Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-22
NOT FAKERS' FAULT
WrestIing's Lack of Popularity
Due to Several Causes.
is AS CLEAN AS PUGILISM
Technical knowledge Necessary to
It's Enjoyment-Sport for
Competitors.
is AS CLEAN AS PUGILISM

Placing the blame for the lack OF popu-
larity of wrestling to the proneness OF
the srapplcrs to. fake is but half the
truth The other half is that the game
gives very little consideration to the
spectator without technical knowledge OF
the game. and sometimes not even to the
latter. In other words. the wrestling
game is made for those who compete
rather than those who are spectators.
And, as the latter have the privilege OF
staying away from anything that does
not appeal to them, the wrestling game
is not in it with boxing as drawing
card
Argument that taking has killed wrcst-
ling is not borne out when considered
along with boxing. II taking killed
wrestling it should also have killed box
ing. Not only have ring fakes been as
numerous as those on the mat. but the
top-notchers have been mixed up In
them as we'll Some of those who nave
gained notoriety in the ring through their
disregard of the honest way to get money
are Jack johnson. Jack O'Brien, Tommy
Ryan, Terry McGovern, Joe Cans, BOD
Fitzsimmons and Sam Lang1ord, ana
these include champions past and present.
Hence, if taking would kill wrestling 1t
certainly would also deliver Knockout
blow to boxing There is no question
but that taking has injured the sport In
popularity. because there is enough OF
1t to make the wrestling fan DOUBT
whether he is going to get what Is coming
to him when he pays to see matcn,
but this is not the only drawback to
the game by any means.
Americans Want Snap.
Americans must have something with
snap and action to it, and base ball Is
the national sport because 1t supplies this
better than any other. Wrestling is al
most the opposite of this. Strength, en-
durance and ability to stand punishment
are what decide championship matches in
this country, and science, speed and Sklli
are at a minimum. Most OF the skill
shown is not along the line OF obtaining
a fall, but of Furnishing an opponent until
he is so badly used up that he can offer
but feeble resistance. Frank GOtch is one
of the most Furnishing wrestlers In the
world. and that is the main reason why
he holds the championship. One proof or
this is furnished by the fact that his
most famous hold is one which forces an
opponent to give up because of pain, and
not because he is put on his back. THIS
is the toe hold. In addition, Gotch has
other holds that In any other game except
wrestling be cOnSlGeTeu SO pTutdi
as to be barred. What is true of Gotch
is true Of other champions, and the result
is that men are on the mat for hours,
with each trying to disable the other
rather than throw him. In most of the
big matches one might as well smoke a
cigar and read paper for the first hour,
because it is devoted to Juggling around,
trying to punish each other.
Some day the wrestling fraternity will
wake UP and begin to decide matches
on skill and points, and then the game
will boom. Europeans are rather sneered
at In this country because they wrestle
short bouts and know but little about
Furnishing and disabling an opponent. But
there Is much to be commended in this
style as compared with the one We have
in this country. The only trouble is that
they do not render decisions quick
enough and allow the wrestlers to loaf
too much. If wrestling i'm this country
were conducted in ten or fifteen minute
bouts and provision made for rendering
a decision at the end Of a certain number
Of bouts, provided no fall was gained,
with the further proviso that only holds
would be allowed which were designed to
aid directly In getting fall, the game
would become popular in a hurry. Under
such conditions wrestlers would have to
hustle during the time they were on the
mat, and skill. speed and science would
take the place of knowledge and ability
to administer punishment. As proof of
this are the tournaments held in st.
Louis, where decisions have been render
ed on points.