Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1910-06-13
It WAS ONE Of MANY
SIMILAR ACCIDENTS
Al Christensen Says He Is Not the
First 70 Quit With Injured
Shoulder.
To the Sporting Editor of the Arizona

To the Sporting Editor of the Arizona
! Republican,:
In regard TO the story which ap.
! peared in one of the evening paper.
J of Saturday. June il. regarding th'
| alleged frameup of the handicaI
wrestling match which took place "a
the Majestic theater Friday night be.
tween Dan BalsZ and myself. / would
like 10 have the public hear my side
/ Of the story.
As Far as the frame-up goes. which
was claimed by the evening paper. ii
certainly has done me an injustice
| | have never been accused of fran
/ ing match" in my life Those whom
! | meet. may they be good or bad meet
! them on the level and play fair
and square game with all. If l am
able to win a handicap match, | do it
but there is always a chance To lose
In my match with Dan Balsz on Fri
day night. if had wanted to play q
dirty game, like some OF the profess
sional wfestlers over the country.
would have probably injured the boy
To begin with in order to win the
| match and To save myself the injured
shoulder which | received But in
stead of playing a dirty game with
I BalsZ. | went i'm to win and win from
him fairly by clean wrestling. But after
eight minutes of wrestling | injured
my shoulder and from that time on
| realized that I had no show what
ever To throw him. admit that it
was a mighty poor SHOWING on my
part. and forfeited the match before
the hour was up i'm order to show
the spectators that there was no frame
up by allowing ii 10 last the hour /
told my hackers that there was no
show for a return match. even if BalsZ
did stay the hour with me. as | was
going in to win if | could. and would
leave the following week.
The crowd without a doubt. had
reasons to be disappointed but if they
would stop and consider for a minute.
such men as the great DIR. Roller
with an audience of 5000 people had
to quit in thirty three Minutes from
the same cause that made me quit
on Friday night. In my match with
Walter Willoughby at Tampa Florida
for the middleweight championship OF
America. the later was compelled to
forfeit the championship To me. from
this same cause IAN injured shoulder"
this was done after one hour and
thirty-five minutes Of wrestling.
Chris Pearson. the light heavyweight
champion Of America, had to quit at
Anderson. :. c.. after one hour of
wrestling without a fall being secured
on account of broken shoulder This
match was forfeited to me-
Dan Mcleod. the only man that
ever threw Frank Gotch. lost the first
fall to me i'm Charlestown. :. G.. after
wrestling nine and a half minutes for
the first fall. and the second fall he
had to quit after wrestling exactly
nine minutes with "A broken shoulder.
All of this goes To show that the best
Of wrestlers are compelled to quit.
Any man. it makes no difference
how good ne may be, will some time
in his life on the mat receive injuries
and when he is injured he might Just
as well give up until he has recov-
cred.
| certainly appreciate the many
friends ! have made during my stay
in Phoenix and l feel very sorry in
deed Ia think that / will have To lose
then now on account Of a mishap
which may at any time happen To any
man
| have been having my arm treated
by DIR. ID. l. Conner. CsteOpath. for the
past few days. After my match with
Jeffries, | felt my arm hurting me
but did not think ii very serious or
] certainly would have called my
match with Balsz off. MY doctor adj
Nises me | had better have the broken
elbow cap in my right arm removed.
This | may have done Monday or
Tuesday.
am very sorry indeed that the edi-
tor Of the evening paper has no more
judgment than he demonstrated by
publishing such an article on Satur-
day evening. | remain to YOU and
the public in general. very truly.
AL. &. CHRISTENSEN.
Champion Wrestler Of the South.
Phoenix. June l.. 1910.