The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1910-03-13
FRANK GOTCH is
BRA|NY WRESTLER
(By Ed w. Smith.)

Chicago. March S-"Just another
evidence" remarked Frank Gotch as
he crawled out OF the Coliseum ring
Monday night nonchalantly fastening
his bathrobe about his sturdy Iowa
person, Pleasant evening, wasn't 1t ."
and he smiled bldpdly as throngs o.
his admirers tried to grasp his hand
and shake the mighty mitt
IT was another evidence Of some
thing when Gotch so decislyely defeat
ed Jimmy Esson just as he has trim
med dozens and dozens Of other atm
letes that looked as II they might have
chance of doing something with him,
some little thing that would have
made the Iowa man extend himself.
And the question naturally suggests
itself: What is It that Gotch has
that makes him stand out go far and
with such cameo-like dlstinctnes5y
The answer is: Several things. chief
Of which is the maryelously quick
brain the champion possesses. He Is
several streets and five or six al
leys ahead of the average opponent
In figuring out campaign and Gun
put his Ideas into such action as 10
befuddle man who has to have time
TO make up his mind
Gotch Beyond the Times.
Gotch has progressed far beyond
his time. He Is much ahead of Am.
erican wrestlers In power and thought
and just far enough In advance OF the
powerful and freakish foreign stars
that are sent over here To practical
ly dislodge his title TO retain 1t for
years to come.
He gets hold on his opponents that
look like the holds that other wrest-
lerS obtain on their men. but they
are different Note the half.Nelson
that Gotch secures. The average
wrestler gets merely his hand and
wrist behind an opponents head,
Gotch gets his entire arm right up
tc the elbow into the lock and places
IL across the back OF a mans head
not on his neck This Is only a part
OF the perfect system of leverage that
the champion has at such great com
mand.
WreetIes Like a Master.
So wonderfully well does he use
this leverage that when he is ex-
erning all his force TO move an op-
ponent thore seems TO be but little
exertion bo the movement That's
why everything that Gotch does
looks easy.
Take his move when Esson once
slipped away from him and sprang
to his feet, Gotch remaining on all
fours in the ring With a stab like
a lightning flash he reached out and
grabbed Esson's ankle and with ap-
parently nothing more than a little
twist he brought this big 230 FOUNDER
es flat as a founder.
Gotch wreStles like n master cue
expert plays billiards He has his
moves figured out In advance of what
he is really attempting. Hence II was
that Esson was never out of his dif-
ficultics once Gotch got a hold on
him
Has Wonderful System.
Esson seemed TO break holds. but
instantly In his efforts to get away.
slipped and rolled into holds that
wero far worse than what he had the
moment before escaped. It's a won
derful system, this wrestling scheme
of Gotch's. 1t took years of patient
toll and study and not a little intul'
tlveness to get It where II is. But It
is there, perfected as no one else has.
been able TO perfect II.
Franks feinting is marvellous Once
on top he has an opponent worried
to frazzle, wondering where the at
tack is to be. Gotcb seems to reach
q man from crown TO heels and can
be found feeling around the toes while
pattins his man alongside tho head.
Greater Than Imagined
Esson was bit da2ed after he left
the stage Monday night, The big
Scot was asked what he thought of
Gotch
Let them not wonder any more In
Europe how he ever beat their idol,
Geo Hackensohmidt." he replied.
This fellow is greater than l over