Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-02-07
GOTCH To MEET
YOUNG RIVAL ON
MAT THIS YEAR
Considerable Cash in Hand
VIII Be Demanded Before
Iowa Farmer Will Come
Out of Retirement, Is Belief

/ New York, Feb. Ito bring out Of
retirement a champion i'm any line Of
lsport, who has held the titulal hon
| ors for some years in order that he
may test his strength and skill against
a younger and really formidable OPP
ponent Is an expensive operation, a
champion with the lust for battle
idulled by years of competition and Sc
lcretly doubtful of his ability To hold
MS own against Il more youthful
challenger considers such Il match a
| business proposition in which he risks
his hard-earned laurcls for so much
money and the sum Is usually so
high that Is IN excellent balm in case
| the title passes from his pc session
| The promoters who are planning to
bid for the Gotch- Stechcr wrestling
contest are going to discover this fact
when the time comes for the making
Of bids for the match. While the
Iowa champion and the Nebraska
challenger are far from being
matched at this time, there is no ques-
ton that they will meet on the mat
for the worlds catch -as-catch- can
championship within the next year.
Gotch has already legun training and
will soon start upon a country wide
tour meeting all-comers in short time
bouts. Stecher is rapidly increasing
his reputation and popularity by meet
ing opponents in various big cities in
accordance with a lengthy schedule
prepared before he left his home in
Dodge. Neb.
Jeffrics-Johns0n Battle.
1t cost Tex Richard SOL, 600 in adj
idition to bonuses, to bring Jim Jeffries
and Jack Johnson together at Reno,
New, and while wrestlers have never
ireceived as much as pugilists in the
general run of the championship
matches, it is certain that a new rec
ord in wrestling purses will be made
when Gotch finally signs for his Crap
pie with Stechcr. Whether the match
will prove as disappointing to those
that witness it is the Johnson Ieffries
battle did To the spectators who gath
cred at the Nevada rinsside on July
a, 1910. only time can tell
AS general rule Wrestlcrs hold
their graphing ability for n number
of years beyond the point where fight
ers begin to slip back. Jeffries was
thirty-five when Johnson at the age
of thrty-two wrested his title from
HIM Gotch is thirty-eight and Stech
cr twcnty-three and while the latter
has had a remarkable record to date
many think that Gotchs long mat ca
reer ana wrestling experience will off
set the advantage of Stecher's youth,
In fact some wrestling experts figure
that the Nebraska grappler is too
young to tackle GotCh. Certain ii is
that a study of the latter's record inn
presses one with the formidable per-
formances Of the man when taken in
connection with the well-knOWn fact
that III has always been moderate and
methodical in his habits and training.
Gotch Real Champ.
Gotch. who is > feet, l-2 inches,
tails and weighs about 2l0$ pounds, in
condition, has won more than 100 of
the liz time handicap or finish bouts,
in addition to throwing more than 200
opponents in fifteen 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,
.ene inch. in hei6ht and strips at
about 'sQ0 pounls. Re has wrestled
more than fifty matches and has new
en- lost decision although held to
no-fall match by Stranger Lewis and
George Turner.
Texas League First
The first baseball schedule Of the
1916 professional season has made its
appearance The Texas league has
the honor. Play viii begin ON April
IL and end on September t.
Amateur Auto Races.
Plans are under way for the stag
ing of a series of races to decide the
amateur autu-rdeing championship Of
the United States during the coming
season 1t is proposed to hold races
at various speedway distances in the
south, east, middle and far west with
the winners to meet in national title
race late in the fall. Entrants must
drive their own cars and be amateurs
in the fun sense Of the word
Millions of Motor Cars.
More than three million automobiles
are registered in seventy one countries
of the world. over two-thirds are
used within the United States.