The event, sponsored by the Catch Wrestling Alliance, bears the name of Frank Gotch, arguably the most famous catch wrestler in history, and will be held in Gotch's hometown.
"Catch wrestling was the top form of wrestling in America in the early part of the 20th century, and Frank Gotch was its foremost star," said Dr. Raul Ramirez, executive director of the CWA and a catch wrestling instructor and practitioner. "He is the Babe Ruth or the Muhammad Ali of this sport."
Born in 1878 on a farm just outside Humboldt about 90 miles northeast of Des Moines, Frank Alvin Gotch took on the best wrestlers on the planet in the early 1900s. He won the world championship by defeating George "the Russian Lion" Hackenschmidt in a two-hour match in Chicago in April 1908 ... then successfully defended his title against "Hack" on Labor Day 1911 also in Chicago. Although Gotch has been dead for nearly a century, his legacy lives on in Humboldt, as an eight-foot bronze statue of the "Iowa Plowboy" was unveiled there July 4, 2012, in the park that served as his training camp.
The Frank Gotch World Catch Championships will include five weight classes with eight contestants per weight class. There will also be one division for women, with no weight divisions. Ramirez expects the event to have an international flavor as he already has fielded inquiries from England, Mexico, Canada, Japan, Australia and Singapore.
Frank Gotch StatueMatches will be 20 minutes long. According to Ramirez, the primary way an athlete can win is with a joint-lock submission or a three-second pin. If neither happens during the time limit, then the referee will pick the winner based on aggressiveness. Kicking, hitting and choke holds are not allowed.
The Frank Gotch World Catch Championships, which will take place at Humboldt High School, is being co-sponsored by the Gotch Statue Committee and the Frank Gotch Kids Wrestling Club. All participants will receive a certificate suitable for framing, and the top three placewinners will receive a large medal with Gotch's image on it, attached to a ribbon.
"This seems like a very appropriate way to continue to support what Frank Gotch means to this community," said Maury Abens, a member of the Frank Gotch Statue Committee. "We think it's very exciting that Frank's style of wrestling is having a comeback, and the Chamber of Commerce and city administration are all very supportive. We think it's a great educational opportunity."
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now