The evening world., 1921-02-19
Present American Champion
Developed His Headlock on
Wooden Dummy Until 1t
Squeezed All Opponents
Into SubmiSSion-Joe Ste
cher Goes to Other Extreme
and Employs His Legs,
BIZ Robert Ednren. .
MEXICAN wrestling is becoming

been pleasant custom OF the various
Sultans to entertain themselves by
having wrestlers wrestle ito the
DEATH"
Nobody can interfere with a Sultan's
amusements. In a private courtyard
the Sultan and few chosen favorites
sit comfortably and watch selected
champions "go to It," There are no
restrictive rules. Gouging, biting,
butting, toe holds, kicking, headlocl1s
and a Turkish variety OF jiu jitsu
were INDUCED in until one Of the riv-
ais was rendered helpless when the
final delicious touch was ADDED. The
victor strangled the vanquished.
We don't let wrestlers so quite as
far as that in America. But since
Frank Gotch perfected the toe hold
and went around Gripping his oppo-
nents by twisting and breaking or
dislocating their ankles every grap-
pier has tried to invent some new
tOrturing device. The original pur-
pose of wrestling-to put an oppo-
nent's shoulders to the Matthias be-
come a mere incident. Modern wres-
tiers try to torture an opponent until
he gives up and rolls over to save
himself from serious injury.
There ought TO be a Wrestling Com
mission to make rules that will gov
r eTn mat contests. The holds, head
locks and similar devices intended to
cripple or torture or iniure should be
classed with the foul blows forbidden
in boxing.
The present American champion,
''Strangler" Ed Lewis, is master of
the headlOclS-a trick he perfected by
years OF practice and that has beaten
several men whom he might not have
been able to put down in straight
wrestling.
The deadlock consists OF gripping &
mans head in the crook of one arm,
' the forearm docking" across the jaw
or side of the head and the pressure
increased by pulling with the other
hand, using the mechanical principle
of the nut-cracker
PRACTIcED ON WOODEN DUMMY.
Lewis is six feet tall, weighs 22S
pounds and Is powerfully built He
has developed a tremendous squeeze
with his deadlock by praetlcing sew
eral years on wooden dummy-just
as the Japanese jit jitsu men tougher
their hands for jiu iitsu blows by
continually pounding with the edge
of the hand on heavy planks.
The deadly effect OF the deadlock
has been shown in several recent
bouts, when ZbysZko. Stecher and one
or two others beaten by Lewis have
gone from the mat TO the hospital.
Lewis took the championship from
Stecher at the list Regiment Armory,
New York. last Dec. 10, in l hour Al
minutes and Sc seconds. He clamped
seven headlocks on Stecher and
finally finished him. Stecher has
been ont OF wrestling since that night
and may never come back as a cham
pionship possibility.
Tile deadly deadlock is said to have
p displaced vertebrate in his neck, caus-
ing pressure on the spinal nerve and
paralysis OF one arm and shoulder.
Even If this disappears, Stecher
won't be in shape TO resist any more
headlocls. In n recent bout with
Earl Caddock Lewis ended a long
struggle by clamping the deadlock
on again, rendering Caddock uncon-
scious
Off the mat, Lewis is pleasant
sort OF fellow, but at work he's
regular cave man. With tremendous
strength. endurance and determina-
tion, he deliberately wears his Op-
ponentS down by occasionally clamp
ing on a headlOck until they are
ready for the fnal grip. OFTEN he
feigns distress, only to catch his man
off guard and leap through the air
TO get him with a deadlock.
lie jumps like a huge cat.
His real name rs Robert Friedrich
and he was born at Frankfort, Ky"
thirty years ago The name "Strang-
80 ye1 q
famous wrestler Of twenty-five years
ago, the original Stranger Lewis
whose speciality was the strangle holC
that has been barred since his time.
Lewis has been ranked in the three
best wrcstlers in America for flvC
years. April 3, 1919, he lost TO StecheI
in four hours and twenty-nine minutes
Of wrestling. Lewis went to the ma
thirty-ive times IN that contest, anC
Stecher was down twenty.
STECHER'S LITTLE SPECIALITY
Joe Stecher has a nice little trick O.
his own. over six feet tall weighing
2o5 pounds, with a thick neck an'
powerful legs and only moderately de
veIoDed arms and shoulders, the smal
head OF an old Greek athlete, wearinj
his hair in a college boy bang, h
doesn't look the wrestler type as nT=lcl
ae T,ow1~ POrn on Il farm at Douge
Nebracka, Joe and his cider brother
Tony, began wrestling when they wer
youngsters.
AT an amateur tournament Fame
Burns, the famous old wrestling cham
mon who developed Frank Gotch, saV
Ion and advised him to make bette
use of his legs, which appeared to b
Ms strong point Stecher began study
ing log holds and developed his famou
'scissors hold"
In this he simply gets his leg
around an opponents body, hooks hi
toes together and straig htens MS leg
ont. Applying a crushing pressur
fbat drives the intcstnes up agains
the heart, causing weakness an,
sometimes collapse.
The effect OF this hold, however, 1
only temporary and Steoher's Oppo
nents are usually able 10 walk baC