Hall of Fame Legacy Wing: Frank Gotch

There was a time when the United States was Bizarroland, as the US likes to call Canada. You see, the national hero in the United States was the biggest heel to the rest of the world. Frank Gotch captured the imagination of American wrestling fans in 1904 when he upset Tom Jenkins to win the American Catch as Catch Can title. It was at this moment that he forced the American public to see wrestling a little differently. Whereas Tom Jenkins was a bodybuilder with one of the greatest mustaches from that era (and that’s saying something), Gotch was a clean-face Mid-Western with very little build but was farmer-strong.

Being smaller than many other wrestlers, Gotch had developed ways to be rougher, possibly dirty. Under the tutelage of one of the greatest wrestling trainers of all time, “Farmer” Martin Burns, Gotch would use dirty tactics to get an upper hand, if there was one to be gotten. Also, and this would be his greatest asset, Gotch was so much faster than the wrestlers he was going against. Speed mixed with clever illegal moves could be a dangerous combination to others indeed.

The Beginnings

It’s no surprise that American wrestling’s first star comes from Iowa. Iowa was developing a rich tradition at this moment for wrestling. What made Iowa such a hotbed was its toughness. The bad weather, the desire to have more indoor activities, and the fact people were just tougher in the Mid-west are part of the reason why Iowa has dominated for so long. And it’s greatest son was wrestling at this time.

Gotch was always after the bigger prize. Once he beat Jenkins, he looked for an even bigger prize, a match with George Hackenschmidt. Though, unlike Hackenschmidt, Gotch was beatable. He exchanged wins and losses with Jenkins for the American title. Still, he continued to call out Gotch, to the annoyance of the world champion. But after three straight years of trying, Gotch finally got his wish.

The Title Reign

The match would last over 2 hours. Hackenschmidt would say his leg already hurt from overtraining to counter Gotch’s famous toe hold. Also, Hackenschmidt complained that Gotch needed to take a shower because he had too much oil and that Gotch was butting him and digging his thumb into him. Overall, he accused Gotch of being a dirty wrestler. But Gotch used speed and amazing stamina to tire the man they called the Russian Lion and at the two-hour mark, grabbed his leg to take him off his feet, and put on the toe hold to get the submission victory.

After that, Gotch would reign for five years. He’d retire champion, as no one would beat him. The greatest wrestler of that era, Gotch defeated all comers. From Roman Greeco champions, to Cornish champions, Gotch’s speed and technique were too much for all different styles. It is said he even beat a Ju-Jitsu at the request of President Teddy Roosevelt. His rematch with Hackenschmidt drew the largest gate of the era, selling out the brand new Comisky Field in Chicago, home of the White Sox. Hackenschmidt would submit in a much shorter match. Finally, in 1913, Gotch retired as champion. It was said by people who knew and liked Gotch that he would use oil, pull hair, or break a bone to get an advantage. Needless to say, the pure sporting champion like Hackenschmidt was over, and champions like Gotch who’d do anything to win took over the 20th Century in all sports.

Legacy

Shortly after retiring, Gotch toured the circuses, defeating all that challenged him. Of course, the marriage of the circus and pro-wrestling is what created modern pro-wrestling as we know it. By this point though, this marriage is well established, Gotch just became the newest person to join. Sadly though, Gotch would pass in 1917 from uremic poisoning, leaving behind a wife and 3-year-old son.

Gotch is responsible for making wrestling as popular as it is in the United States. After him, Iowa is a hot bed of wrestling that lives on to this day. Also, the world title after his retirement was believed to be restarted in the United States. He wasn’t muscular, but he defeated every strongman. In today’s world, perhaps he’s that era’s AEW compared to Hackenschmidt and Jenkins being the WWE. With that said, it is my honor to induct Frank Gotch to the Wrestling Headlines dot com Legacy Wing of the Hall of Fame.