Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1917-03-22
CADDOCK TO Be
READY FOR MILL
Stecher Said to be Powerful Man and
Many Audubon People Will
Witness the Championship
Rattle

The big wrestling match to take
place at Omaha April 9Th between
Stecher of Nebraska ard Caddock of
Anita. is already creating attracting
nation wide attention Caddock is
quite a favorite in Audubon. and
many in this part of the county have
signified their intention of going to
witness what is said to be the great
est battle in the history of the wrestl-
ing game. Gotch has picked Caddock
as winner and for that reason alone
many Iowans vii, back the Anita man
! The following account of Stecher
will be of interest TO the sportsmen
of Audubon.
Joe Stecher. the husky Nebraska
farmer boy. has a distinction which
few athletes of the present day can
claim-the distinction of standing
in class very much by himself.
Look over the fields of sports and
you find but few who hank in the
select set. Johnny kilbane is one
Ty Cobb is without a doubt the
greatest all-around ball player of
the day. and Willie Hoppe stands
head and shoulders above every
billiard expert in the world. There.
are few others.
Much has been written about
Stecher's great strength He has
been given plenty of recognition for
his power on the mat and today he
is recognized as the peer of masters.
But have you ever considered that
Stecher. as he stands today. is just as
great at his style of wrestling as
Frank Gotch was at his few years
ago?
This may sound like broad state
ment Maybe it is and mabe it isn't
but the fact remains that there is not
another wrestler in the world who
can hold candle TO Stecher in the
use of the body scissors hold.
Frank Gotch's forte was his ia
nous toe hold. and he was q finish
ed master in its use. GOtch was also
great rough and tuble wrestler
His great strength. we'll distributed
for the most part. but favOring his
powerful arms and shoulders to some
extent. made him demon on the
canvas.
In comparison with Gotch, Stech-
err is a different type of wrestler
The big boy from the Cornhusker
state is endowed with almost super
human strength in his arms and legs.
Once caught in the vice of the body
scissors an opponent is helpless. Even
the biggest and strongest men who
ever tackled Stecher have found it
impossible to extracte themselves
from his now famous scissors hold.
Where Gotch forced his opponents
shoulders to the mat through the
use of the agonizing toe hold, Stech
er's persuader is the crushing scis-
sOrs. With his powerful limbs lock-
ed around his opponents middle
Stecher slowly brushes him into
submission.
The best wrestlers who have tried
to defeat Stecher attempted to wear
him out. Charley Cntler, Stranger
Lewis and others took the defensive
when they entered the arena with the
Nebraska boy. for when on the
defensive they had a better chance
to keep away from his famous hold.
Many followers of wrestling who
have never seen Stecher work prob
ably do not appreciate just what
his famous crusher means to the
wrestler who gets caught in it.
Briefly, it is a rib crushing hold.
Nothing more nor less than slow
torture. Stecher has perfected the
hold until now he can clamp it onto
an opponent from almost any posi-
ton. He may be nearly down him
self and still lock his man with
those powerful limbs. Once he gets
the hold. Stecher locks his ankles,
brings his knees toward each other
with slow but powerful inward
pressure. and if his man doesn't
yelp for mercy. he is soon rolled
over on his back.
Stecher stands ready to defend
his claim to the catch-as-catch-can
title, and although illness kept him
out of several big matches during
the past winter. he announces now
that he is ready. He is matched to
meet Earl Caddock at Omaha on
April for the worlds title"