Editing George Hackenschmidt (section)

=== Rivalry with Frank Gotch ===
[[Image:Frank Gotch vs Georg Hackenschmidt 1908.jpg|thumb|left|150px|[[Frank Gotch]] vs. George Hackenschmidt in their rematch at Comiskey Park (September 4, 1911)]]
Wrestling historian Mike Chapman wrote "In all of athletic history, there are a mere handful of rivalries between individual stars that have become almost as large as the sport itself. In boxing, such matchups as [[John L. Sullivan|Sullivan]]–[[James J. Corbett|Corbett]], [[Jack Dempsey|Dempsey]]–[[Gene Tunney|Tunney]], [[Joe Louis|Louis]]–[[Billy Conn|Conn]] and [[Muhammad Ali|Ali]]–[[Joe Frazier|Frazier]] are a part of boxing folklore. In wrestling, there is only one: [[Frank Gotch|Gotch]]–Hackenschmidt".<ref>[[#Chapman|Chapman]], p. 57.</ref>

After defeating Jenkins in 1905, Hackenschmidt held the [[Professional wrestling championship#World championships|world title]] and remained undefeated until he and Frank Gotch finally squared off on 3 April 1908, at the [[Dexter Park (Chicago)|Dexter Park]] Pavilion in Chicago. Showing his contempt for Gotch and for American wrestling in general, Hackenschmidt was not in the best condition. Refusing to train publicly at the Chicago Athletic Club in spite of arrangements having been made for him to do so, he was barred from the club and spent his time either in his hotel room or taking long morning and evening walks along Lake Michigan. By neglecting his training, he lost his endurance, which had never been a factor in his previous matches because he ended them so quickly. Against Gotch, who was in peak condition, it would be decisive.<ref>[[#Chapman|Chapman]], pp. 60–61.</ref>

Gotch used his speed, defense and rough tactics to wear the champion down and then assume the attack. The wrestlers stood on their feet for two full hours before Gotch was able to get behind Hackenschmidt and take him down. While on their feet, Gotch made sure to lean on Hackenschmidt to wear him down. He bullied him around the ring, and his thumbing and butting left Hackenschmidt covered in blood. At one time, Gotch also punched Hackenschmidt on the nose.<ref name="sandowplus">{{cite web|last=Gentle|first=David|url=http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition/Hackenschmidt/hack-intro.html|title=George Hackenschmidt|work=sandowplus.co.uk}}</ref> Hackenschmidt complained to the [[Referee (professional wrestling)|referee]] of Gotch's foul tactics and asked that Gotch be forced to take a hot shower to rid his body of an abundance of oil, but the referee ignored the complaints and told Hackenschmidt he should have noticed the oil before the match began. The match continued until the two-hour mark, when Hackenschmidt was forced against the ropes. Gotch tore him off the ropes, threw him down and rode him hard for three minutes, working for his dreaded toe hold. Hackenschmidt had trained to avoid this hold, which he did, but the effort took his last remaining strength. Hackenschmidt quit the fall. "I surrender the championship of the world to Mr. Gotch", he said, and stood up and shook Gotch's hand. The wrestlers then retired to their dressing rooms before coming out for the second fall, but Hackenschmidt refused to return to the ring, telling the referee to declare Gotch the winner, thereby relinquishing his title to him.<ref>[[#Fleischer|Fleischer]], pp. 98–104.</ref><ref>[[#Chapman|Chapman]], pp. 65–70.</ref> Although he at first called Gotch "the greatest man by far I ever met", and explained how his muscles had become stale and his feet had given out, and that he knew he could not win and therefore conceded the match, Hackenschmidt later reversed his opinion of Gotch and Americans in general, claiming to have been fouled by Gotch and victimized in America, and calling for a rematch in Europe.<ref>[[#Chapman|Chapman]], pp. 68, 73–74.</ref>
[[File:Tatler cover 5feb1908.jpg|thumb|249x249px|Georg Hackenschmidt vs. Joe Rogers on the cover of Tatler magazine]]
In August 1907, Hackenschmidt suffered pain in his knee and returned to Russia for rehabilitation. Hackenschmidt failed to heal his knee and was sent back to England. By 1907 the situation in the wrestling world had changed, Hackenschmidt noticed the emergence of four strong wrestlers: Constant Le Marin, [[Stanislaus Zbyszko]], [[Ivan Poddubny]] and Joe Rogers. All four challenged Hackenschmidt, and he agreed to compete against the strongest of them, which should determine the tournament. In England, Hackenschmidt attended a match between Zbyszko and Poddubny, which Zbyszko won. Rogers was unable to compete due to [[sepsis]] and demanded a rematch from Hackenschmidt for the loss in USA. The contest was held on February 6, 1908, at [[Oxford Music Hall]], where Hackenschmidt defeated Rogers in a short bout. Hackenschmidt was then scheduled to face Zbyszko, but the match was canceled due to knee problems. The wrestler went to [[Aachen]], where he underwent knee surgery, followed by a long recovery. During his rehabilitation, Hackenschmidt wrote that the only opponent he was interested in was Frank Gotch.<ref name=":0" />
[[File:Gotch - Hackenschmidt Wrestling Match for World's Championship Sept. 4, 1911, Chicago (cropped).tif|left|thumb|Gotch vs. Hackenschmidt in 1911]]
Hackenschmidt and Gotch met again on 4 September 1911, at the newly opened [[Comiskey Park]] in Chicago, which drew a crowd of nearly 30,000 spectators and a record gate of $87,000. The rematch is one of the most controversial and talked about matches in professional wrestling history, as Hackenschmidt claimed to have injured his knee against Dr. Roller, his chief training partner. Years later, professional wrestler [[Ad Santel]] told [[Lou Thesz]] that he was paid $5,000 by Gotch's backers to cripple Hackenschmidt in training, and make it look like an accident.<ref>Thesz, Lou, & Kit Bauman, Mike Chapman, editor, ''Hooker, The Authentic Wrestler's Adventures Inside the Bizarre World of Professional Wrestling'' (Wrestling Channel Press, 1995–2000), p. 67.</ref> However, according to Hackenschmidt himself, the injury was accidentally inflicted by his sparring partner, Roller, when trying to hold Hackenschmidt down onto his knees in the down position. Roller's right foot struck Hackenschmidt's right knee, which in 1904 had developed "[[Housemaid's Knee]]", requiring treatment, and had acted up again in 1907. Furthermore, according to Hackenschmidt, his sparring partners for this match were Americus (Gus Schoenlein), Jacobus Koch, [[Wladek Zbyszko]] and Roller. Ad Santel is not mentioned in any account of Hackenschmidt's training by either Hackenschmidt or Roller, both of whom offered their insights and accounts.<ref>[[#Fleischer|Fleischer]], pp. 122–124.</ref>

Whatever the case may be, Dr. Roller did not consider the injury to be serious, and referee Ed Smith dismissed it as inconsequential. Hackenschmidt himself ignored it completely in declaring, the day before the match, that he was "fit to wrestle for my life" and was "satisfied with my condition and confident of the outcome". However, Gotch, tearing into Hackenschmidt with a vengeance, discovered the weakness quickly and took advantage of it. Hackenschmidt was easy prey for Gotch, losing in straight falls in only 20 minutes. Gotch clinched the match with his signature [[toe hold]], which forced Hackenschmidt to concede.<ref>[[#Fleischer|Fleischer]], pp. 114–120.</ref><ref>[[#Chapman|Chapman]], pp. 91–102.</ref>

[[Image:Gotch and Hackenschmidt program, 1911.JPG|thumb|Program from Hackenschmidt vs. Gotch on 4 September 1911]]