Description
Martin “Farmer” Burns, Jack Reynolds vs. Gus Kallio – vintage original Type 1 photograph circa 1921
Jack Reynolds was a Farmer Burns protégé and perennial welterweight championship claimant throughout the late 1910s, 1920s and into the 1930s. Born in Iowa he became proficient at both baseball and catch wrestling, finally settling on the latter as a profession.
Widely respected as one of the all-time great mat artists, his personal life however was frequently lived in the fast lane. He and his wife were once arrested in Louisville, Kentucky, engaged in a knock-down, drag out street fight with one another. Another time he and his spouse were involved in a late night club shootout that claimed two lives. During a sensational trial they were acquitted of any wrong-doing.
On brighter notes, it was said that Reynolds never turned down a request to wrestle for a charity event; and from 1920 to 1926 he coached the Indiana University mat squad with great success. Jack died in 1945 at fifty-one years of age.
Gustav Kallio (May 17, 1891 – March 2, 1962) was a Finnish born professional wrestler Gus Kallio was born as August Hassinen in Finland. He arrived to the USA in 1913. When he received his American citizenship, he changed his name to Gustav Kallio. Began his training under Farmer Burns and made his wrestling debut in 1916. Won both the National Wrestling Association’s World Middleweight Championship and the World Welterweight Championship by several times while wrestling on United States circuit. Arrived to Mexico in 1939 and was awarded as first NWA World Middleweight Champion by Salvador Lutteroth. He retired from active competition at finals 1950s. Began to promote wrestling events at Gus Kallio Arena out of Monroe, Louisiana. He died on March 2, 1962 of a self-inflicted gunshot. Known under the ring name Gus Kallio or Gust Kallio. Kallio’s wrestling career peaked in the 1920s and 1930s where he was known as the “King of the Welterweights” and later on “King of the Middleweights” as he held multiple world titles in those two weight divisions.
