12/29/1885 - Chicago, IL - First article: Billy Lakeman was the master of ceremonies for this card, which I assume was the equivalent of a ring announcer today. This was a boxing card, but Evan Lewis offered to give $25 to any man that he could not throw in twenty minutes during a wrestling exhibition on the card. $25 is about $859.17 in 2025 US dollars. William Hageman and Young Duffy took him up on the offer, and it sounds like both failed in an an unexciting manner.

     Second article: This was further down on the same page in the same paper. It lists Lewis as being from Madison, Wisconsin. He was born in Ridgeway, Wisconsin, but Madison is/was the closest large city to Ridgeway. He arrived in Chicago "yesterday afternoon" which would have been December 28, 1885. He arrived with his backer, "Taos." H. Gill. Thos. is an abbreviation for Thomas...perhaps Taos. is a typo? I could not find anything listing Taos. as an abbreviation for a name. He was also with James H. Fisher, a prominant sports figure from Madison. The article refers to "The Jap," but never mentions his name. He would be Matsada Sorakichi/Matsuda Sorakichi, the first famous Japanese wrestler in the United States...their upcoming match got a lot of attention. The article also mentions that Tom Cannon, from England, is in Chicago at this time, as is Adam Butler, another traveling wrestler.

     01/10/1886 - Chicago, IL - The writer of the Daily Inter Ocean still refuses to use Sorakichi's name, referring to him only as "The Jap." Since Sorakichi's name is often butchered in newspapers, I wonder if that's the reason why. This article also states that Mr. Gill, Lewis' backer, is trying to get Edwin Bibby (billed as the ex Americas Catch-as-Catch-Can champion) to come to America to help teach Evan Lewis what he knows about wrestling. Sorakichi is also reported to be currently training under Joe Action in Philadelphia. Joe Action, like Bibby, is one of the most famous professional wrestlers of the time. The article also mentions that "crooked matches have nearly killed wrestling as a sport in this country." I've seen evidence of predetermined finishes to matches in the United States going back to the 1860's, so it's not very surprising to see it here. At the end of the article, it's also mentioned that Johnny Faulkner was able to defeat Tom Cannon in Chincinnati, Ohio on January 9, 1886, two falls to one in a catch-as-catch-can wrestling match.

     01/27/1886 - Chicago, IL - The article says that Lewis arrived in Chicago "yesterday," which would have been January 26th. He arrived in town with James Fisher and James Gallagher, who is name as his trainer. Lewis says that he insists on wrestling on bare boards instead of a padded platform. He also responded to a challenge from Greek George, also known as Theodore George. Lewis responded by challenging George to a 3-out-of-5 falls, catch-as-catch-can match for a $250 or $500 side bet. That would be around $8,591.70 or $17.183.40 in 2025 USD. Lewis put down a $50 deposit with Charles E. Davies "in good faith." You'll see more of Davies later… A second note in the same paper mentions that someone named M.C. McDonald told a bunch of folks that he had wagered $700 ($24,056.77 in 2025 money) that Sorakichi would throw Lewis in their upcoming bout.

     01/29/1886 - Chicago, IL - (Chicago Tribune) The Evan Lewis vs. Matsuda Sorakichi match got pretty big coverage in the Chicago Tribune. The match took place "last evening," so January 28th, 1886, which would have been a Thursday. It took place at the Central Music Hall in Chicago, IL. It sounds like the doors may have opened for the event around 8pm, and the article claims that it was nearly sold out, with a line of people trying to get tickets extending from the box office to the street curb. Despite what M.C. McDonald claimed in the Daily Inter Ocean two days before, betting odds were $100 to $80 in the favor of Evan Lewis, plus a number of bets of $80 to $150 were made that Sorakichi wouldn't score a single fall. Around 8:20pm, Parson Davies appeared on stage and announced the rules of the match - best three out of five falls, with the winner receiving $500 ($17,183.40 USD in 2025 money) and 75% of the gate receipts. Frank Glover, listed as "champion heavyweight of Illinois" was the referee for the bout. Billy Lakeman was the stakeholder for this match. James Murphy seconded Sorakichi and "Gallagher" of Wisconsin seconded Evan Lewis. That is likely James Gallagher, mentioned in the Dailt Inter-Ocean article from 01/27/1886, but the article doesn't specify, nor does any other article I could find. Sorakichi wore red tights and blue trunks while Lewis only wore black trunks. When the action started, it sounds like it was a pretty exciting match. Evan Lewis won the first fall in two minutes and twenty-five seconds after surprising Sorakichi by picking him up and slamming him onto the boards, flat on his back. After that fall, there was a ten minute rest period, with both wrestlers returning to their "dressing rooms." During the second fall, Sorakichi nearly got a fall early on, and Lewis even crashed off of the stage and onto the reporters at one point in the match. Everyone saw this as accidental, but obviously a pretty exciting moment...however, shortly after, when Lewis found himself in control, he intentionally tossed Sorakichi off the stage...which then caused the crowd, who were cheering Lewis prior to that action, to hiss and boo Lewis. That action caused the referee to award the second fall to Sorakichi via disqualification after nine minutes and five seconds. The third fall was short, three minutes and forty seconds, and resulted in Evan Lewis getting great fame in newspapers across the country. Shortly into the bout, Lewis was able to throw Sorakichi to the ground with a neck hold, then with his right arm across Sorakichi's throat, applied the "Stranglehold." Sorakichi surrendered the fall after being placed in the hold. Matsuda Sorakichi was said to look weak afterward and still have a face that was purple from being choked. The crowd was not a fan of the finish of that fall, with one man in the audience yelling that "strangling was not wrestling." Lewis reappeared during the rest period and insisted that the hold was taught to him by Frank Whitmore and that Tom Cannon had tried to practice the hold on Lewis, but was unsuccessful in doing so. Lewis then said that if the crowd wished, he would not use the hold in the next fall. However, Sorakichi said that he was unable to continue the match any longer, so the match was awarded to Lewis. Parson Davies mentioned that Lewis would be willing for a rematch against Sorakichi any time, for a $500 or $1000 side bet. As you''ll see in upcoming articles, this match really adds a "heel" persona to Evan Lewis in most towns. It may be one of the most important matches of his career in terms of getting his name out there as a wrestler to take notice of.

     01/29/1886 - Chicago, IL - (The Daily Inter-Ocean) The Chicago Tribune may be the more famous newspaper, but the Daily Inter-Ocean had the better article for this match. Plus, it had one of those old sayings whose meaning seems to have been lost to time, when the writer claimed that when wrestling was believed to be legitimate, it could draw a better crowd than "a mill with the mittens." This article claims that Lewis wore brown trunks rather than the black trunks mentioned in the Chicago Tribune article. It also mentions that at 8:30pm, Parson Davies introduced the participants of the match, and by 8:32pm, the match was underway. This article gives more detail of the first fall. The description of the second fall has Sorakichi accidentally throwing Lewis from the stage, and apologizing to Lewis afterward. It sounds like Lewis accepted the apology, then "threw him violently to the floor." Based on the Chicago Tribune article, one would have to think that, like that article mentioned, "to the floor" likely means off the stage and to the floor, though it could also be that Lewis just threw Sorakichi on the stage in a way that was seen to intentionally cause injury. This article also has more detail on the third fall of the match, mentioning that Sorakichi was able to wriggle out of a few holds before Lewis was able to apply the stranglehold, referred to a neck lock in this article. The article also states that later that night, Sorakichi said that he wanted to face Lewis again, and thought he could beat him if the stranglehold is barred.

     01/30/1886 - New York, NY - With an attention-grabbing headline of "SORAKICHI DOES NOT WANT TO BE CHOKED," one would think that there weren't too many folks that decided to skip this small article when reading the paper. The day after the Chicago Tribune reported the Sorakichi/Lewis match, the New York Tribune was already reporting that Sorakichi wanted a rematch with the stranglehold barred. They also report that many in the audience were concerned that Sorakichi was in danger of being choked to death. The article mentions that they met "last night," which would have been January 29th, but the Chicago Tribune article on the 29th, mentioned that it took place on January 28th. Going through newspaper clippings like this, you'll often find that different newspapers report different dates. I tend to trust the "local" newspapers where a match or event took place more than a newspaper on the other end of the country, where like the "telephone game," the facts may become distorted as they jump from source to source. 

     01/30/1886 - Chicago, IL - Following up from the Daily Inter-Ocean article from the day before, they announce that Sorakichi and Lewis have agreed to a match and signed a contract with Charles E. Davies (Parson Davies in some articles) to make the stipulations for the bout legal and binding. The contract, states that it will be a catch-as-catch-can wrestling match under "Police rules," and with the stranglehold barred. Both men are putting up $250, so the winner will receive $500. The net gate receipts will also be divided between the participents, with 75% going to the winner and 25% going to the loser. The referee is to be mutually agreed upon before 2pm, the day of the match. If they fail to agree on a referee, then six names will be placed in a hat, with three choices for each wrestler, and the first name drawn will referee the contest. The match was set to take place at the Central Music Hall in Chicago on Monday evening, February 8, 1886, between the hours of 8pm and 9pm. This article also mentions that there seems to be a friendly respect between the two men, including some trash talk that the two shared after signing the contract...and during that trash talk, perhaps in some foreshadowing, Lewis claimed that he would screw Sorakichi's leg off when they meet...  

     02/04/1886 - Mineral Point, WI - Perhaps it's because Mineral Point is less than 20 miles away from Evan Lewis' birthplace of Ridgeway, Wisconsin, but this is one of the only newspaper articles that seems to side with Lewis and his use of the stranglehold. He generally tends to be villified for using it. The recounting of the match is different in this article as well. The first fall seems similar enough, but this article says that the second fall was given to Sorakichi after the referee disqualified Lewis for use of the stranglehold. They then glossed over the third fall and said that Lewis won it before Sorakichi refused to continue. The original reporting of the match had Lewis being disqualified in the second fall for intentionally throwing Sorakichi off the stage, and the third fall being won with the stranglehold. Again, with this being so close to the hometown of Lewis, one has to wonder if perhaps the story was modified to make Lewis like less of a "heel" when he returns home.

     02/04/1886 - Ironton, MO - News of the Lewis/Sorakichi match got covered in this minor blip in Ironton, Missouri. It simply states that Evan Lewis won, and doesn't include any of the details of the match.