Sport Briefs

Pawtucket Times – February 28, 1926

Joe Stecher, claimant of the world’s heavyweight wrestling championship, has wired New York promoters that he will give Ivan Poddubny of Russia a return match within a couple of months. Poddubny, 46-year-old giant, suffered the first defeat of his career when gripped by Stecher’s scissors hold a few weeks ago.

Poddubny, Russian Matman, Booked for Boston Match

Pawtucket Times – February 5, 1926

BOSTON, Feb. 5 – Ivan Poddubny, the giant 45-year-old Russian, who gave Joe Stecher, the world’s champion wrestler, the time of his life in their recent world championship contest in New York, will appear at Mechanics building Tuesday evening, Feb. 16. Promoter Lew Grace, who saw the bout, became so enthusiastic about the New York mill that he has signed Poddubny to appear in Boston against the best available heavyweight to be secured.

Stecker Tackles Mighty Oak Man Micheloff

The Denver Post – December 12, 1915
By Otto Floto

As we give the old sport chronology the up and down we find its chief event assigned to Wednesday of the coming week. On that date Joe Stecker, the wrestling wonder of all time, will grapple with Micheloff, who comes to us hailed to be as sturdy as the oak, with the hirsute of the lion and the strength of tool steel. When, just previous to the present senseless war, Europe was combed to find the strongest man among her melting pot of nations, the choice of the connoisseurs fell upon the broad shoulders of Micheloff. Emil Klank, who for many years handled Frank Gotch, learned of this famous Russian and sent an agent to Europe to sign him to a contract. That is how and why Micheloff finds himself in America at this time instead of in the trenches aiming to kill his fellowmen, who probably never did him any harm.

Sporting Topics

The Pawtucket Times – October 4, 1920
E. W. Farnum

For a number of years Rhode Island has had no professional wrestling bouts of any consequence, but if Promoter Lou Daro is successful in the plans he has underway the sport will be staged at Marieville Arena on a high-class plane. The records will show that all four principals of the two main bouts for Wednesday are grapplers of ability and Stanislaus Zbyszko ranks as one of the greatest of all time.

Live Wires of Sports

The Pawtucket Times – February 24, 1916

Fans who attended the wrestling match in Boston last night which Zbyszko won from Hussane must have believed that the grappling game can be almost as exciting as boxing. Zbyszko knocked Hussane cold by tossing him upon his head. When Hussane came to in the dressing room he asked who ran the engine off his neck.

Promoters of Kansas City have offered a purse of $10,000 for a finish match at catch-as-catch-can between Joe Stecher and Stranger Lewis. The latter is to meet Dick Butler, the Irish giant, at the Harlem Sporting Club of New York Monday night.

Joe Stecher Wins Two Falls From L’Heureux

Buffalo Morning Express – October 17, 1925

Winnipeg, Man., Oct. 16 (A.P.). – Joe Stecher, the American heavyweight wrestler, last night defeated Leo L’Heureux, the Canadian champion, here, two out of three falls.

Famous Wrestling In Perspective

La Liberté – October 7, 1925

Leo L’Heureux and Joe Stecher to Meet October 15 at Winnipeg Auditorium

A sporting event of considerable interest to the French population of Manitoba will be the world championship wrestling match between Joe Stecher, the champion, and Leo L’Heureux, a contender for the title. Stecher and L’Heureux will meet in a final match at the Winnipeg Auditorium on the evening of October 15.

Stecher Gains Two Falls Over Hussane

Manitoba Free Press – January 16, 1923

Chicago, Jan. 15. – Joe Stecher, Nebraska heavyweight wrestler, won a two fall match here tonight from Yousiff Hussane, the Turk, the first fall coming after one hour and three minutes and 45 seconds of wrestling and the second in 16 minutes.  Both resulted from Stecher’s famous body scissors hold.

Stecher Defends Wrestling Title In L. A.

The Humboldt Times – August 11, 1925

Italian Fails To Take Belt From Champion

HEAVYWEIGHT MATMAN DEFENDS HIS LAURELS WITH FAMOUS CHALLENGER

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 10. – Joe Stecher, world’s wrestling heavyweight champion, tonight successfully defended his title against Renato Gardini the Italian challenger.

The match was looked forward to with good deal of interest here among the followers of the game.  A good sized crowd turned out to see the two grapplers.

Wrestlers In Three Bouts Tonight

Boston Globe – December 14, 1916

The three matches which make up tonight’s wrestling card at the Grand Opera House are so good that the cancellation of the Joe Stecher-Franz Hockmann contest does not appear to have lessened interest in the least.

Stecher will be on hand to be introduced.