The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-01-16
UNKNOWN OPPONENT,
COACHED SECRETLY,
TARTAR FOR CHAMP
BY FRANK G. MENKE

"A rev weeks ago, StanlSlauS ZyDol- 7
ko, always keen about graphing set.
ups to enhance his winning average,
took on Charlie Hansen, in Nashville,
The champion of Jack Curley's
group of trick mat performers antici.
pated quite an easy evening-not
knowing that for more than a year
Hansen had been coached secretly by
a master teacher in wrestling.
And. as a result, ZbysZko expert |
enced a terrible shock and was saved
from dethronement only by a kindly
referee.
For nearly three hours, the great
champion" tried to toss the young |
ster-and failed. At the end of thai /
time Zbyszlto had worked himself near |
to a state of exhaustion while Hansen !
not merely was fresh and strong, but /
was enthusiastically engaged in maui |
| ing Zybszko to his doom. 1t seemed |
ar absolute cinch for Hansen to win.
| But at that moment, the referee
saved the champion" by ending the
match and calling it a draw, although
the rules called for the best two falls
out of three-and to a finish.
! Narrowest Escape.
! 1t was the narrowest escape in the
| career of ZbysZko. But there will he
no more, simply because one tuSsle
| with Hansen convinced not merely
Zbyszko but graphing experts every
where in America that Hansen de-
serves ranking among the greatest
men of the game.
And to Martin (Farmer) Burns, the
willy veteran of Omaha, goes the cred
it, not merely of discovering Hansen,
but for bringing him along to point
where in his first clash with a cham
pion, he showed like a champion him
self.
The result of that match-and the
resultant razzing of Zbyszko and the
plaudits for Hansen-undoubtedly
must bring a lot of chuckles to old
man Burns.
AS everyone knows, Zbyszko is one
of the men in the Jack Curley wrest-
ling combine. Curley long ago formed
a violent dislike for Burns, because
Burns spoke the truth about Curley's
quaint wrestlers. Curley resolved then
that he never would give a chance to
Burns to make any money by sending
!. any of his wrestlers against men WnC
n were tutored, trained or managed by
- Burns-or any friends of Burns.
. Schooied Under Cover.
So the old timer schooled Hansen
under cover for a long time. No reamS
of publicity were written about Han
: sen. In the various matches against
u ordinary wrestlers he won easily, but
L not spectacularly. If he had done that
the suspicious of Curlev, of Zbyszkr
: and the manager of Zbyszko would
? have been excited.
Eventually Hansen asked for a
= match with Zbyszko.. The manager OF
: the latter, never having heard of Han
II sen, and not knowing that he was
Farmer Burns star pupil fell into
! | the trap. And then ZbysZko encoun,
= tered the surprise and shock of his life
u time For instead of encountering d
: set-up. he found himself faced by the
\ toughest foeman who had tried con-
q clusions with him in years.
:, u Zbyszko started out prompted by
n the thought that he could throw Han
sen in a hurry He tried for two solid
:, , hours and he might just as well at
4 tempted to bump over the Statue Of
u Liberty. All the while Hansen was
: laughing at him and tossing verbal
4 raspberries into his face
Hansen Gets Busy.
. And then, when Zbyszko tired Han
l sen got busy. He mauled the cham.
pion" all around the ring. He took the
II veteran Topped him here, Topped him
u there, forced him to the ropes, hauled
IL him back, and mauled him some more
% Just when it was seemingly certain
Il that Hansen would pin the Poles
U shoulders to the floor, the referee
% stopped the match and called it &
II draw.
Charlie Hansen will, within another
year or two. be as great a wrestler in
| every way as was Frank Gotch,' is
the statement of Burns. 81 was one
of Gotchs earliest teachers and l fol
lowed his career from beginning &c
end l knew what Gotch could do
and what he couldn't do. | remember
his braininess, his speed, his trickery
and his amazing strength. Hansen
has everything that Gotch had whCr
Gotch was at the zenith of his careel
with the exception of experience
He will gain that in onother year o.
, two because he is a remarkable
IL student"
J. w. Elwood, of Omaha, who has
D. taken over the management of Han
sen. has issued this def:
Hansen will wrestle ZbysZko any
where in America, best two falls on
of three, on the winner-take-all basis
And, in addition, am prepared to pos
$4,000 as a side bet. But | don
think Zbyszko ever will accept. 1t wa!
IL only the kindly act of friendly ref
cree in hating the match when Han
IL sen was a sure winner that saved thu
Pole One experience with Hansen
r. probably was enough for ZbysZko."
(Copyrirht 1921 King Features
Syndicate, Inc.)