EDITORIAL EXCERPTS FROM LEADING PUBLICATIONS
SOUTH AFRICA
BOSWELL BROTHERS PRESS RELEASE OTTO ACRON Such feats has taken Acron all over the civilised world and gained him the plaudits and admiration of many, many thousands. Acron takes it place amongst “The Greats” of the World of Strength, such as Charles Atlas, Eugene Sandow, Steves Reeves and others equally as famous. He has several offers to appear in both British and American film productions, but in visiting South Africa he is fulfilling his lifelong ambition – to see our beautiful country and, as Acron laughingly says” South Africa first, film making will have to wait. SUNDAY NEWS BULAWAYO Shades of the Great Pagel – South Africa’s famous strongman and circus owner! Otto Acron, Strongman with Boswell’s Circus which opens in Bulawayo this week, among his other feats emulates one of Pagel’s most impressive displays of strength – lifting a horse weighing 1,000 lbs. And you might also call it a returned compliment too, for Pagel’s horse lifting feat was one which created a great impression with Australian audiences when he toured there many years ago; Now mighty Otto comes from Australia to show South Africa how it is done. (Pagel weight twice as much as Acron.) WEST RAND TIMES They breed ‘em strong down under. Otto Acron, The modern Hercules from Australia, Proved this when he climbed a double ladder with an Elephant suspended in harness attached to his shoulders. SUNDAY MAIL SALISBURY Former Amateur Wrestler Acron is merely flexing his muscles here. When he gets warmed up, two Elephants can’t move him from the Boswell Circus ring and he can hold off two Lorries. Otto is said to keep in trim by “Daily bouts with weights” – Presumably a couple of steam rollers on a bar. BYVOEGSEL TOT DIE BURGER (WORLD FAMOUS OLD TIME STRONGMAN) TROMP van DIGGELEN Writes ACRON HE WILL BECOME AN IMMORTAL STRONGMAN In the history of strongmen, there are three names which can be called immortal: Eugene Sandow, George Hackenschmidt and Max Sick. They were all good friends of mine in the first decade of this century. Lately, I have met a strongman who, according to my opinion, has the same ‘something’ possessed by Sandow, Hackenschmidt and Max Sick. I speak of Otto Acron, whom many readers of this paper have certainly seen. He carries a 1,000lb. horse up and down a ladder. It is really a pity that this strongman does this difficult task in such an easy manner. To tell you the truth, this task has only been performed by one other South African strongman. He was the Iron Man Pagel, whom most of us have seen in action. My old friend Pagel weighed about twice as much as young Acron, and I can assure you that he did not perform this feat of strength with the same confidence and smoothness. I introduce Otto Acron to you – not because he is a strongman, but I feel that he has the ability to some day become one of the ‘immortals’. Eugen Sandow was the world’s greatest stage strongman of the past. He was really not as strong as Otto, but still remains one of the three immortal strongmen. Acron states that he can lift much more than he does in his performance, and I am convinced that he will astonish circus audiences with even greater exhibitions of strength. While he was in Cape Town, Otto visited me every day, so that I might teach him the things that I have learned during my long life as a strongman. I wish Otto Acron all the success that I have prophesied for him. He will undoubtedly perform those feats of strength that will assure for him a place amongst the ‘immortals’ that I have mentioned. (Written by Tromp van Diggelen and printed in Die Burger 11-11-61.)
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