30.03.2010, 05:03
Al Mayer, Wrestling World
“Fifty Years of Wrestling Champions - From Gotch to Thesz”
1. Teil
“In the half century stretch from Frank Gotch wrestling era to that of Lou Thesz, present day world’s wrestling champion, each school of wrestling lasted about two decades. It is our purpose to deal with these different schools beginning with Frank Gotch at the turn of the century.
Wrestling in Gotch’s day was far different from what it is today. The most drastic change which has occurred in these years, is the number of times a champion defends his title. Gotch put his title on the line only when an outstanding challenger came along with a national or international reputation. Then, and only then, did the world’s champion agree to risk his crown.
During Gotch’s tenure of the title his challengers included some of the greatest names in wrestling. Many old timers, in fact, contend they were the best in the mat game and never have been equalled. Among these were Farmer Burns, Tom Jenkins, Ishmall Youssof, Hackenschmidt, Stanislaus Zbyszko, Strangler Lewis and others. But most outstanding, the man who had won the biggest reputation and who, in every way, fitted all the requirements needed by a champion to risk the title was the great George Hackenschmidt. Hackenschmidt’s reputation was world wide, he had wrestled in every civilized country in the world and defeated their best men with ease. He was a physical marvel, a master of wrestling holds and proclaimed the world’s strongest man.
At this point and as a matter of record, each one of the top championship matches during the three wrestling eras we have mentioned drew gates of approximately $100,000,00 each. Gotch-Hackenschmidt in Chicago reached the $100,000,00 mark; Jim Londos-Ed “Strangler” Lewis, also in Chicago a quarter of a century later, drew $101,000,00 (falsch 96.302 Dollar) and coming down to present day wrestling, Lou Thesz-Michele Leone, drew $103,000,00 in Los Angeles 1953 (falsch 21.05.1952).
The hundred thousand dollar mark was also reached in England. It occurred in London at the Olympic where George Hackenschmidt met the great Madrahli of Turkey. The gate was twenty thousand pounds sterling, equivalent, at the rate exchange then prevailing, to a hundred thousand dollars. This happened just before the match was made between Gotch and Hackenschmidt. In fact, it contributed a great deal toward the making of the bout. In his match with the mighty Turk, Hack easily defeated his opponent by breaking his arm. Years later Jim Londos drew a hundred thousand dollar gate in Athens, Greece, when he made his first appearance in his native land following his great success in this country.
The Gotch-Hackenschmidt mat encounter in Chicago in 1908 will always remain a sort of wrestling legend, something similar to the Firpo-Dempsey affair in boxing. It will always be talked about whenever scientific wrestling is the subject of conversation. Many other scientific matches have been held since then, but somehow the Gotch-Hackenschmidt battle, when Frank demonstrated his superiority over George, marked the beginning of speeding-up wrestling, gradually leading to present day speed and spectacular acrobatics responsible for the boom which wrestling is now enjoying, and has been for the past several years.
This new style of wrestling became evident with the passing of stars like Gotch-Hackenschmidt - Burns-Youssof and the birth of the second era of Londos-Strangler Lewis and other greats of their time which we will tell about in our second article.”
2. Teil folgt…
“Fifty Years of Wrestling Champions - From Gotch to Thesz”
1. Teil
“In the half century stretch from Frank Gotch wrestling era to that of Lou Thesz, present day world’s wrestling champion, each school of wrestling lasted about two decades. It is our purpose to deal with these different schools beginning with Frank Gotch at the turn of the century.
Wrestling in Gotch’s day was far different from what it is today. The most drastic change which has occurred in these years, is the number of times a champion defends his title. Gotch put his title on the line only when an outstanding challenger came along with a national or international reputation. Then, and only then, did the world’s champion agree to risk his crown.
During Gotch’s tenure of the title his challengers included some of the greatest names in wrestling. Many old timers, in fact, contend they were the best in the mat game and never have been equalled. Among these were Farmer Burns, Tom Jenkins, Ishmall Youssof, Hackenschmidt, Stanislaus Zbyszko, Strangler Lewis and others. But most outstanding, the man who had won the biggest reputation and who, in every way, fitted all the requirements needed by a champion to risk the title was the great George Hackenschmidt. Hackenschmidt’s reputation was world wide, he had wrestled in every civilized country in the world and defeated their best men with ease. He was a physical marvel, a master of wrestling holds and proclaimed the world’s strongest man.
At this point and as a matter of record, each one of the top championship matches during the three wrestling eras we have mentioned drew gates of approximately $100,000,00 each. Gotch-Hackenschmidt in Chicago reached the $100,000,00 mark; Jim Londos-Ed “Strangler” Lewis, also in Chicago a quarter of a century later, drew $101,000,00 (falsch 96.302 Dollar) and coming down to present day wrestling, Lou Thesz-Michele Leone, drew $103,000,00 in Los Angeles 1953 (falsch 21.05.1952).
The hundred thousand dollar mark was also reached in England. It occurred in London at the Olympic where George Hackenschmidt met the great Madrahli of Turkey. The gate was twenty thousand pounds sterling, equivalent, at the rate exchange then prevailing, to a hundred thousand dollars. This happened just before the match was made between Gotch and Hackenschmidt. In fact, it contributed a great deal toward the making of the bout. In his match with the mighty Turk, Hack easily defeated his opponent by breaking his arm. Years later Jim Londos drew a hundred thousand dollar gate in Athens, Greece, when he made his first appearance in his native land following his great success in this country.
The Gotch-Hackenschmidt mat encounter in Chicago in 1908 will always remain a sort of wrestling legend, something similar to the Firpo-Dempsey affair in boxing. It will always be talked about whenever scientific wrestling is the subject of conversation. Many other scientific matches have been held since then, but somehow the Gotch-Hackenschmidt battle, when Frank demonstrated his superiority over George, marked the beginning of speeding-up wrestling, gradually leading to present day speed and spectacular acrobatics responsible for the boom which wrestling is now enjoying, and has been for the past several years.
This new style of wrestling became evident with the passing of stars like Gotch-Hackenschmidt - Burns-Youssof and the birth of the second era of Londos-Strangler Lewis and other greats of their time which we will tell about in our second article.”
2. Teil folgt…