Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 January 1919 — STECHER THINKS HE WOULD MAKE BOXER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

STECHER THINKS HE WOULD MAKE BOXER

Wrestler Bitten by Same Rug That Got Franlefiotehr— Anxious to Attempt What Other Grap* plers Have Tried, but Failed--Fighter Must Know How and When to Putlon Steam. . Joe Stecher, the wrestler, who is stationed at the Great Lakes nnyal station, is anxious to attempt what other grapplers have tried but failed —to become a successful boxer. Che late Frank Gotch and Ivan Linow, the Russian, after several year < wrestling decided to enter the squai ?d circle, and neither one met with‘any g‘eat success. ■ Gotch fought several ring.. battles and failed to man whom he could beat. Linow’s ring ambitiona, ended abruptly when he tackled fess Willard. Llnow went under the rame of Frank Lyon while he was figb'fng, and the pair met in 1911 at Elk City, Okla. The contest went ten rounds and resulted in an easy victory fp- the present noncombatant champion. Doctor Roller was another wrestler who failed in the ring. Many believe that the failure of. the mat artists as boxers was mainly due to the fact .that they were muscle bound and could not get the free action so necessary in the ring. Wrest* lers in glove contests were usually un« able to judge distance correctly, sot the.slmple reason that during mat tus sles they were nearly always-clinching with their opponents. Wrestlers are as a rule stronger than boxers, but strength is not al*

ways prominent In the makeup *f a successful boxer. He must know how and when to put steam behind his blows. Footwork also is an important factor in ring contests. Wrestles i, as a rule, are ponderous and slow. Stecher, however, firmly bel eves that he has all the qualificatiot s oi a boxer. The grappler has been watching bouts held at the 'treat Lakes and he has studied how each boxer handles, himself.

Joe Stecher.