Arizona republican., 1911-04-18
Gotch Arrives This Morn
ing, Johnson Already
Here and Big Event Will
Come Off on Schedule
Time at Third Avenue.

Frank Gotch, the champion wrestler
Of the world. and probably as great
wrestler as the world has ever seen.
viii arrive on this mornings train all
ready for his handicap match with / A.
johnson at the Third Avenue theater
this evening The Terrible Swedc"
reached this city last night. and there
is no possibility Of a hitch interfering
in any way with the event as planned
to come off and announced by Man
lager Kirkland. The theater has been
thoroughly renovated and prepared for
the match. undoubtedly the greatest
sporting event which has ever taken
place in Phoenix or the salt ri, er val
ley
The two athletes viii take the stage
tonight with the best of feeling toward
each other, Gotch confident of victory.
as he mas a right to be in view Of his
long list Of triumphs, and Johnson fully
aware of the speed and power Of his
iopponent. but hopeful of coming off
winner i'm spite of il. There is no more
notable characteristic of the champion
than his fairness and close adherance
To- all the rules of the game He has
J
fair advantage Of an adversa ry. and
the men he has thrown have invariably
become his friends after their defeat
if they were not already drawn to him
before the meeting. Johnson is Ger
tain of having a square deal, and
there will be no protest of the deci-
sions made by either man. Each man
goes in to win" and the man who
comes off with the laurel viii meet the
victor half way in a cordial handshake.
Already wen known IN local sporting
circles. the Swede will meet with an
ovation as he takes the platform to-
night for the contest, given him by mis-
! friends. who will expect great things
of him The features and marvellous
development Of Gotch have become ia
miliar TO all the local fans who keep
a line on the game through the photo
| graphs which have been printed of him
/ in all the sporting papers of the coun-
try during the years of his champion
ship. and he viii not feel the GOODNESS
i'm the house which is so often in
voluntarily sent out To meet stranger.
Il know l am going To meet the
| greatest wrestler in the world said
Johnson last night. but I intend To
do my best" This is the exact eX-
! preston of his attitude and Of the
| spirit with which he will 90 on the
mat tonight There is nobody i'm the
country or anywhere to compare with
! GOtCh. and / won't feel particularly
dOwnhearted if he throws me. for he
has cleaned up every man i'm the bust
| less. That is the champions specially
to take the cOnceit out of his OPP
! ponents. and the only thing for me To
do is to meet him without any conceit.
] don't have to have anybody tell me
| what I'm up against. but ! expect to
! surprise some of the fans who will
come with the expectation OF seeing
me go down without giving him a hard
tussle. II | have good luck ! hope to
give him a fall. and if / don't--it won't
be anything against me. as far as ]
can see"
The Dig Swede has been wanting to
pull off a match with Gotch for several
months. but before the meeting of
| Gotch and Westergard in the pavilion
I at Los Angeles i'm which the cham
] pion came off winner. he had no oppOr
| tunity to break into the class from
which Gotch selects his opponents. BY
| arrangement with Klank, GotchS man
| ager. preliminary event was ar
! ranged for Johnson and Graw. a conner
Of the coast. and Graw was given two
falls in record breaking ig time John
son issued challenge to al corners,
and finally succeeded in making ar
rangements to meet Gotch here.
When Gotch reaches the city this
! morning he will he accompanied by
! D., ,,-ffa and Manauar L-IapLy former
well known grappler. and during his
| visit he will be entertained by a num-
! Der of friends who met him at Reno
at the time Of the Jeffries- johnson
! fight The champion likes to meet his
! friends to have a chat over old sport
| ing events in which he participated.
! but. unlike the majority Of mat men.
! ne does not like to talk about himself,
giving more time to the other fel-
| low.
| The articles for this evenings match
: call for the champion to throw John
son three times in one hour Of actual
wrestling time. and it will be no easy
/ task for him to make good under the
! contract for even although he is not
! i'm Gotch's class, The Terrible Swede"
| is 4 good defensive grappler. and he
VIII give MS opponent Il HdTu contest
| in a bout of this kind Hundreds of
people in the valley who have not seen
Johnson in action will be anxious to
get a line on his work, and the large
| advance sale of tickets indicates
| larger attendance at the event than
the Third Avenue has ever been called
upon to seat. Standing room will be
at premium long before the first pre-
liminary is opened, and a sea of faces
will confront the two giants as they
come from their dressing rooms for
| the tussle. a large number of fans
will root for Johnson, and his work