Buttan Singh was an early catch wrestler who was billed as being from Afghanistan (although who knows if that is the real story or not.) Singh eventually settled in Australia where he became the first recognized holder of the Championship of Australia title when he defeated Gunga Brahm on May 2, 1903. Buttan often traveled with Wirth’s Circus, offering to take on all comers one of whom was Hackenschmidt who he faced in 1905.

As part of his traditional training, Singh was also an accomplished club swinger and his exploits were often reported in the sporting pages of the day. It was said that Singh swung a pair of nail-studded 45-pound clubs for an hour, he would swing his 79-pounders about fifty times without a break and his 100-pounder for 20 times. Swinging these heavy clubs gave Singh a substantial grip.