Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-02-21
Wrestling Continues
Firm, Grip on Sport
Fans of NeIO York
Recent Stecher-CdddOck Match
ShOWS Mat Game Still
Popular in Gotham.

NEW YORK, Feb. Heavyweight
intrenched in New York than 1t is since
the Stecher- Caddock championship match
at Madison Square Garden. Time was
when wrestling was looked upon with
more or less suspicion by the sporting
public here as well as in many other
parts of the country.
The very nature Of the sport which
makes it comparatively easy for two
finished wrestlers to stage "one of those
things contributed to the cloud Of
addition there were charges and counter
charges of taking made at intervals and
wrestling stalked about with a black
eye.
Today the mat game is enjoying pres
tige with the sport loving public OF New
York and its environs. 1t has been given
a clean bill of health and has become
so popular here that whenever an at
tractive match is made the sport fans
fall over each other in the rush for choice
seats.
Joe Stecher and Earl Caddock, young
clean-cut, clear-eyed American types Of
manhood. furnished the spectacle that
glued wrestling tightly to the sport map
in this section, and Promoter Jack Cur
ley, who has been struggling to build up
wrestling in New York for several years
also deserves credit for the elevation of
the game TO such q popular plane. New
Workers are among the keenest wrest-
ling fans in the world. They under
stand the game thoroughly and they
can't be fooled easily. The ten thousand
odd spectators who saw Stecher wrest
the worlds title from Caddock went
home satisfied hat the match was won
and lost on It's merits A majority of
the spectators were with Caddock from
the first because he is the smaller Of the
two men. The applause for Caddock
when he appeared indicated how the
crowd felt. Yet the rousing reception
Stecher got when he rose from the mat
the new worlds champion was just as
hearty.
Caddock, in defeat, was mighty popu-
lar Stecher, In victory, has become i'm
mensely So New York wants TO Sc,
him in action as often as suitable op-
ponents can he matched with him and
the consensus of opinion here is that
he will retain the title for a long time.
superior physical ability won the worlds
title for Stecher lie outweighed Cad
dock by twenty pounds and lie Is much
the stronger man OF the two. AS an
active wrestler the IOwan has It all over
Stecher, but he lacks the bril- strength
and logged persistence of the champion
Stecher is far from a spectacular
wrestler. He moves swiftly ut times,
but never unless he thinks the time is
ripe to start something. He looks HE
an duAOmdIOu III lIit ring tflS express
sion, one of frozen doggedness.
never changes. He keeps his eyes glued
to his opponents feet and works with
powerful and mcthOdical precision The
great strength in his arms and legs IS
his forte. His body scissors is his one
bet. He worked more than two houls
before be clamped the winning hold
hrmly on Cad'dock and succeeded in
doing 1t only after he had worn the
lowan out in 4 battle of sheer brute
strength.
Caddock wants a return match with
Stecher before the year passes and he
deserves his chance. Lewis and ZbyszkO
and other good wrestlers are clamorirg
for matches with the new champion
That all the eligibles will be accommo-
dated Is 2 certainty. The announcement
that Stanislaus Zbyszko, er-twhiIe IA
nous brother of Wladek, is coming to
this country probably means that he
viii get into the crowd of challengers.
SO It looks like n busy year for Cham
pion Stecher and his rivals And MS
the cloud of disrepute has been lifted
from the game it should be prosperous
one.