EL GRAN FRANK GOTCH, PRIMER CAMPEON MUNDIAL ESTADOUNIDENSE! Vencio al Leon Ruso George Hackenschmidt! Profiles in Greatness - Frank Gotch Born: Apr. 27, 1878 in Humboldt, IA Died: Dec. 16, 1917 in Humboldt, IA Years Active: 1899-1913 Timeline: Debuting in Iowa -Apr. 2, 1899 - Humboldt, IA - Despite having no formal training, Gotch makes his professional debut, defeating Marshall Green. -Jun. 18, 1899 - LuVerne, IA - Loses a match to American Heavyweight Champion Dan McLeod, but lasted nearly two hours in the bout. News of this match would gain the interest of another former American Champion, Farmer Burns. -Dec. 18, 1899 - Loses a match to Martin Farmer Burns in a mere eleven minutes, but Burns is still impressed enough to agree to start training Gotch. -March 1901 - Burlington, IA - Defeats Al Wassem for the Iowa Heavyweight Championship. This reign would later be recognized as part of the lineage of the NWA Iowa Heavyweight Championship, which was defended in the state from 1923-1962. The Klondike - Frank Kennedy Becomes Champion in Canada -Aug. 14, 1901 - Dawson City, YT - Makes his Canadian debut as Frank Kennedy, defeating Vincent White. Gotch would spend six months wrestling around Alaska and the Yukon during the tail end of the Klondike Gold Rush. -Sept. 21, 1901 - Dawson City, YT - Wins a Three Corner Contest against Ole Marsh and Col. JH McLaughlin, a six fall contest where the loser of each fall would alternate out. Kennedy would win the fifth and sixth falls to be recognized as Champion of the Klondike. This may not be a long running championship (Kennedy is likely the only champion), but this may be the first professional wrestling championship recognized anywhere in Canada. -Sept. 25, 1901 - Dawson City, YT - Kennedy makes his professional boxing debut, against established pro Frank Paddy Slavin. Throughout the match, Slavin dominates, beating Kennedy bloody. In the fourth round, Kennedy would shove Slavin to the corner and scoop slam him for good measure, losing the match officially in the process. He would retire from boxing after this match. The American Heavyweight Championship -Jan. 27, 1904 - Bellingham, WA - After being unsuccessful in bid for the American Heavyweight Championship a year earlier, Gotch beats Tom Jenkins for the title in the rematch. -Mar. 15, 1905 - New York, NY - Tom Jenkins successfully regains the American title in a rematch with Gotch. Around this time, Gotch would start issuing challenges to World Champion Georg Hackenschmidt, which went completely ignored. -May 23, 1906 - Kansas City, MO - Gotch wins yet another match between the two, regaining the American Heavyweight Championship from Tom Jenkins. -Dec. 1, 1906 - New Orleans, LA - Fred Beell etches his name into wrestling history when he is able to capitalize on an accident. During the match, Gotch strikes his head off one of the unprotected turnbuckles and is practically knocked out. With the loss, Gotchs record falls to 66-6. This would be the last loss of his professional career. -Dec. 17. 1906 - Kansas City, MO - Just sixteen days after losing the title, Gotch regains the American Heavyweight Championship, defeating Beell for the first of seven times during his career. The World Heavyweight Championship -Apr. 3, 1908 - Chicago, IL - After three years of issuing challenges, Gotch finally gets a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship. Hackenschmidt, who had no respect for American wrestling, was reportedly out of shape for the bout, but was still able to hang on for two hours and three minutes before verbally conceding the first fall due to exhaustion. After the rest period was over, Georg refuses to come out and relinquishes the championship to Gotch. After the match, Hackenschmidt, who was previously undefeated, makes allegations of Gotch using illegal moves and oiling his body. -Jun. 1, 1910 - Gotch dominates Stanislaus Zbyszko in straight falls, including scoring the first fall in just six seconds. Coming into the match, Zbyszko is believed to have won over 900 matches. -Sept. 4, 1911 - Chicago, IL - Gotch would easily defend the title against Hackenschmidt, winning in straight falls in under a half hour. This would end up being one of the most controversial endings in the history of the industry, as Hackenschmidt would go on to claim that he was wrestling with a serious knee injury. Also, a wrestler named Ad Santal would later claim that he was paid a bounty of $5000 by Gotchs handlers to hurt the challenger during a sparring session, but any injury was actually incurred while sparring with Dr. Ben Roller (and neither seemed too alarmed by it at the time). Many historians have called this wrestlings first injury angle, but it was more of a means of Hackenschmidt trying to save face, as there is no concrete evidence that the match was worked. -Nov. 15, 1911 - Moose Jaw, SK - Successfully defends the World Heavyweight Championship against Jim Aspdell. This match is only noteworthy as it may be the first time the World Championship was defended in Canada. Gotch would also make appearances in Montreal late in his career. -Apr. 1, 1913 - Kansas City, MO - Defeats Georg Lurich in yet another successful title defense. Gotch would retire as World Heavyweight Champion after this match with a 154-6 record. -Jul. 18, 1916 - Gotch fractures his leg in an exhibition match against Bob Managoff Sr. in the carnival circuit. Gotchs health would start to deteriorate at that point. -Dec. 16, 1917 - Humboldt, IA - Gotch passes away in his home town, dying of Uremic Poisoning at the age of 39.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Nov 2013 15:46:59 +0000
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