Frank Gotch
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| Frank Gotch | |
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| Frank Gotch in a published photo | |
| Statistics | |
| Ring name(s) | Frank Gotch Frank Kennedy |
| Billed height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) |
| Billed weight | 91 kg (200 lb) |
| Born | April 27, 1878 Humboldt, Iowa |
| Died | December 16, 1917 Humboldt, Iowa |
| Trained by | Farmer Burns |
| Debut | 1899 |
| Retired | 1913 |
Frank Alvin Gotch (April 27, 1878 - December 17, 1917) was an American professional wrestler back when the contests were largely legitimate (see catch wrestling). He was World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion from 1908 to 1913, and one of the most popular athletes in America from the 1900's to the 1910's. He will perhaps be best remembered for popularizing professional wrestling in the United States.
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[edit] Early life
The son of Frederick Rudolph and Amelia Gotch, Gotch was born and raised on a small farm three miles south of Humboldt, Iowa. He took up wrestling in his teens, earning a reputation by beating locals.
[edit] Wrestling Career
Gotch wrestled his first professional match in in Lu Verne, Iowa, on June 18, 1899, against former American Heavyweight Champion, Dan McLeod. Gotch impressed the veteran by holding his own for nearly two hours before losing. On December 18, 1899, Gotch challenged another former American Champion, "Farmer" Martin Burns, losing in 11 minutes, but impressing Burns, who offered to train Gotch. Under the guidance of Burns, Gotch won a series of matches in Iowa and later, Alaska. While in Alaska, Gotch wrestled under the name Frank Kennedy and won the title of "Champion of the Klondike". During his time in Alaska, Gotch tried his hand at boxing, but failed miserably against the heavyweight Frank Slavin.
Gotch returned to Iowa and instantly challenged the reigning American Heavyweight Champion, Tom Jenkins. Gotch lost their first match in 1903, before defeating Jenkins in a rematch on January 27, 1904 to take the championship. After trading the title with Jenkins and Fred Beel, Gotch set his sights on the World Heavyweight Championship, then held by the undefeated Georg Hackenschmidt. The two would meet on April 3, 1908 at Chicago's Dexter Park Pavillion. Hackenschmidt was favored to win, but after two grueling hours he conceded to Gotch, after refusing to return to the ring for the last fall. Gotch would spend the next three years establishing his dominance over the sport, defeating the likes of Jenkins, Benjamin Roller, and Stanislaus Zbyszko, who was believed to have won over 900 matches before falling to Gotch on June 1, 1910. Gotch became a national sensation, appearing in plays and even recieving an invitation to the White House by then president Theodore Roosevelt.
After three years, Gotch would meet Hackenschmidt again, in one of the most controversial and talked about matches in wrestling history. Weeks before the contest, Hackenschmidt injured his knee in a training session with either Ad Santel or Benjamin Roller; it was later revealed that Gotch paid off either Santel or Roller to take liberties with Hackenschmidt. The injury was so severe that Hackenschmidt nearly withdrew from the match, before agreeing to lose to Gotch under the condition that Gotch sacrifice a fall so that Hackenschmidt to look strong in defeat. On September 4, 1911, Gotch met Hackenschmidt at the newly opened Comiskey Park in Chicago. The contest drew a crowd of nearly 30, 000 and a record gate of $87, 000. Despite their agreement before the match, Gotch double-crossed Hackenschmidt by quickly defeating him in two straight falls. The fans felt cheated by the finish, and professional wrestling suffered a crushing blow to it's popularity and mainstream acceptance in America.
Gotch retired in 1913, remaining undefeated as World Heavyweight Champion.
[edit] Post-Wrestling
While in retirement, Gotch joined Sells-Floto Circus where he would pay any man $250.00 if they could last 15 minutes in a match against him without being pinned or conceding. Not once did he have to pay. He grew tired of touring and moved back to Humboldt. After a year of health troubles, Frank Gotch died in 1917 at the age of 39, of what was rumored to be Syphilis, but the official cause of death was uremic poisoning.
[edit] Finishing/Signature Moves
- Toehold
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
- American Heavyweight Championship (3 time)
- World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (inducted in 1996)
[edit] Trivia
- His professional wrestling record is one hundred fifty-four wins and only six losses.
- Humboldt Community School District sponsors the annual Frank Gotch Wrestling Tournament
- Frank A. Gotch State Park, three miles south of Humboldt, near his childhood farm
- He was the first inductee to both the Professional Wrestling Writers Hall of Fame in Latham, New York, and Lou Thesz/George Tragos Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in Newton, Iowa.
[edit] Sources
- Dave Meltzer & John F. Molinaro (2002). Top 100 Pro Wrestlers of all Time. Winding Stair Press. ISBN 1-55366-305-5.
- Gotch: A German-American Hero
- Hickok Sports Biography: Gotch, Frank A.
- Mike Chapman (1990). Frank Gotch, World's Greatest Wrestler. Buffalo, New York: William S. Hein & Co..
- Karl Stern. Pioneers of Wrestling. DragonKing Press Newsletter.
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Gotch, Frank |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Gotch, Frank Alvin (full) |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | American professional wrestler |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 27, 1878 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Humboldt, Iowa, United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 16, 1917 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Humboldt, Iowa, United States |
