Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1911-09-05
COTCH RETAINS WORLDS
TITLE AS The CHAMPION

| For his defeat, Hackenschmidt Of
fers but the one excuse, that his left
knee, which was injured in training
two weeks ago, weakened under the
pressure of the iron hands of Gotch,
and it was useless to continue at the
risk of being permanently injured
Hackenschmidt. went into the ring
with the knee in a bandage.
But, regardless Of whether Hack
Ienschmidt's knee was in bad shape,
the challenger was in no state men
tally to enter grueling contest
Hackenschmidt was unnerved before
he entered the arena. Whether II
was from worry over his injured
knee or his fretting over the match
is not known. Like Jeffries at Reno,
the Russian spent sleepless night
before the battle. His trainers tried
every means to make him at ease.
They had him room with Johann
Koch, German, and one Of Koch's
chief duties was to sing songs Of
the fatherland to the Russian and
try to make him feel at ease. But
Hackenschmidt would not be calm-
ed.
After trying vainly for several
hours to 60 to sleep, he rose and
pleaded with his trainers to give
him drugs that would induce rest.
They refused to do this. and Hack
enschmidt retired to fret the night
away. l
In the minds of the vast crowd
that saw that match, there was m
doubt as to which was the better
wrestler, Gotch outpointed, outgen-
eraled and outgamed his opponent.
The Iowan appeared to be faster
than he ever had been before. His
condition was perfect. He enter.,d
the ring filled with confidence and
never once did he lose his GOODNESS.
At every stage Of the bout he smil-
ed as though he never had the
slightest doubt as to the ultimate
outcome.
On the other hand, Hacker
schmidt seemed i'll at ease. During
the first fall, he set about his work
with his face set and anything hut
the CLINT OF confidence in his eye.
After Gotch had gained the first
fall, the courage of the Russian apt
peared to have oozed out Of him.
With shoulders stopped and eyes
downcast, he sat in his corner await
ling the starting signal.
Up in box in the center Of the
grand stand sat two women who did
more, perhaps, to cheer Gotch on to
victory than all the other persons
in the audience. They were his
mother and his young bride. Free
quently while in the thickest of the
fray, Gotch found time to look to-
ward the two women and smile.
During the ten minutes intermis-
sion between falls he did not go at
once to his dressing room, but stood
for moment in his corner, smiling
and waving to the two women.
Hackenschmidt was heartbroken
over the result. In his dressing
room for half an hour he sat in his
wrestling garb, crying and refusing
the preferred attention, and cheer
ing words of his trainers.
go away" he said to all of them
Leave me alone" And then his
broad chest would heave and the
tears would flow unrestrained from
his eyes.
Gotch only smiled after the
Notch was over. He said the result
was exactly as he thought it would
be.
The story of the actual wrestling
that was done is soon told. Time
was called at S:15 o'clock. The con-
testants Immediately locked heads
and began feeling each other ont.
For five minutes they tugged at
each others necks, wrists and arms.
but neither obtained a dangerous
hold.
1t was Gotch who first turned at
tention to the legs. He made sew
eral fake passes at Hacks knees be-
fore he finally obtained a knee hold
at the end of eight and half min
utes. Once the Iowan's massive
hands were fastened on Hacken-
schmidt's left leg, the Russian went
down. He struggled out Of that and
a subsequent hold OF the same kind,
and then became the aggressor. At
ten minutes Hack got body hold
and put Gotch to the mat, but he
was down only an instant.
After fourteen minutes wrest-
ling, Gotch started Hack downward
with a knea hold faxed q crafch