Buttan Singh

Buttan Singh (born 1863; occasionally reported as 'Buttin Singh') was a professional wrestler in Australia, with a catch-as-catch-can style, and billed as one of the 'champion Hindu wrestlers of Australia', and 'champion of the world' by others. Singh was given to be 'a model for the young wrestlers of his day'.

Singh was one of several Australian wrestlers of Indian heritage, from the early 1900s, including Massa Singh (born 1860), and Gunga Brahm (–February 1916). At one time he was part of Wirth Brothers Circus' stable of athletes.

Early life

Singh was born in the Punjab region of the British Raj (now India) in 1863.

He arrived in Australia from the Punjab in 1900. While newspapers and documents referred to him and others as 'Hindoo', he was recognised as being of the Sikh religion. It was suggested he was the greatest wrestler India had ever known.

It was indicated Singh's brother was Dava Singh, who by 1931 was living in Carlton, Victoria and now blind.

Wrestling career

Throughout his career, Singh was generally regarded as a polite, quietly-spoken gentleman,

1900

On Saturday 9 June 1900 at the Victoria Hall in Melbourne, the best-of-three contest took part between Singh 'of India' and William Pagel (1878–1948) of Germany, stated to be a revival in wrestling. It was reported Singh, lithe and sinewy, weighing , had 'held the belt' against all-comers for many years, winning 82 of 85 matches. Pagal on the other hand was and the 'Champion strong man of Germany'. Two shoulders on the floor at one time constituted a fall. The catch-as-catch-can or Lancashire wrestling rules included for the match were: Singh took the first bout in 3 minutes 45 seconds, and the second in 4 minutes 40 seconds, using leg holds and neck locks, before Singh threw Graham.

1901

Monday 15 April 1901 saw a wrestling match between Jim McDermott, from Newcastle, New South Wales, and Singh, at Melbourne's Democratic Club, for the 'championship of Australia'. The 'Champion of NSW', McDermott had never been thrown by anyone within of his weight. After delays starting due to selecting a judge acceptable to both parties, the first bout saw McDermott go for a neck hold but soon Singh took him to the mat and put on a strong underhold. After a struggle they were sitting on the ropes. Restarting in the centre, after various grapples, Singh lifted McDermott in the air, throwing him, then had Singh's legs wrapped locked around McDermott's neck, being slowly worked around the carpet until McDermott cried 'He's breaking my jaw'. After a four-minute first bout, McDermott withdrew from the second bout due to boils on the arm, resulting in Singh being declared the winner.

1903

Wirth's Circus in Melbourne was to see a closely contested wrestling match between Singh and Brahm on Thursday 30 April 1903, with a substantial wager for the championship of Australia. It was noted the contest would be genuine that caste prejudice precluded any arrangements as Brahm was a Brahmin while Singh was a Sikh. Friends of Brahm were going to make various religious invocations that would assure his victory. Before 3000 people, the first bout went to Brahm after fifty minutes, Singh secured the second with a fall in 6.5 minutes, and the third and final bout lasted only four minutes, with the championship being retained by Brahm.

Later defending the championship of Australia in the catch style was held at Sydney's National Sporting Club on 28 October 1903 between the now-champion Singh and former champion Brahm; with an agreement that 'neither shall oil or grease himself in the slightest degree', a reference to Brahm's claim that in the recent match at the circus, Singh had rubbed fat or other substance over his body.

1904

In January 1904, Singh was to wrestle Brahm in the catch style, the best two-out-of-three bouts, at Her Majesty's Theatre in Kalgoorlie.

By early April 1904, Singh was staying in Melbourne, and responded to a challenge to New Zealand champion wrestler, Robert James 'Bob' Scott, whether in Australia or New Zealand. Scheduled for 17 March at Greymouth, New Zealand with his travel costs, it appears Singh did not attend (instead the bout was between George Riordan and Sunda Singh). In June 1905, Scott arrived in Melbourne and looked forward to taking on the victor of the Weber–Singh match.

In May 1904 (also reported as October 1904, and 6 November 1904),

1905

It was recounted in 'an Eastern city', at Melbourne's Exhibition Building on 11 February 1905 before 7000 spectators, Singh and Brahm separately competed against Estonian strongman 'The Russian Lion' George Hackenschmidt (1877–1968) in the same ring, although both were dispatched by the Estonian quickly. While Brahm had strutted out in a long red velvet coat trimmed with gold cord, Singh stepped onto the mat without 'no gorgeous rainment covering the lithe Sihk. He stood there nude, except for his usual scanty trunks'. Hack weighed about to Singh's around . It was considered the earlier 'dirty' upon Weber had been cleanly revenged. Hack had 'the old Hindoo master' 'as flat as a pancake in 9min. 45sec.'. 'It was a fair dinkum and actual wrestling according to the rules of the game. The men wrestled for supremacy, a side wager, and a percentage of the gate receipts.' The 'white and massive' Weber commenced with a Cumberland clip (swing the leg, striking the opponent above the ankle, and simultaneously throwing the body off-balance) to the 'dusky, muscular body' of Singh. Regaining his feet, Singh went to the mat again from another clip. Weber executed half-Nelsons and head-holds, with a bar across the face, but shortly after Singh became 'top dog'. With a grapevine on Weber's left knee, and with Weber now facing quitting or a broken leg, Singh was awarded the bout at 14 minutes and 24.5 seconds. After the ten minute break, the second bout saw an unhappy but determined Weber take immediately to Singh, picking him up and shaking him, and going from a bar Nelson to a half Nelson, to take the bout at 13 minutes and 33.75 seconds. With a bleeding nose and unsettled in the ring post-second bout, Singh threw in the towel; Weber was declared the overall winner.

1908

On Friday 12 June 1908 at the Melbourne Athletic Club, Exhibition Street, in the catch-as-catch-can wrestling style, Singh competed with George Dinnie (1875–1939). Singh was billed by Wirth Brothers Circus as one of the 'champion Hindu wrestlers of Australia'. The meeting between the 'burly Scotchman and the sinewy Hindu', weighing and ) respectively, saw Singh use Dinnie's force to his own advantage, with a result that neither man could throw the other: 'Dinnie was too heavy and powerful for Buttan to pin to the mat, and Buttan was too clever for Dinnie. After an hour and a-quarter's wrestling, during which Buttan gave an exhibition of wonderful skill, a draw was declared'.

The 'famous Hindoo exponent' Buttan Singh met 'the English champion' Peter Bannon several times. In their first meeting, with no fall secured, the contest was declared a draw. Their second meeting had Singh securing two of the three falls. On Saturday evening, 8 August 1908, at Melbourne's City Baths Athletic Hall they came together for the 'championship of Australia'. Evenly matched, with only weight difference, the first seven minutes was about hold manoeuvring, before Bannon was taken to the ground. Singh, using a leg hold and a scissor hold, could not secure a fall. Bannon countered with a sitting waist lock. At twenty-five minutes, Singh had Bannon in a back waist hold, who escaped to use a half Nelson, for which Singh eluded. Bannon secured the first fall at 64 minutes with a half Nelson. Ten minutes later and the second bout saw Singh secure a fall with a barlock in 12 minutes and 50 seconds. For an additional twenty minutes, neither wrestler secured a fall, and the contest was declared a draw.

A return match between Dinnie and Singh for the 'championship of Australia' and £100 on Saturday night, 15 August 1908, was organised, with Dinnie securing two out of the three falls, 'his great strength telling'. Dinnie at the time weighed , to Singh's .

By October Gunga Brahm was advertising in the newspapers to get invited to the series of matches between Singh, George Dinnie, and Peter Bannon. This was separate to Singh's challenge to matches with any wrestlers within Australia.

1910

Involving the dictation test issued under Australia's Immigration Restriction Act 1901, With double-barred Nelsons and strangle-holds prohibited, after four continuous and punishing hours without a fall, Irslinger gave in, and Singh was declared 'champion of the world'.

Singh was well-alive by 1929 where a report of his death was a mistaken identity ("Whereupon the old fellow skipper around to the office of a Perth daily [newspaper] to indignantly and emphatically deny the " ), in early 1932 was at Wiluna, Western Australia, at a local welterweight event, Singh's whereabouts and life after 1934 have not been found.

Championships and accomplishments Professional wrestling Australasian Heavyweight Championship (1 time) Australian Heavyweight Championship (1 time)