Omaha daily bee., 1920-01-17
STECHER DUMPS
PESEk TWICE
IN Three FALLS
Dodge County Lad Takes
First and Third Falls in
Long Match Before I'm
mense Crowd.

Joe Stecher OF Dodge, Neb., won
the undisputed right to meet Earl
Caddock, worlds champion wrestler,
when he defeated John Pesek of
Shelton. Neb., two falls in three, last
night in the Municipal auditorium.
Stecher won the first fall in 2 hours
and 3 minutes, Pesek the second in
Is minutes and Stecher the third in
8 minutes.
Promoter Ernie Holmes intimated
last night that he would bid today
for a Caddock-Stecher match in
Omaha July 4, declaring that the re-
port of match between Caddock
and Stecher, said to be booked for
New York January 80, was false.
All bets were declared off before
the wrestlers shook hands.
Earl Caddock, worlds champion
heavyweight wrestler. was intro
duced to the crowd before the match.
Calls for Caddock.
At 9:20 John Pesek, Mart Slattery,
his manager and Stanley Pinto,
trainer, entered the ring. Two min
utes later Stecher and his brother,
Anton, entered from another corner.
Both were greeted enthusiastically
by the 5000 men and women gath
cred to witness the event. When
the cheering died away Announcer
Bud White attempted to introduce
the principals.
Cries of "We want Caddock"
drowned his effort. With difficulty
Caddock was summoned. Caddock
and Ed Stranger" Lewis entered
the ring together.
White introduced the former as
the worlds champion and Joe
Stecher as the ex-champion.
Pesek, Referee Ed w. Smith,
sports editor of the Chicago Ameri-
can; Ernie Holmes. promoter of the
match, and Ed Lewis were then in
troduced. At 9:32tthe men came to-
gether in the center of the ring.
Pesek the Aggressor.
The wrestlers spared for holds
for 10 minutes. Pesek then took the
aggressive and dug in several times,
attacking Stecher's legs. The Dodge
phenom worked on Pesek's head.
After 26 minutes Pesek caught
Stecher's leg on his fifth attempt
and both men hit the mat. They
were up again in an instant, sparring
again for holds.
After 81 minutes of wrestling,
Stcher made his first attempt to
bring the match into real action,
and the wrestlers tangled on the
mat with Stecher behind. Stecher's
advantage was shortlived.
For two hours and three minutes
the two athletes tussled.
Stecher Master of Situation.
During that time Stecher showed
superiority on defense. The Dodge
lad had difficulty holding Pesek in
any hold and although he appeared
worried at times, his composure
generally indicated that he was
master of the situation.
At 1905, after l hour and q
of wrestling, Stecher affixed
his famous body scissors for the
first time. For nearly two minutes
he pressed on Pesek's ribs, but the
Shelton boy raised himself to his
feet with the ex-champion on his
back and tossed his opponent over
his head.
Pesek Wiggles Out.
Twice after that things looked
bad for Pesek, but by sheer strength
he pulled himself out of trouble.
Both times Pesek's back was against
the canvas, but by strength alone
he managed to keep his shoulders
in the air and finally wriggle again
to freedom.
After two hours and three min
utes, Stecher applied double wrist
lock and a head scissors and won
the first fall.
After a short rest in their dress
ing rooms the men came together
in the ring. Pesek bored in vicious
ly. Both men fought hard, lunging
back and forth all over the ring.
Pesek was on the offensive entire
ly. After IS minutes he clamped
on head scissors and a wrist lock
and gradually forced the ex-champ
10 the canvas.
Crowd Goes Wild. |
The crowd was uncomfortable. A
few staunch Stecher supporters
sank back dazed in their seats while |
the rest of the throng shrieked
themselves hoarse.
1t took seven minutes to restore
order sufficiently for White to an
1ounce the time of the fall.
Stecher cut his rest period short
md, returning to his corner, waited
or his opponent to appear.
When they shook hands again,
oesek continued his aggressive
lrilling in. They hit the mat almost
It once, fighting furiously. Pesek
vas behind Stecher consistently.
The Shelton boy tried for body
cissors. Stecher planted his feet
quarely on the mat and forced HIM
elf back with Pesek under him,
,ack to the mat. Referee Smith
ized up the situation carefully and
declared Stecher winner, time eight
Pesek disputed the victory. "It
vas hasty decision," he said later
n his dressing room. "Stecher did
lot have me pinned. I know l can
,eat him."
The match lasted exactly three
tours.