The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-03

is not now regarded with the fear as has
been the case. A man with a short or
powerful neck can usually break the
hold. The grape vine and scissors hold,
used by Burns on several occasions, is a
sure one, Parr is the only man yet seen
in Birmingham who has turned the trick
with the flying English corkscrew'' and
claims he brought 1t from 1.-THE old oouns
try" Gotch may be ION to it, however;
he knows nearly everything else.
Something of Gotch.
1t is hard to compare the two men,
since Gotch has been seen here only once.
Gotch is really one of the athletic mar
wells of the age. In condition, and he is
seldom out of condition, he weighs 200
pounds. He is about six feet tall, and
built In splendid proportion. Naturally
very strong, his careful painstaking ex
ercises have given him splendid muscles,
which are we'll graduated and do not
stand out in startling relief as do the
muscles of the average strong man. On
the mat Gotch is quick as cat; in fact
there has never been a wrestler who
could approach his speed, coupled with
the same weight, and some of the faster
little fellows have had their work cut
out for them to outsprint him on the
canvas. With all this perfection, Goteh
has wonderful endurance and can travel
at a wicked clip for hours at a time.
Many of his most important matches
have been won over the long distance
route"
Withal, Gotch Is a gentleman in de-
meanor, and to sporting men who Will
see him, he will probably appear more
like the college athlete than anything
else. And he can make a speech that is
well worth listening to. If Birmingham
lets him get away without a flow of ora
tory before the match, she will be the
first city In the country that has failed
to get few words out of the handsome
young champion.
Gotch "on the Square,"
There is no question but that the COM
ing Of Gotch has done a great deal for
the American mat. The big fellow is SO
sincerely out to win all the time, and has
SO frequently demonstrated the fact that
he cannot be approached with crooke
work, that he has come to be known as
1.-The safe bet" Those who have wagercd
their money on him have seldom, very
seldom, gone astray. when I've got to
lose to win," says Frank, paradoxicall.,
then l want to stop professional wrest-
ling and hike back to the farm"
Large crowds of spectators have viewed
Gotch's work on the mat, but until he
appeared In New York, Buffalo, Kansas
City, St Louis, New Orleans, and other
popular ceDters, the presence of women
at matches was rarity. AT these places.
however, they turned out in hundreds TO
see Gotch's bouts and were highly de-
lighted. Over 5000 women were In the
great house which gathered In Kansas
City last May to see Gotch wrestle and
defeat Tom Jenkins for the American
championship.
Most Proficient Wrestler.
His work on the mat is remarkably
800. 4. 4. l..
man a great deal more than the average
wrestler, and his terrible toe hold, an
invention which many men tried valnly
to copy. is one of the most wicked locks
known to wrestling. Once .clasped Sc
curely on an adversary, there is little
left for the other fellow to do but to
roll over on his back Gotch is an adept
on the "strangle" in matches in which
it is allowed. He has great control of The
hammer lock" and is proficient in all
the tricks of the game. He admits that
it cost him some awful hours on the
mat before he mastered some of the in.
tricacies of the game.
Such is the reputation of the greatest
wrestler of America. You all have seen
Farmer" Burns, Judge him for your
selves.
The mail orders for reserved seats for
the match Thursday are coming In every
day and the Indications are that the
largest crowd that ever attended an ath-
letic event in the south will turn out to
see Farmer Burns and Gotch struggle
on the mat for the heavyweight cham
pionship of America. platform will
be erected In the center Of the arena at
the Southside skating rink and 1000 chairs
will be placed around the PLATFORM which
will run the entire seating capacity up
to 5000. Arrangements have been made
with the Birmingham View company to
take several fiash-light pictures of The
vast audience and wrestlers while the
match Is in progress.