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Otto Acron Circus Strongman
Otto Acron –May 12, 1935, born Alexander James Alsop in Sydney Australia, to Lilly Elizabeth and James Gess Alsop. He had two brothers, Ken his older and Ian his younger brother. His father was strong. Worked on the railways as a boilermaker. Very big man, not all muscle, but with very impressive big arms.
Otto liked to read Superman and Captain Marvel comics. He read about a man called William Pagel. A South African circus owner and strongman. One of his stunts was to carry a 1,000 lb horse up a 12 ft ladder. This stunt really fascinated him. Carry a 1,000 lb horse up a ladder — no man could do that! No way! Never dreamed that carrying a horse up a ladder would start his adventure as a circus strongman.
He was 12 when his father took him to see a professional wrestling match at Leichhardt Stadium. It impressed him so much that he told his dad that one day he would be a professional wrestler.
When he was 14 a friendly boxing match which damaged his brain and took years to heal. The challenge he set himself to recover mentally as well as physically. To build his body to perform extraordinary feats. To stand the weight of a car running over him. To lift a 3,000 lb car completely off the ground. To carry 1000 pounds horse up a 14 foot ladder.
In 1953 he entered his first weight-lifting competition. After that came his first body-building comp, ‘Junior Mr. Sydney’, in which he came fourth. A year later he won the NSW junior weight-lifting championship. In his spare time he challenged his friends to wrestling matches.
Now twenty years old, he kept that promise he had made to himself seven years before that one day he would be a professional wrestler. Before long he was wrestling at Leichhardt Stadium, under the name of Otto Ward. This was changed later to Otto Acron. He was wrestling now at the very first stadium where he saw his first wrestling match. In 1955 he worked as a strongman on fairgrounds throughout New South Wales. Bending iron bars, breaking chains. getting run over by cars.etc. When not doing that, he worked in Roy Bell’s, Jimmy Sharmans and Les McNabb boxing tents. Taking on all comers.
In 1959 he approached Bullens Circus to work as a strongman. Years ago they saw a South African called William Pagel carry a 1,000lb horse up a 12ft ladder. If you can do that, you'll have the job. Within two weeks Otto had made two 14ft ladders. His adventure as a circus strongman had started. He traveled Australia and New Zealand carrying a 1,000lb horse up a 14 ft ladder. This stunt would be performed over 2,000 times in his career.
In 1961 he joined Boswell Brother's Circus in South Africa
BOSWELL BROTHERS PRESS RELEASE OTTO ACRON From Australia comes Acron, the World’s sensational strong-man. Boswell’s are indeed fortunate to feature him in their 1961 National Circus. His appearances in Australia have been nothing short of stupendous – running over a greatly extended tour for many months. Here is a man who proves his strength. Feats such as that performed by Acron have not been seen or equalled over the past 60 years… not since the days of the late William Pagel. His amazing act include lifting a horse off the ground, several feet in the air; holding at bay two lorries, one with each of his fantastically strong arms and he has used Elephants too, as tests of his remarkable strength, for another of his feats is to have two elephants attempting to move him from the centre of the ring. Left:Boswell Poster
BYVOEGSEL TOT DIE BURGER Saturday,11 November,1961 (South African newspaper)
Otto Acron, the Australian strength giant, weighs only 185 lbs, but shows in the South African circus that he possesses greater strength than the “Immortals” of the past.
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In December ’62 he wrestled for Dale Martin Promotions, wrestling all over England. In the summer of 1962 he worked for Circus Arnardo in Norway and returned to England,where he wrestled during the winter season. In the summer of 1963 he went and worked worked for circus Toni Boltini in the Netherlands. He was married there and continued working in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. In August 1971 Otto Acron took on two aeroplanes in a tug of war at Rotterdam Airport.This was the first time he had tried it. It was a great success. Thursday,19 of August,1971 The Haagsche Courant, one of the top newspapers in the country had a photo of the stunt right across the front page. This stunt went into newspapers all over the country.
In 1974 he returned to Australia with his wife Irene and their three children Cindy, Otto and Paul. He continued working as a strong man.
Daily Mirror Thursday,May 6,1976 Walsh puts his trust in Otto. Mike Walsh had better not give any lip to Otto Acron when that weight-lifter- com-strongman appear as a guest on his Channel 10 program tomorrow. Otto plans to lift a mini car on a wooden platform above his head. The total weight Otto tells me, is about 800kg. Which I suppose is a piece of cake to a man who has broken chains and carried horses up ladders.
In 1984 he entered many physique competitions, winning the masters: Mr Sydney, Mr Australia., Mr Oceana, Mr Southern Hemisphere. In 1984 and 1985, he entered power lifting competitions in the masters division, and became state champion. Masters: Australian champion for the 82.5 kg class. In I992 he came seventh in the world power lifting contest. In 1995 he left Sydney and took his family to Hervey Bay in Queensland where he started a gym called Otto’s Fitness World.
At the age of 61.Otto entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the second time
FRASER COAST CHRONICLE Saturday, June 21, 1997 ACRON HOLDS PLANES World strongman record An exhausted and red-faced Otto Acron of Hervey Bay had enough energy left to throw up his arms in jubilation yesterday after he set a world record of strength and determination. In front of an apprehensive Hervey Bay crowd, Otto, 61, held two Air Fraser Island Cessna 300 hp planes for more than 15 seconds, blitzing his previous Guinness Book of Records performance of two 178 hp planes for 10 seconds. Yesterday Otto had to hold the planes for only five seconds while they revved at 1800 rpm but because he is an over-achiever, Otto’s new record is 2100rpm for 15 seconds. Right: Flashback to June 1997: The strain of two 300hp planes revving at 2100 rpm for 15 seconds from opposite directions shows on Otto’s face.
At the age of seventy he did 1125 push ups in half an hour to raise money for a young boy who needed a motorised wheel chair. The Fraser Coast Chronicle Saturday, April 9, 2005 1125 push-ups - not bad for a 70-year-old
- ^ Otto Acron.com