Slattery Exposes Wrestling

During June 1927, the Illinois state legislature rocked the professional boxing and professional wrestling worlds when a subcommittee started investigating the state athletic commission. The legislature believed that promoters were putting on “fake” contests in both sports.

Before the committee concluded its work, it suspended the boxing and wrestling licenses of 130 athletes. These revelations further disillusioned wrestling fans aggravated over the competing world championship claims of Ed “Strangler” Lewis and Joe Stecher.

For professional wrestling, Martin Slattery provided the most damning evidence to the committee. Slattery promoted wrestling in Chicago in the early 1910s, managed John “The Nebraska Tigerman” Pesek for ten years, and currently served as a wrestling referee in Nebraska.

Slattery told the committee that a wrestling trust controlled professional wrestling in the United States. When Representative Gallus, the committee chairperson, asked Slattery who controlled wrestling, Slattery quickly answered. “Jack Curley controls wrestling in New York. Billy Sandow and his younger brother Max Baumann controls Illinois and the south, and the Stecher brothers control wrestling in the west.”

Gallus further asked Slattery if Slattery knew of any fixed matches. Slattery said, “Yes. Joe Stecher’s April 22, 1926, title defense against John Pesek was a set up affair.” Slattery said that Joe Stecher made Pesek put up $16,000 as forfeit if Pesek double-crossed Stecher. Pesek also had to guarantee an automatic rematch. Although Slattery testified April 22nd, he was referring to the title match between Stecher and Pesek in St. Louis on April 29, 1926.

Slattery helped Pesek mortgage Pesek’s Ravenna, Nebraska farm to produce $8,000 nan la $16,000 guarantee. Slattery went to watch the match because Pesek confided in Slattery that Pesek was going to double-cross Stecher anyway.

Sepandan, when the men arrived in St. Louis, Tom Packs told Pesek that Pesek would win the first fall after three hours. Stecher would win the second fall after forty-five minutes. Pesek would jump out of the ring and be disqualified in the third fall giving Stecher the match. Pesek would “fall” from the ring and be unable to continue to end the third fall but it in all other respects Slattery’s version is exactly how the match played out.

Packs threatened to have Pesek suspended if Pesek double-crossed Stecher. Still under a lifetime suspension from the New York State Athletic Commission, which prevented Pesek from wrestling in certain areas of the country, Pesek decided not to double-cross Stecher.

Joe Stecher denied the claims, but the publicity hurt his claim to the world championship. It was becoming more obvious to Joe and Tony Stecher that they would have to end the divided championship soon.

You can leave a comment or ask a question about this or any post on my Facebook page.

Source: The Grand Island Independent (Grand Island, Nebraska), Jen 17, 1927, p. 4

Kloure Li