Joe Stecher Throws Dan Kolov

On Thursday, November 22, 1923, St. Louis promoter John Contos hosted a controversial card topped by a match between Joe Stecher and Dan Kolov, an up-and-coming Bulgarian wrestler.  The card was covered by John E. Wray, the Sports Editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The card was controversial because two of the biggest stars in wrestling were advertised but didn’t wrestle that evening.  Wladek Zbyszko was booked to wrestle John Evko, a wrestler Contos was building up at the time.  The other wrestler, Jim Londos, who would become the biggest box office star of the 1930s, didn’t even arrive in the city.

Wray took Contos to task for not announcing the no-shows for the card.  Wray said the inability to deliver on the advertised card was why professional wrestling couldn’t get a foothold in the the St. Louis market.

Contos responded he had no idea Jim Londos would no-show and was expected on the 6 p.m. train.  When he wasn’t on the train, Mr. Contos received the first information he may not make it.  It would still be possible to arrive on a later train.

Contos stated Zbyszko could wrestle despite his infected knee.  He then made the laughable assertion that Zbyszko was afraid of Evko.  In a contest, Wladek Zbyszko had no reason to fear any other wrestler.

Wray reported the wrestling, which did occur, was excellent.  George Tragos, the future trainer of Lou Thesz, wrestled a ten-minute draw with Jim Logas.  Renato Gardini threw Gus Anderson in 9 and a half minutes with a flying mare.  Wray pointed out he felt this match was an “exhibition” with Gardini trying to get a match out of a “lump of bologna”.

Wray praised the final two matches of the night.  He treated both like contests even though they were both certainly “works” or exhibitions.

John Evko put on a dominant performance against former American Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Charlie Cutler.  Wray said Cutler was “a tub of gellatine”.  The 39-year-old Cutler was nearing the end of his career, so he might have been lightly training at this point.  Evko won in 19 minutes with a reverse double wrist lock and roll.

The wrestling crowd at the St. Louis Coliseum came to see the main event between Joe Stecher and Contos’ pet project, Dan Kolov.  Contos would eventually leave St. Louis promotion to his nephew Tom Packs and tour the country with Kolov as his manager.  Later, Contos would settle in Atlanta to start promoting again.

The match became a test of Stecher’s skill and technique versus Kolov’s strength.  Stecher dominated the match by putting hold after hold on Kolov, who used his great strength to break free.  After an hour, Kolov was clearly weakening from the constant powering out of scissors holds, toe holds, headlocks, etc.

The crowd knew it was just a matter of time before Stecher caught Kolov with something.  At the 1 hour, 20 minute mark, Stecher caught Kolov in a wrist lock and body scissors.  Kolov couldn’t break free this time and was pinned for the win.

While Contos was building Kolov as a star, he couldn’t have him with the match with Stecher.  Fans wouldn’t believe a relatively inexperienced wrestler could beat the once and future World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Joe Stecher.  Taking Stecher an hour and 20 minutes though would help build Kolov’s reputation.

Eventually, Wray would be proven wrong about the popularity of wrestling in St. Louis.  First under Tom Packs and then under Sam Muchnick, St. Louis would become the “Capital of Professional Wrestling” in the United States.  In the early 1920s, pro wrestling was just trying to get a foot hold in St. Louis.

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Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 23, 1923 edition, p. 40

 

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