Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-10-10
GOTCH TO TRY
FIGHT GAME
Champion Wrestler Sees
Easy Money in the New
Sport.

CHICAGO, Oct. 1O.-Frank Gotch,
champion heavyweight catch as catch
can wrestler of America, has made up
his mind to take up pugilism. He
came from his Iowa farm last Monday
night to wrestle at the Coliseum and
before he left the big building he ar
ranged to take a number Of boxing
lessons from Tommy Ryan Speaking
of the matter he said: 1T looks soft"
Frank meant the present crop of
heavyweights barring Jack Johnson,
did not appear formidable and that a
good man could wade through the
bunch. Continuing he said Il am
! only % years old, am big and strong
and, If I do say 1t myself. exception
ally fast with feet and hands and am
sure that I am game. The heavy
weights Of today do not compare with
i Jim Jeffres, Bob FitzsimmOns, Cor
bett, or Sharkev-ff they did I would
steer clear Of the fighting game. But
who is there to beato Burns Is n little
sawed off though a good. fast one, and
I presume. clever and strong hitter.
schreck recently was beaten by Kauf-
man, and the remainder Of the heavies
are not worth talking about"
All Duckinq johnson.
"There's that colored fellow, Jack
Johnson. How about him?" l inquir-
ed.
"1vbo,- ava oil d,,oly;,o hin, arar't
they? Well. so will I when get into
the game Mind you, I am not sure
will take up fighting. 1t all depends
on how I get on with my lessons. AS
7 said before, 7 have all the natural
requirements but I never may get
handy with my dukes. I know there
4 is a big pot Of money in the game for
the topnotcher, and If Ryan and other
we'll posted men think I cannot reach
the top I will pass 1t up and stick to
the wrestling mat. I don't need the
money, as I am pretty we'll fixed and
have just signed a ten weeks wrest-
ling contract. But I hate to see so
much soft money in sight without
making an effort to get some of it."
'Te the wrestling game played out?"
I asked.
"There still is some change in It, but
no big money unless I can get on with
George Hackenschmidt 7 have beat
en- all the good mat men in this coun-
try and now would like to get on with
Hack The Kansas City promoters
will guarantee a $4,000 purse for the
match. which I am willing to split 60
and 40 and give him winner take all
if he thinks he can beat me. saw
him wrestle Jenkins and have a pretty
good line on him, and 7 am not bragg
cling when / say I think I can fatten
him out OF course. he may handle me
like I handle some of the third raters,
but am willing to give him go"
Has Had Two Fights.
when do you intend to place your
self under Tommy Ryan's care?" I
asked.
after fill the ten weeks engage
ment | have just contracted for. l am
not going into this fighting game with
my eyes closed. want that under
rtood l will give myself a thorough
tryout and let my friends and those
versed In the sport pass upon me. If
they say I am ripe for the game, and
I can convince myself that / am you
will find me chasing up the champion
ship.
Il have had two ring tits. Neither
of them, however, was to my credit
While at Dawson City picking up some
easy wrestling money I thought was
good enough to lick old Frank Slavin,
but he quickly convinced me fighting
was not my vocation. A couple of
years ago I took another crack at 1T,
my opponent being a husky fellow,
Boomer Weeks, at Spokane, and I did
not demonstrate anything in that fight.
'T've had on the gloves with Kid Nc
Coy and he led me to believe l could
make my mark as a fighter but he
was wrong. That however, was when
the market was overcrowded with
first class heavyweights and fellow
had to be a crackerjack to beat sec
ond rater. The market is depleted at
present. and as I said before, 1t looks
/, soft"
Dempsey Was Wrestler
Wrestlers, although generally strong
and game, never have made any head
way as pugilists. Jack Wannup, an
English catch as catch can and Graeco
Roman wrestler took up the fighting
game, but made a failure of 1t. The
only successful fighter to enter the
game from the wrestling ranks was
Jack Dempsey, and he was a collar
and elbow expert. Tom O'Rourke has
a big wrestler, Joe Rogers. now In
: England, who, Tom claims, is as well
/ acn,Iainted with labs. swings and up