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[The Crusher]

1908 - Frank Gotch defeats Georg Hackenschmidt in Chicago, Illinois to win the World Heavyweight Title, ending Hackenschmidt's near-three-year-long reign. Gotch's American Heavyweight Title, which he had won on December 17, 1906 from Fred Beell, was vacated. Gotch held the title until retiring in August 1912.

Von wikipedia???? Der Titelwechsel vom World Heavyweight Title an Gotch ist richtig, aber das Gotch den American Heavyweight Title bis zu seinem Rücktritt hielt, ist falsch.

1. Gegenquelle zu wikipedia:
http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/american-h.html

Gotch held the title until retiring in August 1912.

Bis August 1912 wechselte der Titel bereits öfters. Vergleich dazu mit wrestling-titles.com oder legacyofwrestling.com.

^^ Oder ist damit der World Heavyweight Title gemeint??

http://www.legacyofwrestling.com/AmericanTitle.html

Minneapolis, Minnesota: October 25, 1910
(Minneapolis Auditorium) … Henry Ordemann b. Charles Cutler to capture the vacant American
Heavyweight Title (2/3) (Cutler won the first fall in 40:15, Ordemann took the second in 5:00, and Cutler
was unable to continue the match due to a broken kneecap) … (referee: Frank Gotch)

Minneapolis, Minnesota: Wednesday, February 1, 1911
(Minneapolis Auditorium) … Charles Cutler b. Henry Ordemann to capture the American Heavyweight
Title (2-0) (Cutler won the first in 31:00 and the second in 7:00)
Note: Ordemann was barred from using the toehold and was reportedly outclassed.

Rücktritt von Gotch:
http://www.legacyofwrestling.com/Gotch.html

Retirements of Frank Gotch: (Work in Progress)

March 3, 1907 - Washington Post, Washington, D.C. - "Champion to Retire"
August 29, 1910 - Stevens Point Daily Journal, Stevens Point, WI - "Gotch Retires From Mat"
*Article says that Gotch has competed in 331 matches, and has only lost 7, five of them being
handicap matches. Gotch reportedly announced his retirement in a letter to a Kansas City sports
writer.
January 1, 1911 - Salt Lake Tribune - Gotch is retired and won't wrestle Hackenschmidt
January 4, 1911 - Salt Lake Tribune - Gotch Retires From the Mat
December 27, 1911 - Daily Oklahoman - Gotch's exhibition with Munro to be his last.
July 23, 1916 - Washington Post, Washington D.C. - "Gotch Back to Farm From the Hospital"
*Article quotes Gotch : "I am done for good. I think it is time for any man to retire when he is 40
and from now on I don't care who has the wrestling championship." Gotch also said that his son
will not be a wrestler or a boxer, but a "champion lawyer of the State of Iowa."
January 11, 1917 - Daily Northwestern, Oshkosh, WI - "Frank Gotch Has Quit"
*Gotch claimed that he was going to be "forty-one years old next April," and that he thought
Stecher was the best man in the sport. However, he wanted Farmer Burns to get a hold of
Stecher and teach him a few new holds. Incidentally, the Daily Review (Decatur, IL) on September
21, 1916 stated that Gotch still limped from the accident at Kenosha, and that he didn't want to
wrestle again because he was "now past forty years of age."

> Rücktritt von Gotch war nach Historiker Nat Fleischer (+1972) im Frühjahr 1913:

From Milo to Londos (1936), Seite 144, Gotch's Retirement
"There was no one who could hold a candle up to the inimitable Iowan, so, early in 1913, he publicly announced his retirement."

Gotch's letzter Kampf war nach Fleischer der gegen Jess Westergaard am 22.08.1912.

13.06.1912
Baltimore, Maryland
Frank Gotch def. Americus

22.08.1912
Kansas City, Missouri
Frank Gotch def. Jess Westergaard

^^ Das sind die beiden letzten Matches aus dem originalen Kampfrekord von Fleischer aus den 30iger Jahren. Dieser wurde bis heute mehrfach kopiert und die Daten dann schließlich ins Internet gestellt.