http://www.collegewrestlingnetwork.com/ 2. Visit the individual websites within the College Wrestling Network. A widget has been placed on these websites, which is constantly updated with the new stories added by the partner media out- lets.


3. Visit the College Wrestling Network Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/col- legewrestlingnetwork Even better, use all three of these cov- erage options as a regular part of your internet usage and keep up to date with the latest news and best features on col- lege wrestling.


HUMBOLDT RAISING MONEY FOR STATUE OF GOTCH HUMBOLDT, Iowa – The hometown of world wrestling champion Frank Gotch, an American Hero, a power-ful and remarkable man who many experts and historians consider the greatest wrestler of all time, is making plans to honor its most famous citizen. The Frank Gotch Statue Committee, a non-profit organization, has announced a fundraising campaign is un-derway to raise funds to erect a statue of Frank Gotch on the west end of Humboldt’s main street. The 8-foot tall bronze statue of Gotch will be located in Bicknell Park,


Message from Kevin Hansen, USA Wrestling’s Manager for Junior Olympic Programming:


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the historic training site for Gotch 100 years ago.


The committee in this north central Iowa community of 5,500 feels it is time to honor Gotch in a big way. Gotch has been credited with laying the foundation for the state of Iowa becoming one of the nation’s strong-est wrestling states in high school and col- lege, let alone the long-lasting impact he had nationwide on the sport. In 1911 when Gotch defeated George Hackenschmidt, known as the Russian Lion, Gotch trained in the area of what is now Bicknell Park. Many famous wrestlers, including Farmer Burns, con- sidered the top wrestling trainer of all- time, came to Humboldt to help Gotch prepare for his match with Hackenschmidt.


Hundreds of fans and sportswriters poured into Humboldt from all over. A special train from Fort Dodge brought fans by the hundreds. One particular day, a newspaper writer from Chicago esti- mated there were over 2,000 fans in Humboldt watching Gotch train. The match between Gotch and Hackenschmidt of what was then the new baseball park in Chicago, Comiskey Park, drew an estimated crowd of 30,000 fans.


It was the largest crowd ever to see a


wrestling match for another half century. Gotch won easily and never lost again. Frank Gotch won the heavyweight wrestling title in 1908 and never lost again, winning 88 consecutive matches before retiring in 1916 undefeated. Frank Gotch was the Michael Jordan of his own era in the early 1900s. Frank Gotch was as well-known in his era, as any athlete since then.


Mike Chapman, who has authored sev- eral books on Gotch, says Gotch is the best-known athlete, per era, in Iowa his- tory, even when you compare him to Bob Feller, Nile Kinnick, Dan Gable or even Olympian Shawn Johnson.


“Frank Gotch was arguably the top ath-


lete in America in the 1908-1915 era,” said committee co-chair Steve Reimers. “Frank brought great recognition to this town and to all of Iowa. Many of us feel it is time to pay spe-cial tribute to Gotch and the great legacy he left behind.” The committee estimates it will need to raise upwards of $100,000-$150,000 for the project.


According to author Mac Davis, in the book 100 Greatest Sports Heroes, Gotch was a bigger star than any boxer or baseball player. “As the idol of millions in the United States, Canada and Mexico, Gotch made wrestling a big-time sport in his day.”


TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN MONEY AND GEAR!!!


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39 USA Wrestler


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