Edwin Bibby (15 November 1848 – 5 May 1905) was an English
wrestling
Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
champion during the 1870s and 1880s.
He was a popular
catch-as-catch-can style wrestler in his generation. He became the first
American Heavyweight Champion in 1881 with a victory over
Duncan C. Ross. During his career he was also known as Ned and Eddie.
Early life in England
Bibby was born in
Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
on 15 November 1848. He married Mary Ann Connelly (age 16) in 1867. They had 13 children, only three of whom survived. He began working as a coal miner in 1871.
Bibby began his wrestling career in 1872 and quickly became a top wrestler. He performed for
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
in
Prince Albert's Court in London.
Life in America
In 1879 he immigrated to
America and later sent for his family. He lived in
New York and later
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
and became a naturalized citizen in 1900.
On 19 January 1881, Bibby became the first American Heavyweight Champion with his victory over
Duncan C. Ross. He lost that title the next year, on 7 August 1882, to
Joe Acton in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
.
Bibby's final wrestling match was against
Sorakichi Matsuda
Matsuda Sorakichi (1859 – August 16, 1891) was a Japanese professional wrestler of the 19th century. He became a feature attraction in America, competing in a distinctly western sport, long before it was adopted in Japan.
Background
Sorakich ...
, whom he defeated on 28 October 1887, in
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...
. On 5 May 1905, Bibby died from
rheumatism at the age of 56. He is buried in Saint Patrick's Cemetery in
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
,
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state.
Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...
alongside his wife Mary Ann who died in 1929 and their son Thomas who died in 1950.
Bibby's son Tom donated the Championship silver belt that can allegedly still be found at a Lancashire museum.
Notable opponents
*
Duncan C. Ross: Bibby became the first American Heavyweight Champion on 19 January 1881.
*
Clarence Whistler: Drew to Clarence Whistler twice, 19 November 1880, and 21 December 1880. He lost to Whistler on 8 June 1883.
*
William Muldoon
William A. Muldoon (May 25, 1845 – June 3, 1933) was the Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion, a physical culturist and the first chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission. He once wrestled a match that lasted over seven hours. Nicknamed "Th ...
: Lost to Muldoon 2–0 on 2 March 1881.
*
Joe Acton: Lost to Acton in 38 minutes on 7 August 1882.
*
Carl Abs: Lost to Carl Abs in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
on 30 April 1885.
*
Sorakichi Matsuda
Matsuda Sorakichi (1859 – August 16, 1891) was a Japanese professional wrestler of the 19th century. He became a feature attraction in America, competing in a distinctly western sport, long before it was adopted in Japan.
Background
Sorakich ...
: Defeated Sorakichi in his final fight, 28 October 1887.
Championships and accomplishments
*
Catch wrestling
Catch wrestling (originally catch-as-catch-can) is a classical hybrid grappling style and combat sport. It was developed by J. G. Chambers in Britain . It was popularised by wrestlers of travelling funfairs who developed their own submission ...
** American Catch-as-Catch-can Championship (1 time)
*
Professional Wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
**
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
See also
*Professional wrestling in the ...
(
1 time)
**World Heavyweight Championship ''(Great Britain version)'' (1 time)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bibby, Edwin
1848 births
1905 deaths
19th-century professional wrestlers
British catch wrestlers
English emigrants to the United States
English male professional wrestlers
Sportspeople from Ashton-under-Lyne
Naturalized citizens of the United States