Evening journal., 1916-02-05
GOTCHSEEMSBESTOF
MODERN WRESTLERS
Would Be Favorite In Any
Match He Might Enter
Despite Long Lay OH
STECHER BOUND
TO GET IN FRONT
RY MONTY.

NEW YORK. Feb. Sit is safe to
, say Fhat at least four-hfths Of the |
wrestling enthusiasts in this country
believe Frank Gotch. at his best. out
classed every other man that mas
tackled the mat game since its begin
ming Moreover. it can be veniured that
about the same proportion VIII iaNoi
Gotch to beat any man he faces. even
nowadays. following retirement
from the game since Labor Day. 1911.
when he made a monkey ont of
George Hackonschmdt. the so-called
Russian Lion. for the second straight
time. When Gotch gets back into
hrst-class condition he Will be favor
iic in any match he undertakes
fnt lust the same way Jim Jcnres
was lavoiite when ne essayed his
comeback and met Jack Johnson. As
everybody knows. JEFF was simply
pnherized by the negr0--no gentle
reader. don't chido US lor using mod
crn day slang. pulverzed was en-
ploycd by Charles Dickens in his Da-
vid Copperneld 10 mean just what We
lry to say. Johnson pounded Ieffries
10 a pulp. Old JEFF was slow and in
accurate. as we'll as lacking his old
stamina and punch viii Gotch act
Inc same role in wrestling that JEFF
fries did in boxing?
In some respects the cases ot JEFF
fries and Gotch are almost exactly
The same Both out-classod every
body in sight at the time Of retire
mcnt In each case challenger
finally arose who made such an inn
precision that demands were heard for
the return OF the champion. In Jofi's
case the Nemesis was Johnson. In
Hotch's case the Nemesis is Joe
Stecher. Of Dodge. Nebraska
There rre also ways IN which the
parallel fails TO &C. First and fore
most. is the fact that Gotch has led a
healthy. hardy life in the open air on
his farm al Humboldt. Iowa. lie has
been in fine general shape all the
time and never has violated any of
the elementary rules for physical
we'll being. Jeffries acted in reverse
manner To begin with he had a con
stitutional blood illness at the time
he quit the ring. To be sure. ht
went and lived on his Californi'
ranch. but he did not observe The
straight and simple" the way Gotcl
has done Jeffries liked a variety OF
f cntortainments that have not had a
great appeal for Gotch. JEFF INDUCED
his tastes and thereby did himself no
good Thus. at the time Jeff decided
10 come back. he was i'm no such fine
general trim as Gotch now is when
he Decides TO get ready for return
20 the old familiar battlefelds.
Carrying the parellel, OF rather the
perpendicular. further. Jeifries did
not train faithfully for the Johnson
bout even after he did begin his con-
ditioning process. Until a few days
before the bout he felt that Johnson
would 90 through with an agreement
10 fake and let JET win. Under thes'
conditions. why should JEFF train an
more than was necessary TO keep al
appearances. and make the publi
think he was in earnest? When tn
scene Of the Johnson-Jeh fracas wa
moved from San Francisco TO Reno
and the Governor OF Nevada informe
The gladiators that the contest ha
20 be on the square. il was too lat
for JEFF 10 get into good condition
M even II Il had been possible FOR hin
10 DO 50 with longer time IN which {
4 prepare Thus. JEFF was in poor gen
crai shape when he entered the rims
Gotch viii be in the finest sort d
shape when he uniimbers for actor
Already be IS busy out in California
going through the preliminaries inc
dental 70 strenuous training. n
win be IN tip-top fettle by the tim
DC begins his engagement with IN
Scils-tlofo Circus. In April After
rev weeks OF regular competitio
against all cOmers in the circu
bouts he win be in the best possibl
shape 10 tackle any hard custOme
that comes along There is nothin
80 good for a boxer as lighting him
self into shape. and likewise ther
should be nothing so beneficial for
wrestler as wrestling himself int
shape
Joe Stecher Is a mighty Young mar
ne exceis all other present-day gran
piers by just about as vide a margi
as Johnson excened all his conten
poraries OF the boxing ring. We fe,
sure that this statement viii d
proved to the satisfaction OF an whe
be gets through with Joe Rodgers an
Stranger Lewis. in the near futur
Certainly he looked like a marvel
his bout here against Mort Hende
son. the Pennsylvania star. who pla
ed the part OF The Masked Marvel
the recent International Tourname
al the Manhattan Opera House. He
derson was a plaything In the han
of Stecher. who tossed him arou
just as he wished, as il he had be
nothing more than big stuffed du
my.
stecher is the ideal type Of athl
TO look upon. He has none OF
bulging sinews so often associa
with thoughts about wrestlers.
is as smooth as a college quartz
miller. with the softest sort of M
< Gigs except when they are taug
cnAd They get as hard as brit
Is when under pressure. Nothing m
IS Gle bound about this boy. which
plains his tremendous speed.
Jack Curley and Harry Poll
I# who have been managing Steche
few York affairs ever since he
cane a prominent figure hereabou
4 dropped in on us the other evenii
auo got in general conversati
IA about Nrestlers We expressed
7psnlon that, comeback or not, {