as the American Collar & Elbow Champion. It took place in the Boston Music Hall in front of up to 4,000 people in a contest that lasted five-and-a-half hours with Owens scoring two straight falls.
His reign although recognized by the majority of people was not unified by any means. McLaughlin would still claim the championship where possible and other versions of the title cropped up also during this time. Of the four men who were vying for the crown, Owens would be the first one eliminated when on June 11, 1879 he lost at the Howard Antheum in Boston to a relatively young Henry Moses Dufur. It was kind of poetic really, Owens losing in a match to the upcoming lion, mirroring what had happened in the winter of 1876.
A couple of months later Owens would lose to John McMahon, another claimant, and never managed to find his way back to the helm of the Collar & Elbow division in the U.S.A. In 1880 Owens seems to disappear completely from the public eye other than an add mention that he was an "ex-champion who had been thrown by McMahon."
Sadly on December 24, 1880 James E. Owens passed away in his home in Fairfield of a bronchial infection. He had contracted it in late November/earl December and could not fight it off. He may not have been in the spotlight a long time and he was only thirty years old when he died, but his name was permanently etched in the annuals of history when he defeated the Colonel for the belt, and he gained the respect of everyone with it.
I'll finish this with the final sentence of an obituary written a couple of days after his passing as it provides a look at how he was perceived by the sporting world, "He bore the reputation of a real gentleman, and was noted for his honesty and fair dealing."
Born on a Fairfield, Vermont farm in 1850, Owens must have had wrestling in his blood. He was the cousin of one of the biggest names of the early 20th century, John McMahon, and another well known Collar & Elbow star, Edward Cox. Due to his upbringing on a farm Owens had the advantage that the work on a farm provided a much rounder work-out than could be achieved by any other form of exercise, building muscles and endurance with every day on it.
Most likely he received some training from one of his two cousins, if not both, but that is not confirmed. Whether he was or not he became a big star in Vermont before ever receiving national spotlight and would stay that way for several years. Exactly when he decided to step up to the big names within Collar & Elbow is not known.
On December 28, 1876 though Owens pulled off the unthinkable: Being the younger, less experienced wrestler, as well as having a size disadvantage he still managed to defeat McLaughlin and started his first reign as the American Collar & Elbow Champion. It took place in the Boston Music Hall in front of up to 4,000 people in a contest that lasted five-and-a-half hours with Owens scoring two straight falls.
His reign although recognized by the majority of people was not unified by any means. McLaughlin would still claim the championship where possible and other versions of the title cropped up also during this time. Of the four men who were vying for the crown, Owens would be the first one eliminated when on June 11, 1879 he lost at the Howard Antheum in Boston to a relatively young Henry Moses Dufur. It was kind of poetic really, Owens losing in a match to the upcoming lion, mirroring what had happened in the winter of 1876.
A couple of months later Owens would lose to John McMahon, another claimant, and never managed to find his way back to the helm of the Collar & Elbow division in the U.S.A. In 1880 Owens seems to disappear completely from the public eye other than an add mention that he was an "ex-champion who had been thrown by McMahon."
Sadly on December 24, 1880 James E. Owens passed away in his home in Fairfield of a bronchial infection. He had contracted it in late November/earl December and could not fight it off. He may not have been in the spotlight a long time and he was only thirty years old when he died, but his name was permanently etched in the annuals of history when he defeated the Colonel for the belt, and he gained the respect of everyone with it.
I'll finish this with the final sentence of an obituary written a couple of days after his passing as it provides a look at how he was perceived by the sporting world, "He bore the reputation of a real gentleman, and was noted for his honesty and fair dealing."
-
Biography Information
<
>
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Biography of James Owens.
Author: Jimmy Wheeler.
Published: July 2014.
Biography: #107.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.