Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-04-24
fans WANT PLEsT|NA
AND zbYSkO MATCHED
Corbctt Says Meeting Would Pack
&. Any Arena in United States
g With Crowd.
sCURLEY WILL NOT CONSENT
Says He Will Never Permit Meet
ng So Long ms Marsh Remains
s Manager of Other Championship
Claimant-Riyal Alleges Fear.
ny JAMES j. CoRBETT.

IL No chocer morsel could be served up
to wrestling fans than a finish battle
4 between Marin Plestina and Wladck
i5Zbyszko Such contest undoubtedly
! would pack any arena in which il was
staged and would create greater in
terest than any since the days when
Frank Gotch was beating EN- all.
Each lays claim TO the heavyweight
graphing championship OF the world.
: Each has assembled an imposing list
OF rictories-and against different
foes. They never have met. And until
they do in n deciding contest the claim
OF neither can be universally rccog-
nizcd.
A meeting between the two should
result IN Il great affair. But the
chances are that it never will be
staged. And that is due simply TO
the fact that there is> Ill feeling be-
tween the rival mansgcrs-Jack Cur
ley and Joe Marsh. But the attitude
of the two concerning a match be-
cally dieffrent Marsh is for the con-
test-and Curley seems 10 be unal-
teraely opposed.
Curlcy VIII Not Consent.
y Will never consent TO Zbyszko
Zbyszko's manager and Marsh con-
1inues to handle 'lestina," is the way
"Plesiina is open to meet any man
in the world al any time anywhere
and for any amount is the position
1t is too bad, for the sake Of wrcst-
qins, that Nuricy cannot be moved
TO match zTyszko "S With Ples trs'" Is
the fear that zbyszko will be beaten
joke" Is the viewpoint of Marsh IL
am willing 10 have Plcstina handi-
capped in his. match with Zbyszko. II
Zbyszko will agree, in plestina's
behalf. to let ZbysGko secure his IA
best two falls out of three under such
conditions and Zbyszko will he privi-
legged to get his toe hold at the begin
right now to bet at to that under
such conditions Plcstiua Will win the
match.
Willing to Back Plcstina.
at Curley. thinks tina, Zbyszko is
such a world beatcr he certainly can
make a clean up on a contest with
Plestina. If Curlcy Is not satisfied
bet $4,000 at even money that Plcs-
tina can throw Zbyszko three times in
one hour.
number of wrestling enthusiasts claim
that Zbyszko is tho greatest wrestler
An the world today. If they. actually
.fdent that tho Polish Erapplcr can
beat any6ody, Yet here ! am ready to
las a bet that pies,ina can down the
so-called worlds champion three
times in sixty minutes f those fell
Lows havs The GSSyag SeoS Of ,hgir own
cover my forfeit and give Plcstina Il
match"
Pies st, was pupil Of Frank F, Go, ,;l.
from the champion of champions. lie
worked daily with Gotch for many
months and il was AT the suggestion
OF professional wrcstlcrs and started
out 10 make narSc for himself lie
and not a, any time since he reached
his prime has he encountered any
Erappler who was his superior lie
wrestler who tried conclusions with
him.
Zbysxko shows Improvement.
zybszko has improved wonderfully
over his form Of year ago, The Pole
ever stepped on, ID a plat. But nc al
ways looked UPON wrestling more a "A
playful occupali6il ihaq serious bust
4nto his work. But some months ago
Curlsy took Zhyszko aside and uttered
words which Hhys4ko hasn't forgotten.
And IbySZko tdok u "tum bic" and
from then on became "a different type
OF athlete. He Went about his work
seriously ana improved greatly. AZ
last he vas matched with Joe Stechcr
In an elimination contcst-amd won
stranger Lewis, who was his closest
Tival-with the exception OF Plcstna
and won from him IN a spectacular
match in New York.
Zbyszko today is at IN height Of
his carcer--and so is Plcstima 4
great match would result if Curicy and
Marsh could forget their personal dis
likes and permit the contest to 80 OH.
-Copyright. 1919, by King Feature
Syndicate, Inc.