Archive for the ‘Wrestling’ Category

27
Jun

Frank Gotch Tells His Experiences

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The Fort Dodge Messenger: June 27, 1905

Frank Gotch Tells His Experiences

Gives Interesting Account of Great Tour Just Ended

Had Fifty Match Contests

Will Stay on His Farm Near Humboldt During a Part of Summer According to His Usual Custom, When Not Out on the Road.

Frank Gotch, the famous heavy weight champion wrestler of the United States, spent a few days int he city during the time that the circuses performed here. Gotch has just returned from an extensive tour thru the west and during his stay was interviewed by a Messenger representative to whom he gave an account of some of his wrestles and othe (sic) experiences during the trip.

The wrestler is a big fellow, standing six feet one, though because of his heavy and powerful build he appears several inches below that height. He is magnificently proportioned, most of his strength apparently being in his powerful neck and shoulders, his neck measuring over twenty inches in circumference and his shoulders nearly three feet across. Unlike most men of his class he has none of the swagger, bravado, brutality and arrogance that usually distinguish the professional wrestler or prize fighter. He is quiet, unassuming and unostentatious in his appearance and possesses a pleasant and courteous manner.

When approached by the reporter and asked if he were not Frank Gotch, the wrestler laughed good naturedly and at first denied his identity, saying: “Why, No, you’re sadly off there, my name is Hutchins. I’m a traveling man.” Seeing that he was recognized, however, he soon admitted that he was really Frank Gotch of wrestling fame and at once consented to give the press representative any information desired.

“Yes, you’re right,” said he. “I have just returned from a big trip and it has been a big one in every way for me. During the last four months I have been in every state in the union but three and have wrestled over fifty matches, not counting the men that I took on in exhibition, guaranteeing them prize sums if they would stay with me for a certain number of minutes. In match contests I took on all comers regardless of size, weight or reputation, wrestling them any number of falls for any sum they wanted to put up. In many ways my four months’ tour has been a hard trip. I have had a number of hard battles and the continuous travel too is wearing on one. I think I shall stay at home for at least a time now and get a good rest.”

In regard to the reports that have been circulated to the effect that Gotch would go against Munroe he would say nothing either confirmatory or in the way of denial. He makes no claims to the championship of the world with which he has been accredited by some, and in fact says nothing in any way in regard to his own prowess, skill or record. He is undoubtedly the champion heavyweight wrestler of his style in the United States, though Geo. Hackenschmit, the great Russian, holds the European championship.

Gotch is in every way the true gentleman sportsman and athlete; in all his habits he practices a moderation that stands him well in hand in keeping up his excellent physical condition. He neither drinks nor smokes, and is as regular s clock work in regard to his meals and sleeping hours. Gotch though apparently in the pink of condition at present desires a little further training for the next matches and will spend some time during the summer on his extensive fram (sic) near Humboldt working most of the time at the hardest of farm labor in order to give his great muscles every chance to harden for the tussels (sic) of the next season.

3
Apr

Come Back to Iowa

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The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 3, 1905

Come Back to Iowa

Frank Gotch Will Live Simple Life at Humboldt.

Humboldt, April 1 – Frank Gotch, the Iowa wrestler, who held the title of champion of the country until he was finally defeated a few days ago by Tom Jenkins, of Cleveland, will come back to his hold home here and undertake to restore his old form by a course of simple training.

Gotch and his chief patron, “Farmer” Burns, also an Iowan and a former champion wrestler, believes at thoroughly as ever that Gotch is still the champion wrestler. But he has lost the title to Jenkins, and must win it back.

Gotch is the victim of the desire to make money. Like Burns, he is a man of model habits in the main; not quite as abstemious as Burns, who never knew in his life the taste of liquor or tobacco, but a man who never gets out of training. Gotch was discovered, trained and brought out by Burns, and Burns was the most wonderful wrestler for his size and weight that ever went on a mat.

Jenkins wrested the championship from Burns, and Burns raised up Gotch to wrest it from Jenkins. Now Jenkins has taken it back again, and Gotch proposes to go back to the farm and the soil and the simple life to recover his weight and form and defeat Jenkins again.

There is little doubt that Gotch will succeed, for he has repeatedly proved himself superior to Jenkins. But the past winter he has been touring the country doing one-night stands agreeing to throw local champions at the rate of one to every five minutes as fast as they’ll bring ’em on, and such stunts, which are the very worst things possible fora man’s training, when taken with irregular hours and hard traveling. As a result Gotch went to the platform for his last match with Jenkins at fifteen pounds under his best weight.