The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-04
WRESTLERS ON EDGE,
FOR BIG BOUT TO-DAY
Gotch and Hackenschmidt Said
to Be in Prime
Condition.
BOTH ARE CONFIDENT
Early Last Night Crowd Had
Begun to Gather at
Park.
Statement. of wre.tIers.

Il certainly expect to win, for l am
basing my plans for victory on my
condition. which is better than ever
before in my long wrestling career. |
also belive that l will be able to meet
Hacky trick for trick and outlast him
IL the match becomes an endurance
contest, such as our former match
Just how will try 20 defear Hack
1 cannot say. My tactics will depend
somewhat on his. 1 am prepared 70
wrestle all night If necessary Hacks
great strength makes him q hard man
10 defeat II VIII be u match in which
generalship as we'll as strength viii
count. My greater experience should
bring me victory."-Gotch.
I'm all of my professional wrest-
ling matches never have tried 10 pre-
dict the outcome. Will not boast.
All can say is that 1 am feeling fine
and have trained faithfully. and want
TO sail for home September as the
worlds wrestling champion.
Il never have been satisfied with
my other match with Gotch, when he
was credited with, defea ting me. T.
have.learned moro since then and have
more confidence. '-Hackenschmidt.
Chicago, ILL.,. September Scotch.
the Iowa farmer. and George Hacken-
term!ne Tomorrow who ia the mightiest
wrestler in the world. Tomorrow at
ternoon at o'clock. IN the American
League Park. these two grapplers Will
meet to settle the supremacy. Gotch
won their former match in Chicago.
april 8. 1908, but he did not pin the
shoulders of the "Rusaian lion" TO tho
mat For that reason he never has
been given universal credit for his VIC
tory.
But tomorrow both contestants in
sist that the match will not end until
one man has obtained two falls. III
may be necessary to finish the contest
under the glare of arc lights. but re
CARELESS OF this the wrestlers are deter
mined to settle their dispute beyond
ali possible doubt before they leave
the park.
The total t.cket sales up to s O'Clock
tonight amounted to approximate,
$4,000. 1t Is expected that $1,000 per-
sons VIII witness the contest and that
the gross receipts Will be in the neigh
borhood OF 100000. Whatever they
are. II is expected that they will be
larger than at any previous contest
Although the turnstile at the park
VIII not begin to revolve until IL
o'clock. early tonight ardent deyotees
OF the sport had begun TO gather out
Side the gates and seek vantage points
Tor an early entrance to the field Sto-
ries of Gotchs wonderful condition,
which have been circulated since he
arrived last Friday, have vared the bet
TINS ODDS on him down to two to one.
While he was stu training in Hum
boldt. Iowa. he was but a six TO five
favorite.
Very little betting is being done.
however AS an explanation for this
condition. vetran sports say that the
element which used 10 plunge on big
contests OF all kinds has not forgotten
the memorial prize fight which took
place In Reno on July 4, 1910. The So
called talent plunged and lost on
that occasion and although this match
In no way resembles that one. big bet
tiers. having once been bitten. are still
timid.
Gotch partisans maintain he will
win because he Is the cleverest catch
-catch-can wrestler. a quicker think
er and perhaps as strong as his oppo-
nent. They insist that he displayed
MS superiority In every department of
the sport at their last match and that
IN the last three years he has improved
greatly.
On the other hand followers of
Hackenschmidt say that ne is the
strongest wrestler that has ever lived. |
and thar in this contest, which 1t ia
generally conceded will he one reqnir-.
Ing great endurance. he Will outlast
his opponent. Humboldt. Ia, Gotch's
home. virtually is n deserted village
Tonight Scores of its citizens. who
have known Gotch from boyhood,
swarmed IN on him to-day and were
the champions guests at the Chicago
St Louis National League ball game. |
Gotch's aged mother. his wife and
members sc her family also attended
the game.
In the morning the champion too-
a brisk run to loosen his MUSCLE.
That was the only work in the way of
training he did. He spent the evening
in his apartments reading the hun
dreds OF letters and teleaSams wish
ing him good luck and Victory. This
was trying day for Hackenschmidts
trainers. The giant wrestler was is
petulant as a spoiled child. DR.. Roller
says this is good sign. because IL
shows the grappler is on edge
The Russian took a short run in
the morning, slert couple OF hours
during the afternoon. and wrestled
with DR., Roller. Americas and Johan
Koch just before dinner. Hacken-
schmidt was TO have umpired a base
ball game to-day hut his trainers can
celled the engagement, explaining he
was too nervous to officiate His
wrestling bouts to day were strenu-
Gus.