Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-06
''HACK" WAS PUFFED
UP TOO STRONGLY


Not since Joe Acton. the greatest catch
as-catch-can wrestler that ever lived, lost
the championship to Evan Lewis, the
stranger has so much interest centered
in a wrestling match as in that which
was pulled off in Chicago Friday night be-
tween the widely touted Hackenschmidt.
the Russian lion. and Frank Gotch the
Iowa farmer. Never was a wrestler SO
widely puffed. According to his pluggers.
there never was a wrestler anywhere near
his class So strong, so skillful was he
that all possible contenders would be as
SO many Jumps OF putty in his hands. He
was a Clarence Whistler. a Joe Acton. a
Billy Muldoon, an Ernest ROeber, d YOU
sOuff, a Matsada Sorakashi and Jack
Carheek rolled into one. So extravagant
and SO persistent were the press notices
printed in one or two of the New York
newspapers regarding his great proves
that the unthinking were led to believe
that the man who would have the temer-
ity to go up against him would be COM
hitting suicide. That was the dope. But
how different the performance. ~ After
wrestling for over two hours with Gotch,
he cried pecavvi. and proved that he was
a dunghill by refusing to wrestle him any
longer.
If reputation and alleged previous per-
formances were to be considered in dop-
ing out the probable winner, there was
but one man in it. and that man was
Hack, for outside of his victory over Tom
Jenkins, GOtch had really done nothing to
prove that he was a wonder. and at the
time he defeated Jenkins the latter was an
old man as wrestlers go. But it was on
the fact that Hack had thrown Jenkins
in much shorter time than did GOtch that
Hacks superiority was based And if
4
on the level there would have been no de-
ny1ng the responsiveness of their dope.
But were they? So far as Gotch's match
with Jenkins Is concerned it must be
accepted as having been on the level. But
In the light of recent DEVELOPMENTS the
integrity of the contest between Hack and
jenkins cannot be accepted with the same
confidence.
1t will be recalled that Rogers, who was
taken to England by Tom O'Rourke for
the express purpose of getting on a match
with Hack, was a very long while in
arranging meeting. According to relia-
BILE inside sources the delay in arranging
the match was simply due to conditions
exacted by the Hackenschmidt camp.
Hack had to win. That was the only con-
dition upon which he would wrestle. and
no argument could induce him to change
the stand he had taken. He was the at
traction-the idol of sport-loving Britons
Hack is a Russian by birth and Britisher
by adoption, but he has unconsciously alb
sOrbed the thrifty business methods of
some of the American boxers who have
done much to pollute the game here
He wanted to cnch the match with
Rogers. Rogers had been under great ex-
pense in making the trip. and was in
need of the dough- At the same time, he
did not want to appear disgraced He
asked for the privilege OF one fall, If he
could get it. But there was nothing do
Ing. Hack would have to win straight
falls or there would be no bout Finally
Rogers was compelled by necessity to
imposed by Hack, and the result is well
known. Rogers never seemingly had a
look in In view of this 1t would not be at
all surprising If Jenkins was compelled
to make a somewhat similar ARRANGEMENT
with Hack. If he did, there was no
straight dope for comparing the relative
merits OF Hack and Gotch. and the lat
ter's victory Friday night is not SO sur
prising.
There is nothing in these criticisms that
reflect on Gotch. There is not the slight
est reason for believing that he won the
match with Hack in any way save by
sheer force of strength and superior abiI-
ty. He is deserving of all honors that
go with the victory, but If he wants to
reap the solid financial fruits Of his
other side. where he will encounter the
easiest sporting country in the world
Having beaten the champion of the world
there Is no one left on this side of the
ony on 1o IN mum DO dec meet ~ Besides it is
American public falls for a wrestling
match to the extent that they did in Chi
cago Friday night. Even If there is not
tne snghtest suspicion about a match. the
lack of spectacular interest will always
prevent the strenuous sport OF wrestling
from becoming popular with the general
public in this country.