Stecher and Lewis At It Again

Ed “Strangler” Lewis enjoyed one of the most successful careers in professional wrestling. Although Lewis wrestled in mostly staged exhibitions, he possessed legitimate wrestling skills. Future protege Lou Thesz said many times Lewis could beat any wrestler at any time, so he was the ideal world champion in the modern era of prearranged matches.

However, early in his career, Lewis could not defeat everyone at will. His rival Joe Stecher provided a stubborn challenge for Lewis. Whether they did not trust each other or just disliked each other, their early matches ended in a number of controversies.  Lewis would eventually take his first world championship from Stecher in a bout, where Stecher didn’t want to drop the belt to Lewis.

When they first met in 1915 and 1916, Stecher was equal in skill to Lewis. To combat Stecher’s offensive ability with the scissors hold, Lewis employed a defensive style. Fans found this style infuriating, but Lewis continued to evade Stecher’s holds. When the men met on July 4, 1916, in Omaha, Nebraska, Stecher had enough.

18,000 fans showed up at the Omaha Fair Grounds in what amounted to a hometown venue for Stecher, who was born in Dodge, Nebraska. The gate was $30,000, a gigantic sum of money in 1916.

The 22-year-old Stecher and 24-year-old entered the ring in peak condition. Stecher aggressively pursued Lewis, who continued to evade Stecher’s attempts to secure a scissors hold around his waist. Stecher did get a scissors hold on Lewis’ arm, but the 230-pound Lewis shook off the slimmer Stecher.

Frustrated and sick of “The Strangler’s” evasion, Stecher dropped to the ground and invited Lewis to put any hold on he wanted. Lewis tried to lock on a toe hold twice but Stecher spun and pulled his leg out each time. Lewis began to evade the contest again.

After four hours, referee Ed Smith, Sporting Editor of the Chicago American, suggested suspending the bout. Stecher and Lewis could continue the match the following night. Stecher agreed but Lewis insisted the match continue.

 Since it was getting dark, an assistant drove an automobile up to ringside. The driver used the automobile’s headlights to illuminate the ring.

Despite wanting to continue, Lewis did not change his tactics. At the five-hour mark, Ed Smith declared the match a draw and left the ring. Stecher and Lewis glared at each other for a few minutes before leaving. While the stare down could have been theatrics to promote future matches, Stecher was furious with Lewis for his tactics. Ed Lewis just did not like Joe Stecher. Period.

Ed “Strangler” Lewis eventually eclipsed Joe Stecher, who had a good but not as remarkable career as Lewis. Stecher would prove Lewis’s toughest rival and the one man who threatened Lewis’ reputation.

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Sources:  The Ogden Standard, July 5, 1916 edition, p. 2

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