The Washington times., 1905-04-16
PUBLIC PREFERS
AMERICAN STYLE
Catch-as-C Catch Can Is Most
Popular.
CHAMPIONS SHOULD CHANGE
Russian Lion May Drop the Graeco-
Roman. While in This
Country.
CHAMPIONS SHOULD CHANGE

! OF all the styles of wrestling catch-as-
catchrean is Undoubtedly the most popu-
lar with the average mat devotee, and
the grappler who uses this form will
! draw far better thaa the one who re-
stricts himself entirely to some other
style, such as GraecozRoman.
The announcement that Georges Hack
enschmiot, the Russian Graeco- Roman
wrestler. will meet TOM jenkins in New
York catch-as-catch-can style bears out
| the statement made by frank Gotch
some time ago to ths effect that the
Russian had been tried out and found
| not wanting in the freer style CT the
| sport. AS a matter of fact good
Graeco-R Roman man should be good at
catch-as-catch-can. The prospect is that
| it win not be a fish out of water that
the Cleveland nan viii grapple with
when he strikes the foreigner, evena..s
his fayoritc style. The concession, If
such it is on the part of the Russian
Lion. will, in the event OF his success.
| do great deal to popn,ar!ze him with
the American public.
Style Not Liked.
| Americans have seen a lot of both
styles of wrestling, and they have little
use for the Graeco-Roman style as it is
practiced IN these days by gladiators Of
the mat Perhaps this is explained by
the absence OF really high-class Graeco-
| Roman experts, the majority of the ath-
| letes praciicing that branch of the
sport in this country having been bfg
heavy men, unnatufally developed above
the waist, earning cl,eap glory Catch
as-catch-can wrestling furnishes oppor-
| tunity for the display of all the abiii-
ties of big men, and a better spectacle
| than a meeting between two drst-ciass
athletes. properly conditioned, at this
style. is hard to find.
IL said Frank Gotch yesterday,
/ '.Haekenschnidt has put down all the
| men they credit him, he must indeed
| be a sure-enoug1 wonder. Take, for in
stance, Nouroulah. Washingtonians re-
member that big 400-pound Turk Hack
| enschmidt is not six feet high, accord
| ing to report, ard is credited with
| weighing but a tri1e over 200 pounds.
Yet on his record they give q Gzaeco-
/ Roman victory over Nouroulah. My
| eakerness TO meet Hackenschmidt on
!, the mat myself Is equaled only by my
curiosity to see him In action and my
| determination TO secure another meet
Ing with Tom Jenkins
Date Not Selected.
| According to New York advices, Hack
1 enschmidt and Jenkins have not yet de-
/ cided on the date for their match Gotch
| says that he does not expect to go
/ TO New York unless called there on
business before May, but should the
pafr mentioned be put on before that
time he viii surely be at the matside
| The winner first, Jenkins always, Is
the batfIecry I am working on just al
present., said Gotch.
| Hackenschmidt, according to the New
York Sun, weighs 21e pounds in condi-
! ton; has neck measurement OF twenty
inches; chest, normal forty-eight inches.
and expanded, fifty-two inches; bieeps,
eighteen and one-half inches: thighs.
| twen.y-seven and one-haif inches, waist.
/ thirty -four inches, and is only FIVE feet
| ten inches tall. Before he left England
for Australia his biceps measured nine
teen inches. a half inch being lost as a
result of an operation at Sydney, Aus
trafiaee where Hackenschmidt was confin-
| ed in a hospital for four weeks. He is an
1 ali-round' athlete. being equally at home
at swimming. tumbiing, high jumping
and gymnastics.
Speaks Many Languages.
Hackenschmidr is soIa 10 converse
nuentIy 10 English. Jfgs2ch. German,
Russian. Finnish Polish acd Bulgarian.
and Is also cons ersant 2ith several OF
/ the Russian dialects. AI.nsi:sh ne was
born on Russian soil, his father is Ger
man and his mother SaTedte. He Will be
been born in Yurzi In st.e Baltic prov
inces. Russia, on July 20, 9s77. Hacken-
schmidt carries the badge of his pro-
tfession-a right caulifower ear. Unlike
some professional strong men, he is not
muscle bound He proved this by doing
a couple OF f1ip-fops N his room