The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-02-02
WILL DIGNITY
WRESTLING At
WEST VIRGINIA

Morgantown. Feb. 1.--Togethcr with
the installation OF wrestling as an inter
collegiate sport here. the West virginia
University athletic authorities are IN
stituting a campaign to place wrestling
on the same high plans as the other
intercollegiate sports In which the
Mountaineers participate.
For causes that are not OF moment
In the present discussion. wrestling IN
Morgantown has been in the past in
bad repute. The impression prevailed.
whether or not II was justified. that
wrestling was crooked" game; that
Rere was an unnecessary amount of
Stalling" and gradually tho better
element withdrew its patronage from
the professional bouts and tho game
died q natural death. This was several
years ago. There has been practically
no wrestling here in the last two or
three years so that when 1t was dectd-
ed that the university would formally
launch an intercollegiate team. n great
task confronted the authorities in edu-
eating the Morgantown amusement-lov-
ing public that the wrestling bouts put
on by college teams were of an entirely
different type than those put on by
professionals; that there was zap and
dash in a college event that was scar
and that about everything else, the
bouts were between gentlemen and that
no real fan" need hesitate about
bringing his wife or his children to wit
ness the amtches.
The first bout held here under tho
auspicies OF the university was on Jan,
IL, when the university championships
for selecting the men for the various
weights were staged. This bout did not
attract an especially large crowd and
there were less than hundred women
In the audience of five or six hundred
that turned out, But the bouts were fast
and furious, were limited TO only nine
minutes in each weight whereas local
fans had sean professional bouts drawn
out for nearly two hours with many
evidences Of "stalling" and loafinE. and
above all there was sportsman-like
flavor TO the whole event that sent tho
crowd away well pleased and anxious
for the next match. The result Of tn"
impression created by this first taste
OF the sport was shown in the turnout
Of more than double that for the first
match when Ohio University sent her
| team here on Jan. Is. Ohio, for some
unexplained cause has never been 4. big
! dra wing card here In sports. possibly
! because Ohio State is the real Uni
| versity" OF Ohio. but n big crowd was
, on hand and again the bouts were thrill
! ling from the time "Scotty" Hough
! threw both the 125 and 1875 pound men.
| till Big Joe" Harrick was ANONYMOUSLY
! "flopped" in the grand finale by nu-
' vail the Ohio heavyweight. and. Incl
| IDENTIFY. the fullback on the Athens foot
| ball team
Interest in the wrestling team has
gradually grown and when tho team
went 10 Lehigh n week ago thcrN was
| equal interest on the part Of local fans
! and University students In the outcome
| OF their match and IN the varsity baS-
| ketball team which was away at the
! same time.
Saturday night the University OF
Pennsylvania seven is here with her
! all-star aggregation featuring Bishop
who is the intercollegiate Champion
! in the AS pound class. and who will
meet Mathey Turkovich. This bout will
no doubt he a great one and with Steve
{ Harrick back in shape for tina 1876 pound
class. the Mountaineers look forward to
a victory. though 1t is recognized that
/ Penn has one of the leading teams Of
| the country as her victory over Cor
| nell shows.