The World's Championship Match Between Joe Stecher and Earl Caddock

Back to "the Good Old Days", when even (some) Wrestling Matches were really, uh, Wrestling Matches!

George Bothner

Earl Caddock

Joe Stecher

On January 30, 1920, fans packed Madison Square Garden to see Stecher defeat Caddock

Stecher-Caddock Wrestling Match

Back to &quot;the Good Old Days&quot;, when even (some) Wrestling Matches were really, uh, Wrestling Matches!

IT was January 30, 1920. The great &quot;War to end all Wars&quot;, World War I, was over only about fourteen months prior; so escorts for the two contestants were provided by the Army (Champion Earl Caddock) and the Navy (Challenger &amp; ex-Champ, Joe Stecher, pronounced &quot;Stecker&quot;).

STECHER had been the legitimate World&apos;s Professional Heavyweight Wrestling Champion before U.S. involvement in the hostilities and did enlist in the Navy; hence the origin of his Honor Guard*. Champion Earl Caddock&apos;s wartime service in World War I was in the Army; where he saw action in France and was eventually sent to Officers Candidate School.

EARLY shots in the film show both Caddock and Stecher at their respective training camps; in what is most likely obligatory &quot;behind the scenes&quot; reporting. Both contestants are shown doing their road work and their &quot;Daily Dozen&quot; (Calisthenics); but there is neither depiction of any sparring in the ring nor on the mat.

AS for the short&apos;s covering of the big bout, the print used in making the VHS cassette that we viewed was in a very poor, deteriorating condition; as there is obvious blurring of the individual frames and evidence of running of the film&apos;s emulsion. The film is obviously from a latter day re-release; as there is an added sound track featuring some music and some unobtrusive and well chosen level crowd noise. There is no voice over in the short; with only the original title cards left intact to move the narrative.

VIEWING what is the highlights, of what was an over an hour and a half of a match, is much like watching a modern day amateur wrestling meet. The contestants spend a lot of time in sizing-up each other, looking and feeling for any openings available to the other. There is a lot of time devoted to the wrestlers down on the mat; applying holds &amp; counters and attempting to wear down their opponent. Caddock&apos;s avoidance of Stecher&apos;s powerful and feared &apos;Leg Scissors&apos; hold is much in evidence. The &apos;Leg Scissors&apos; developed by farm boy Stecher who reportedly did so by using the maneuver to hold sheep in place while being sheared.

THOSE interested in viewing the sports short can do so by finding a dealer carrying the VHS videocassette titled &quot;Wrestling Thrills of Yesteryear&quot;. You will find two such companies if you Google the title.

IN addition to the STECHER-CADDOCK WRESTLING MATCH (1920), you&apos;ll get a second old match, DICK SHIKAT VS. ED &quot;STRANGLER&quot; LEWIS (1932), which took place at the Madison Square Garden Bowl, Long Island City,Queens, N.Y. It was a benefit for The Milk Fund; and devoid of all of the Pyrotechnics, Rock Music, Flashing Lights, Dry Ice Fog,Soap Opera and other out and out B.S. that have become so commonplace in the overwhelming epidemic of unmitigated crap in Pro Wrestling Exhibitions of today. Thank you, Vince McMahon, Jr.

WRESTLING fan or not, viewing this cassette with both matches is a great treat to all interested in any new or different Historical perspective of the early 20th Century.

NOTE * There is a rumor floating around that Champ Joe Stecher &quot;dropped the Belt&quot; (purposely lost) to Earl Caddock before Stecher&apos;s enlistment in the World War I Navy; but this like so many of the Kennedy Assassination theories, lacks any sort of discernible or concrete evidence.

POODLE SCHNITZ!!

IT was January 30, 1920. The great "War to end all Wars", World War I, was over only about fourteen months prior; so escorts for the two contestants were provided by the Army (Champion Earl Caddock) and the Navy (Challenger & ex-Champ, Joe Stecher, pronounced "Stecker").

STECHER had been the legitimate World's Professional Heavyweight Wrestling Champion before U.S. involvement in the hostilities and did enlist in the Navy; hence the origin of his Honor Guard*. Champion Earl Caddock's wartime service in World War I was in the Army; where he saw action in France and was eventually sent to Officers Candidate School.

EARLY shots in the film show both Caddock and Stecher at their respective training camps; in what is most likely obligatory "behind the scenes" reporting. Both contestants are shown doing their road work and their "Daily Dozen" (Calisthenics); but there is neither depiction of any sparring in the ring nor on the mat.

AS for the short's covering of the big bout, the print used in making the VHS cassette that we viewed was in a very poor, deteriorating condition; as there is obvious blurring of the individual frames and evidence of running of the film's emulsion. The film is obviously from a latter day re-release; as there is an added sound track featuring some music and some unobtrusive and well chosen level crowd noise. There is no voice over in the short; with only the original title cards left intact to move the narrative.

VIEWING what is the highlights, of what was an over an hour and a half of a match, is much like watching a modern day amateur wrestling meet. The contestants spend a lot of time in sizing-up each other, looking and feeling for any openings available to the other. There is a lot of time devoted to the wrestlers down on the mat; applying holds & counters and attempting to wear down their opponent. Caddock's avoidance of Stecher's powerful and feared 'Leg Scissors' hold is much in evidence. The 'Leg Scissors' developed by farm boy Stecher who reportedly did so by using the maneuver to hold sheep in place while being sheared.

THOSE interested in viewing the sports short can do so by finding a dealer carrying the VHS videocassette titled "Wrestling Thrills of Yesteryear". You will find two such companies if you Google the title.

IN addition to the STECHER-CADDOCK WRESTLING MATCH (1920), you'll get a second old match, DICK SHIKAT VS. ED "STRANGLER" LEWIS (1932), which took place at the Madison Square Garden Bowl, Long Island City,Queens, N.Y. It was a benefit for The Milk Fund; and devoid of all of the Pyrotechnics, Rock Music, Flashing Lights, Dry Ice Fog,Soap Opera and other out and out B.S. that have become so commonplace in the overwhelming epidemic of unmitigated crap in Pro Wrestling Exhibitions of today. Thank you, Vince McMahon, Jr.

WRESTLING fan or not, viewing this cassette with both matches is a great treat to all interested in any new or different Historical perspective of the early 20th Century.

NOTE * There is a rumor floating around that Champ Joe Stecher "dropped the Belt" (purposely lost) to Earl Caddock before Stecher's enlistment in the World War I Navy; but this like so many of the Kennedy Assassination theories, lacks any sort of discernible or concrete evidence.

POODLE SCHNITZ!!

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Stecher-Caddock Wrestling Match

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