Norwich bulletin., 1916-02-16
ATTORNEYS-AT-L
EXPENSIVE OPERATION FOR
CHAMP TO COME BACK
Champion DuIIed by Lack of Com
petition is Doubtful of His Ability.

To bring out of retirement a cham
pion in any line of sport who has
held the titular honors for some years,
in order that he may test his strength
and skill against younger and really
formidable opponent, is an expensive
operation. A champion, with the lust
for battle dulled by years of competi-
ton and secretly doubtful of his abil-
ity to hold his own with a more
youthful challenger, considers such a
match business proposition, in
which he risks his hard-earned Iau-
rels for so much money, and the sum
is usually so high that it is an excel
lent balm in case the title passes from
his possession.
The promoters who are planning to
bid for the Gotch- Stecher wrestling
contest are going to discover this fact
when the times comes for the maxi
ing of bids for the match. While the
Iowa champion and the Nebraska
challenger are far from being match
ed at this time, there is no question
that they will meet on the mat for
the worlds catch as catch-can cham
pionship within the next year. Gotch
has already begun training and will
soon. start upon a country wide tour,
meeting all corners in short time
bouts. Stecher is rapidly increasing
his reputation and popularity by
les in accordance with a lengthy sche-
dule prepared before he left his home
in Dodge, Neb.
It cost Tex Richard SOL, 900 in addi-
ton to bonuses, to bring Jim Jaffries
and Jack johnson together at Reno
New, and while wrestlers have never
received as much as pugiIists in the
general run of championship matches
it is certain that a new record in
wrestling purses will be made when
Gotch finally signs for his grapple
with Stecher. Whether the match will
prove as disappointing to those that
witness it as the Johnson Jeffries bat
tie did to the spectators who gath
cred at the Nevada ringside on July
4, 1910, only time can tell.
AS a general rule WreStlerS hold
their graphing ability for a number
of years beyond the point where fight
ers begin to slip back. Jeffries was
80 when Johnson at the age of 80
wrested his title from him. Gotch
is SO and Stecher % and while the lat
date many think that Gotch's long
mat career and wrestling experience
will offset the advantage of Stacher's
youth. In fact some wrestling experts
figure that the Nebraska grappler is
too young to tackle Gotch. Certain
it is that study of the 1atter's mat
record impresses one with the formid-
able performances of the man when
taken in connection with the we'll
known fact that he has always been
moderate and methodicaI in his hab-
it's and training
Gotch, who is feet II 1-2 inches
tall and weighs about 30 pounds, in
condition, has won more than 100 of
the 172 time handicap or finish bouts
in addition to throwing more than 200
opponents in 15-minute exhibition or
invitation bouts in this country and
Canada. During his foreign tour he
met and conquered about half that
number. Stecher measures 6 feet 1
inch in height and strips at about FOG
pounds. He has wrestled more than
so matches and has never lost a de-
eision although held to no-fall
match by Stranger Lewis and George
Turner