Dan McLeod (wrestler)
Encyclopedia
Dan McLeod was the ring name
of a Canadian
catch wrestler
of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, who held the American Heavyweight Championship
twice. Born George Little in Hamilton, Ontario
, he worked as a miner
in Nanaimo, British Columbia
and wrestled his first match in 1889, winning the Pacific Coast heavyweight championship that same year. His fanciful public profile claimed that he was born Dan S. McLeod in the Scottish Highlands
in 1867.
On October 26, 1897, McLeod defeated Martin Burns
to win the American Heavyweight Championship
, which he would retain for four years. The most notable incident during his reign as champion came far away from the media spotlight when on June 18, 1899, McLeod met and defeated a young Frank Gotch
in a hard-fought impromptu match on a cinder track. It was Gotch's very first professional match and he later recounted that McLeod had hustled
all involved by pretending to be a simple furniture dealer from a neighboring town, but was sufficiently impressed by Gotch's talent to leave him a visiting card
revealing his true identity.
McLeod's reign as champion came to an end on November 7, 1901 when he was defeated by Tom Jenkins
. Amid a series of rematches between the two men, McLeod recaptured the title on Christmas Day 1902 but lost it back to Jenkins the following April.
After retirement, McLeod worked as a wrestling instructor at the Los Angeles Athletic Club
.
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
of a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
catch wrestler
Catch wrestling
Catch wrestling is a style of folk wrestling that was developed and popularised in the late 19th century by the wrestlers of traveling carnivals who incorporated submission holds, or "hooks", into their wrestling to increase their effectiveness against their opponents...
of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, who held the American Heavyweight Championship
American Heavyweight Championship
The American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship was the first Heavyweight professional wrestling championship in the United States. The title existed from 1881 through approximately 1922.-Title history:-References:* at Wrestling-Titles.com...
twice. Born George Little in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, he worked as a miner
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
in Nanaimo, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and wrestled his first match in 1889, winning the Pacific Coast heavyweight championship that same year. His fanciful public profile claimed that he was born Dan S. McLeod in the Scottish Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
in 1867.
On October 26, 1897, McLeod defeated Martin Burns
Martin Burns
Martin "Farmer" Burns was a world champion "catch-as-catch-can" wrestler as well as wrestling coach and teacher. Born in Cedar County, Iowa he started wrestling as a teenager and made money traveling around the Midwest wrestling in carnivals and fairs...
to win the American Heavyweight Championship
American Heavyweight Championship
The American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship was the first Heavyweight professional wrestling championship in the United States. The title existed from 1881 through approximately 1922.-Title history:-References:* at Wrestling-Titles.com...
, which he would retain for four years. The most notable incident during his reign as champion came far away from the media spotlight when on June 18, 1899, McLeod met and defeated a young Frank Gotch
Frank Gotch
Frank Alvin Gotch was an American professional wrestler of German ancestry, the first American to win the world heavyweight free-style championship, and credited for popularizing professional wrestling in the United States...
in a hard-fought impromptu match on a cinder track. It was Gotch's very first professional match and he later recounted that McLeod had hustled
Hustling
Hustling is the deceptive act of disguising one's skill in a sport or game with the intent of luring someone of probably lesser skill into gambling with the hustler, as a form of confidence trick...
all involved by pretending to be a simple furniture dealer from a neighboring town, but was sufficiently impressed by Gotch's talent to leave him a visiting card
Visiting card
A visiting card, also known as a calling card, is a small paper card with one's name printed on it. They first appeared in China in the 15th century, and in Europe in the 17th century...
revealing his true identity.
McLeod's reign as champion came to an end on November 7, 1901 when he was defeated by Tom Jenkins
Tom Jenkins (wrestler)
Tom Jenkins was an American catch wrestler who held the American Heavyweight Championship three times around the turn of the 20th century...
. Amid a series of rematches between the two men, McLeod recaptured the title on Christmas Day 1902 but lost it back to Jenkins the following April.
After retirement, McLeod worked as a wrestling instructor at the Los Angeles Athletic Club
Los Angeles Athletic Club
Los Angeles Athletic Club is an athletic club and private social club in Los Angeles, California, USA. It awards the John R. Wooden Award to the outstanding men's and women's college basketball player of each year....
.