Rules for World Championship between Jack Carkeek and John Pearce (1887)
Royal Cornwall Gazette – Friday 08 July 1887
Rules for World Championship between Jack Carkeek and John Pearce.
Rule 1. — Each contestant shall wear knee-breeches, or trunks, and shall wrestle with bare feet or socks. Each wrestler shall wear a jacket, which shall be made of canvas, very loose and very strong at the collar and cuff the sleeve to be 18 to 22 inches long from shoulder seam.
Rule 2. — Each wrestler shall shake hands with his opponent before each bout, and shall let go and catch-as-catch-can in the jacket or catch anywhere above the waist.
Rule 3. — Any hold is allowed except cross collar, two collars in one hand, or throttling with bare hands; and each wrestler shall change his hold as often as he sees fit.
Rule 4. — If either wrestler let either hand touch the ground to save himself from falling, it shall be considered a foul; and he must be cautioned, that should he do it again the referee shall declare a fall in favor of his opponent. If either or both wrestlers fall on one or both knees, they shall break holds and shake hands and catch again.
Rule 5. — No kicking above the knee, and any wrestler so kicking his opponent after one caution by the referee, shall forfeit the match and stakes.
Rule 6. — To decide what is considered a fall in this match a contestant shall throw his opponent fair on bis back so that two hips and one shoulder, or two shoulders and one hip shall strike the ground at the same time. Under no circumstances shall the referee decide a fall, unless either contestant, commit a foul. For instance: If a wrestler falls and is rolled on his back by his opponent it shall not be considered a fall.
Rule 7. — Each wrestler shall choose one umpire, and all disputes or fouls claimed by the umpires shall be decided by the referee, who shall be an impartial person.
Rule 8. — Should a referee chosen be found to be prejudiced, the stake-holder shall select another referee from the company and so on till the match is decided.
Rule 9. — Either wrestler who shall butt, scratch, strike, or offer to strike his opponent, during the contest, shall forfeit all claims to the stakes or gate money.
Rule 10. — Neither wrestler shall be allowed to rest during bouts without consent of his opponent, unless he be injured by his opponent: nor shall he rest more than five minutes between bouts, and fifteen minutes between falls.
Rule 11. — This contest to be decided by first three in five falls.
With grateful thanks to Stephen Curtin who provided this from his private collection.