The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-23
LeBron's = Main q :
QUALITY
CHRISTMAS GIFTS.
SPORTING NEWS.

= . = . ( = . . . . = = . = s.
Contrary to expectations some live
ly skirmishing is expected when the
schedules are submitted to President
M. E. Justice and are in turn submit
ted to the different cities to be voted
two schedule makers would submit
drafts, but the league executive stat
ed yesterday that there would be r1ore
and 1t is thought there will be ct least
e half dozen to give the magnates a
little thought during January.
A number of congratulatory letters
have been received by President Har-
ry Hofer upon the signing of Babe
Myers, as manager Frank Boyle says
in his letter: note according to the
evening papers that you have selected
Babe Myers to manage your team.
You are to be congratulated upon Sc.
curing him, for know of two class B
'ubs that were anxious to secure his
services. Since conditions were such
that l could not accept your most lib
eral offer. | have been interested in
seeing you get man that will give
your town good club and believe
you will not regret selecting Babe
Myers. With best wishes am,
Frank Gotch must be given cerdit
for revolutionizing wrestling pretty
much as Jim Corbett did boxing. Be-
fore Corbett introduced the modern
style of boxing the man who could
stand UP and take a beating and give
one in return was the one to win
titles. Speed and avoiding punish
ment was secondary matter, and
fighters who resorted to it were held
up to contempt. Then Corbett came
to the front with his wonderful clever
ness of hand and foot, and his new
system of protecting himself from
punishment while. infiicting small
amount on an opponent, but doing this
persistently. This wore Sullivan down
and resulted in his being deprived
of his title. Even in the condition he
was in when he met Corbett, Sullivan
would haze defeated Jim with ease
had the latter stood UP and fought it
out, and John tainted him with this
fact in the ring at New Orleans. When
Corbett won over Sullivan, imitators
Of the formers style of fighting sprang
up all over the country, and it was not
long until the old-style ringsters went
cut for good Present ring tactics are
along the Corbett lines, with some
small improvements.
| About this time Gotch was coming
/ into the wrestling title the American
mat artists were refusing to meet the
tremely heavy men being imported,
! notably the Turks, who began to flood
| the country after Youssuff cleaned up.
/ Wrestling was conducted pretty much
along lines of strength and weight at
that time, and speed was not regarded
as much of necessity. Punishment
was understood to some extent, but it
was not scientifically applied; and
when there was much of it, it was gen.
orally because there was a lot of foul
work Wearing man down consisted
mainly in getting him on the mat and
| laying around on him SO as to tire him
| ont by sheer weight.
/ Gotch changed this almost complete
| ly He was about the same as other
wrestlers up to about the time he had
| to meet Hackenschmidt, and the in.
| dications are that he changed his
plans mainly for this bout, as he fear
| ed the Russians great size and
strength. AS a result Gotch spent
most of his time while training work
ing out system whereby he could
at the same time worry and wear
down his opponent. How successful
he was, was shown when he had his
opponent beaten before ever the two
went to the mat. Throwing him when
finally Gotch concluded it was time to
mere matter of form, as Hacken-
schmidt was too weak then to defend
himself. Ever since Gotch has resort
ed to the same tactics when he is
against an opponent who is heavier
and stronger than he is. AS a result,
the big wrestlers have not been able
to take his title away, and the bigger
they come, the more certain Gotch Is
of winning No man above certain
weight is fast on his feet, and Gotch
takes advantage Of his own speed and
his knowledge of defensive wrestling to
keep away from his opponent and at
the same time punish him as much as
possible until he gets him too weak to
use his natural strength.
There's nothing SO good for a sore
-, Nv, rboV ac, al