Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-02
BIC PURSE TO GET COTCH
CHAMPION WRESTLER HAS
POWER TO DICTATE TERMS
Undcfcnted Mnt .%rtist VIII Meet
stcchcr Only for Record Sum.
Stlil dangerous Man.

NEW YORK. February Ito bring
out of retirement champion in any
line of sport, who has held tho titular
h"nors for some years. in order shat
he may test his strength and skill
against Il younger and really fOrmida.
bic opponent is an expensive opera
ton. champion with the lust for
battle. dullcd by years OF competitions
and secretly doubtful OF his ability to
hold his own with Il more youthful
challenger considers such II match Il
business proposition in which he
risks his hard-carncd laurels for so
much money. and tho sum is usually
so high that IT is an excellent balm
III case the title passes from his pos
session.
The promoters who arc planning to
bid for the n-Stechcr wrestling
contest are going "a discover this fact
when the time comes for the making
OF bids for the match. While the Iowa
hampton and the Nebraska challenger
are far from being matched at this
'imc, there is no question that they
VIII meet on the mat for the worlds
catch -as-catch-can championships with
IN the next year. Ciotch has already
begun training. and will soon start
upon a couu;ry-w tour, meeting all
corners IN short-time bouts. Stecher is
rapidly increasing his reputation and
popularity by meeting opponents in
yarions big cities. IN accordance with Il
lengthy schedule prepared before he
left his home III Dodge Ncb.
II cost Tex Richard S101 900, in adj
dition to bonuses. to bring Jim Jeffries
and Jack Johnson together at Reno.
New, and while wrcSticrS have never
received as much as pucilists i'm tho
general run Of championship matches
IL is certain that new record in wrcs-
Ting purses Will bc made when Gotch
finally signs for his Erapple with
Stechcr Whe Their the match will prove
us Disappointing 10 those that witness
II rs the Johnson Jeffrics battle did to
vada ringside OF July i, 1910, only
timo can tell
As general rule wrestlcrs hold
their graphing ability for n number
ers begin to slip back. Jcffries was
thirty-five when Johnson, at the age of
thirty-two, wrested his title from him.
Gotch is thirty-eght and Stccher
twenty-thrce. and while tho latter has
had a remarkable record TO date. many
think Gotch's long mat career and
wrestling experience will offset the
advantage OF Stccher's youth. In fact,
some wrestling experts figure that the
Nebraska grapplcr is too Young to
tackle Gotch. Certain 1t is that Il
study Of tho lattcrS mat record inn
presses one with the formidable per-
forinanceS OF the man when taken in
connection with the wcil-known fact
that he has always been moderate and
m"thodical in his habits and training
Gotch. who is five feet eleven and
nnc-half inches tall and weighs about
90 pounds in condition. has won more
than 100 Of the IT2 time handicap or
finish bouts. in addition to throwing
more than 600 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. Stcchcr meas
| urcs six feet, one inch in height and
strips ut 900 pounds. He has wrcstlcd
more than fifty matches. and has new
or lost a decision. although held to "a
no-fall match by Stranger Lewis and
! George Turner.