Born:                   April 4, 1893, Near Dodge, Nebraska
Height:                 5’10-6’1’’
Weight:                205-208
Real Name:          Joseph J. Stecher
Hometown:           Dodge, Nebraska
Parents:               Frank and Anna Stecher
Family:                Younger Brother of Anton (Tony) and Louis Stecher
Military:               United States Navy (WW I)
Married to:          Frances Ehlers Stecher (December 6, 1916)
Trained by:         Anton Stecher
Pro Debut:          April 1912, Berea, Iowa (vs. Earl Caddock) (19 years old)
Nickname:           Scissors Joe, Scissors King
Finisher:             Scissors Leghold, Half Nelson and Leg Scissor
Managed by:      Joe Hetmanck (1910s-Sept 1917), Tony Stecher (Sept 1917-’30s)
Civilian job:         Farmer
Hall of Fames:    Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame, International Wrestling Institute and Museum
                    – Inducted in May 1999 in Newton, Iowa, Professional Wrestling Hall of
                    Fame – Inducted on May 5, 2002 in Schenectady, New York
Died:                  March 26, 1974, St. Cloud, Minnesota, 80 years old


In late May 1914, Anton and Joe Stecher went to Maryland, possibly to pick brother Lewis up
and drive him back to Dodge.

Tekamah, Nebraska:  July 3, 1914
Joe Stecher b. Jack Miller (2-0) (Stecher won the first fall in 40-minutes and Miller was
unable to continue)
Note:  His opponent was also said to be "Jack Myers).

Dodge, Nebraska:  July 4, 1914
(Air Dome) ... Joe Stecher b. Frank Dalkas (2-0) (Stecher won the first fall in 53-minutes and
the second in 12-minutes)

West Point, Nebraska:  July 15, 1914
Joe Stecher vs. Paul Martinson (match rescheduled)

West Point, Nebraska:  July 16, 1914
Joe Stecher b. Paul Martinson (2-0) (Stecher won the first fall in 26-minutes and the second
in 14-minutes)

Fremont, Nebraska:  Mid-August 1914
Joe Stecher and Anton Stecher wrestled an exhibition at a tractor show.

Albion, Nebraska:  September 18, 1914
Joe Stecher was scheduled to wrestle the winner of the Anderson-Dalkus match.  This was
cancelled.

Austin, Minnesota:  Noember 12, 1914
Joe Stecher b. Henry Nelson (2-0) (Stecher won the first fall in 3-minutes and the second in
10-minutes)
... (referee:  Frank Gotch)
Notes:  Joe was accompanied by Anton Stecher, his brother.  Nelson claimed the Northwest
wrestling championship.

Stecher was billed as the holder of the Midwestern Heavyweight Title.  He also had a victory
over the Northwest Heavyweight Champion.

Hooper, Nebraska:  November 26, 1914
Joe Stecher b. Allan Eustace (2-0) (Stecher won the first fall in 11:30 and the second in 6:30)
Notes:  Eustace was billed as the Kansas State champion.  Also said to be November 28,
1914.

Fremont, Nebraska:  December 18, 1914
Joe Stecher b. Jack Leon (2-0) (Stecher won the first fall in 9:55 and the second of 9:05)
Notes:  Leon was billed as the Southern Champion from Lexington, Kentucky.

Hooper, Nebraska:  December 25, 1914
Joe Stecher b. Jud Thompson (2-0)

Hooper, Nebraska:  January 1, 1915
Joe Stecher b. George Turner (Stecher won the first fall in 8:15 and the second in 3:30)
Note:  Turner claimed to be the South Dakota wrestling champion.  According to one report,
this match took place on December 5, 1914.

Fremont, Nebraska:  January 5, 1915
Joe Stecher b. Mysterious Carpenter (2-0) (Stecher won the first fall in 1-hour and 17-
minutes and the second in 7-minutes)
Notes:  Carpenter was Adolph Ernst (Ad Santel), the World Light Heavyweight Champion at
185 pounds.

Lincoln, Nebraska:  January 13, 1915
Joe Stecher b. Tony Pietro (2-0) (Stecher won the first fall in 11-minutes and the second in 2:
30)

In February 1915, Joseph F. Hejtmanek retired as Dodge Postmaster and became the full-
time manager for both Joe and Anton Stecher.

Lincoln, Nebraska:  February 23, 1915
Joe Stecher b. Jack Taylor (2-0) (Stecher won the first fall in 20-minutes and the second in 2-
minutes) (Taylor was injured and unable to continue the second fall after two-minutes)
Note:  Taylor was recognized as a Canadian Champion.

Louisville, Kentucky:  March 8, 1915
Joe Stecher b. Hassan Eli (2-0)

A match was being worked out between Stecher and Jess Westergaard for March 25
possibly in Fremont, Nebraska.  The match was finally signed for March 30 in Omaha.  The
match was cancelled by Omaha police after they learned that the match may not be on the
level.  Stecher and his party said that the statement was not true and liable.  Stecher
claimed all of his matches were fair.

Pierce, Nebraska:  March 20, 1915
Joe Stecher b. Cal Woods (2-0)

Chicago, Illinois:  April 2, 1915
Joe Stecher b. Jim Assin (2-0)

Chicago, Illinois:  April 3, 1915
Joe Stecher b. Joe Wallace (2-0)

Chicago, Illinois:  April 3, 1915
Joe Stecher b. Paul Martinson (2-0)

Lincoln, Nebraska:  April 5, 1915
Joe Stecher b. Jess Westergaard

Council Bluffs, Iowa:  April 23, 1915
Joe Stecher b. Pat Connolly (2-0) (Stecher won the first fall in 12:48 and the second in 7:24)

Oakland, Nebraska:  April 27, 1915
Joe Stecher b. Pat Connolly (2-0) (Stecher won the first fall in 6-minutes and the second in 7-
minutes)
Note:  Connelly replaced Charles Challender, who was unable to make the bout.

Brainard, Minnesota:  May 8, 1915
Joe Stecher b. Joe Zikmond (2-0)

Fremont, Nebraska:  May 12, 1915
Joe Stecher b. John Freberg (2-0) (Stecher won the first fall in 1:10 and the second in 3:36)

David City, Nebraska:  May 15, 1915
Joe Stecher b. Chief Manteour (2-0) (Stecher won the first fall in 5-minutes and the second
in 4-minutes)

In mid-to-late May, negotiations for a match between Joe Stecher and American Champion
Charlie Cutler began.  The bout would take place on July 5 in Omaha.  With a win, Stecher
would be recognized as the undisputed champion.

Neligh, Nebraska:  May 20, 1915
Joe Stecher b. Charles Challender (2-0) (Stecher won the first fall in 6-minutes and the
second in 9-minutes)

Pierce, Nebraska:  May 31, 1915
Joe Stecher b. Tilijo Govecaico (2-0) (Stecher won the first in 5-minutes and the second in 3-
minutes)
Note:  Stecher's opponent (Govederi) claimed to be the Serbian Champion.

Stecher continued to play baseball through June.
Prior to the title match with Cutler in Omaha, Stecher’s friends were making arrangements to
present him with a new championship belt.  The belt had two strands of gold links with
bronze medals and diamonds.  A. Schlosser, owner of a local Dodge jewelry store, was in
charge of getting the belt made.
Joe’s brother Lewis came home to Dodge from New York and would be in his corner.
Both Anton and Joe Stecher were scheduled to appear on Saturday, July 3 at Dodge’s
annual Fourth of July Celebration.  Anton’s wrestling match and Joe’s exhibition were both
cancelled due to rain.

By this point, Stecher claimed the American Heavyweight Title.  He was initially the Nebraska
State Champion, then Midwest Heavyweight Titleholder.  He had victories over the South
Dakota State Champion, the Kansas Champion, the Southwest Champion, the Southern
Champion, the Northwestern State Champion, the Canadian Champion, and the World Light
Heavyweight Champion.

Frank Gotch and Farmer Burns had built Charles Cutler up to be a possible rival for the
World Heavyweight Title.  Gotch had even gone as far as proclaim Cutler champion after his
own retirement, even though the latter had suffered important losses to Dr. B.F. Roller and
Henry Ordemann.

By June 1915, and after months of sizing young Stecher up, Frank Gotch welcomed Joe into
his training camp.  Gotch trained with Stecher prior to his return match with Henry Ordemann
on July 3 in Humboldt.

Omaha, Nebraska:  July 5, 1915
(Rourke Park) … Joe Stecher b. Charles Cutler to capture the World Heavyweight Title (2-0)
(Stecher won the first fall in 17:05 and the second in 10:59) … (promoter:  Gene Melady) …
(referee:  Ed Smith) … (10-15,000 fans)
Notes:   Stecher was accompanied by brother Anton and Lewis Stecher, along with his
manager Joe Hetmanck.  Cutler was accompanied by Ed “Strangler” Lewis and Earl
Caddock.  Melady would soon manage Caddock.



On September 19, 1915, "moving pictures" of the Stecher-Cutler championship match was
going to be shown in Stecher's hometown of Dodge at the Opera House.  It was said to be
2000 feet of film showing the "great match." Admission was 25 cents.

"Joe Stecher's Belt Day" was held on Saturday, October 9, 1915 in Dodge as a "valuable
diamond belt" was presented to the new heavyweight champion of the world by his friends.  
The actual belt was made to fit a 38 waist and the "disks are 4 1/4 inches.  At the widest
part, actual measurement shows 6 1/2 inches in width.  The belt contains four 1/2-carat
diamonds of finest quality and forty-four smaller sized stones, in addition.  Two hundred and
sixty 1/4-carat diamonds have been used throughout its construction.  Solid 14 and 18-karat
gold and platinum composes the material of the entire belt," according to the advertisement
for the special day in the Dodge newspaper.

Beginning at 10:00 in the morning, "Joe Stecher's Belt Day" would feature an automobile
parade, band concert, a "rube wrestling match" by the famous Teddy Brothers, songs, and
speeches.  The Honorable John H. Morehead, Governor of Nebraska, would be on hand to
present Stecher with the belt.  Following a dinner at 6:00 p.m., Stecher wrestled Kervaras at
7:30, displaying his amazing abilities to the townspeople.



On December 6, 1916 at the Hotel Fontenelle in Omaha, Joe Stecher married Frances
Ehlers of Scribner, Nebraska.  They met at the West Point (NE) races two years earlier and
Frances was the daughter of the president of the First National Bank of Scribner.  The
Stechers were immediately leaving for the Northeast, where Joe had "several" wrestling
matches scheduled.


The Lincoln Daily Star (5/15/1917, Lincoln, Nebraska) reported that Stecher "revived the
interest in wrestling and he was known from coast-to-coast as the grappler who always went
on the level, as the wrestler who mounted to the top of the ladder by exchanging grips with
any and all opponents who dared to meet him in the roped arena."


The February 1, 1920 edition of the Wichita Eagle stated that Stecher had "a war record
that is considerably better than that of Jack Dempsey.  He enlisted in the Navy during the
war and was stationed at the Great Lakes station."



During Stecher's career, there were several moments of apparent injury or sickness that
nearly closed out his time as a wrestler prematurely.  Following his loss to Ed "Strangler"
Lewis in December 1920, he suffered paralysis, said to be resulting from Lewis' repeated
use of headlocks in their match.  The Oklahoman newspaper (1/18/21) indicated that
Stecher's career might be over and that the former titleholder was in Omaha trying to
recover.  Initial thoughts were that he might be away from wrestling for as much as a year,
and there was an outside notion that he'd never grapple again.  The newspaper stated that
within the last 15 months. he wrestled Lewis three times, winning two of the bouts and losing
the last one.  There was an elimination process to determine a champion and Stecher won
the title by beating Lewis, Zbyszko and Caddock.

Stecher returned to wrestling on March 7, 1921 in Omaha against John Olin.  He had a lot to
prove, reports stated, because many thought he was close to death.  It was his first bout
since December 1920.



In November 1923, Stecher refused to wrestle Joe Malcewicz in New York City.  Malcewicz, of
Utica, was said to be managed by Herbert Hartley, and the Utica promoter was Hatty
Zimmerman.  Zimmerman promised a big guarantee for the bout.


The Kansas City Star printed Stecher's thoughts on Lewis in its December 16, 1923
newspaper.  Stecher said:  "For three years I have been trailing Lewis and hurling
challenges at him, but he refuses to accept.  He simple won't discuss a match.  Possibly he
will tell me to go out and get a reputation.  If I haven't one now, just what am I to do to get it?  
If Lewis and Billy Sandow want me to dispose of some challengers, I'm willing.  Name them is
all that I ask.  It has been suggested that I go out and beat the Mondts, the Zbyszkos and
Peseks.  I'll do it, provided I am assured a match with Lewis.  Lewis seems to forget that I
gave him three chances at the title whle I was at the head of the class.  The first one was in
1915 at Evansville, Ind.  We wrestled for two hours and three minutes without a fall and
Lewis quit.

"Next we met in Omaha on July 4, 1916.  It was a 5-hour match without a fall and was
stopped on account of darkness.  It was an open air affair.  Naturally I didn't complain when it
was stopped.  I was tired.  And don't think that Lewis objected when the referee told us to
call it a draw.  In 1918, we met for the third time.  I won from Lewis.  It was a 1-fall match and I
gained the decision in two hours.  Then followed our match in New York.  That was in 1920.  
I was defending the title and lost a 1-fall decision in three hours and twenty-four minutes.

"It was the second time in my career that I had had my shoulders pinned to the mat.  I won
the title from Charley Cutler in 1915.  In 1917, I met Earl Caddock in a championship match.  
I won the first fall, lost the second and was unable to come back for the third and forfeited
the title.  When Caddock beat me in the second fall, it was the first time my shoulders had
been held to the mat.

"Shortly after, I recovered from the injury, I started hurling challenges at Caddock.  In 1920,
he finally agreed to give me a return match and I won two falls and again became the
champion.  It took me three years to get even with Caddock and it is taking longer than that
to square matters with Lewis.

"A month or so after I lost the title to Lewis, I met Stanislaus Zbyszko.  I lost to the old man.  I
was injured in the Lewis match and hadn't completely recovered when I went into the ring
with the old man.  Each time I challenge lewis, someone reminds me of the match with
Zbyszko.  I am perfectly willing to take on Zbyszko again.  I can beat him any time we meet.  
Just now, I am in the best of condition."

On December 19, 1923, the Kansas City Star included a report with quotes from Joe "Toots"
Mondt about Stecher.  Mondt said that if Stecher can beat him, then he'll "be eligible to
challenge Lewis."  Around this same time, Stecher was considering playing baseball in the
Omaha Western League as a first baseman.

Billy Sandow told the Kansas City Star that Lewis had beaten Lewis three times.  He said:  "If
anyone denies it, I have the newspaper clippings as proof.  Joe's memory evidently is not so
good.  Possibly he doesn't remember all of his matches, but certainly he couldn't forget any
of the times he has met Lewis."

Sandow wanted Stecher to beat Mondt and Stanislaus Zbyszko before getting a bout with
Lewis.





Influential sports writer Otto Floto wrote about who he believed to be the best wrestler of all
time in his October 26, 1925 column in the Denver Post.  He dismissed Frank Gotch for
Clarence Whistler, then wrote "Joe Stecher should be mentioned along here somewhere, but
Joe's mental faculties do not function rapidly, or did not the night he lost the title to Caddock
in Omaha.  Joe was young then and inexperienced and felt the cards were stacked against
him."

Floto wrote that Stecher became discouraged when he saw Gotch and Farmer Burns in
Caddock's corner:  "When Joe went to his dressing room between bouts, he sulked and
refusd (sic) to go on.  Instead of urging him to do so, [Stecher's manager] took it for granted
and without waiting rushed to the ringside and told Referee Sherman 'Joe refuses to
continue,' with the result that [referee] Sherman could do nothing else but award the verdict
to Earl Caddock, a fine, game wrestler from Anita, Iowa.  And then the band played."


According to what was probably a wire report, from New York, printed in the December 28,
1937 edition of the Bismarck Tribune (Bismarck, ND), Ed "Strangler" Lewis said Joe Stecher
was the "greatest wrestler he ever faced."




Short Biography:

A three-time World Heavyweight Champion, Joe Stecher was a scientific, tough grappler.
He was born near Dodge, Nebraska, and made his way onto the pro-wrestling scene in the
early 1910s.  In a much disputed date, but correctively known as Monday, July 5, 1915,
Stecher defeated Charlie Cutler in Omaha to capture the World Heavyweight Wrestling
Title.  It had been two years earlier that the legendary Frank Gotch had retired the belt.  An
estimated 15,000 fans packed Rourke Park to see the event live.  The Omaha Morning
World Herald covered the event and the next day on their front page, and Stecher was
printed as “Stecker.” Joe won in two-straight falls, without a loss, in 28:04.  He had been
accompanied by Ensign and Antone Stecher and manager, Joe Hetmanck.  Chicago
Promoter, Joe Coffee announced that he would put up $25,000 for the winner of the match
to meet Frank Gotch, who was sitting ringside.

Stecher was 21 years of age at the time of his first World Title victory.  On July 5, 1916, he
wrestled Ed “Strangler” Lewis for an amazing five-hours and forty-five minutes in Omaha.  
After the match, Stecher was taken to a local hospital for treatment.  Their contest was
immediately logged into American wrestling folklore.

Earl Caddock beat Stecher in Omaha on April 9, 1917 to capture the World Heavyweight
Title in unusual circumstances.  Stecher won the first with his body scissors, but lost the
second fall.  Seemingly upset by his first loss, Stecher refused to exit the dressing room area
after fifteen minutes grace period.  Caddock was awarded the championship by default.

Stecher defeated Caddock in New York’s Madison Square Garden on January 30, 1920 to
regain the World Heavyweight Title.  10,000 fans paid $75,000 to witness the event.  On
February 12, 1920, Wladek Zbyszko challenged the new champion in Boston, Stecher
turned Zbyszko to retain his title.  New York’s 71st Regiment Armory saw Stecher lose to Ed
Lewis on December 13, 1920 in 1 hour and nearly 42-minutes, dropping the World
Heavyweight Title.  He wrestled Jim Londos to a 60-minute draw on February 16, 1925 in
New York.  Stecher regained the World Title on May 30, 1925 in St. Louis.  He got a win over
Stanislaus Zbyszko for the crown.  Stecher defeated Rudy Dusek in two-of-three-falls on
January 1, 1926 in Columbus.

He traveled to St. Louis for an important defense against “Strangler” Ed Lewis on Monday
Night, February 20, 1928.  The event was promoted by Tom Packs at the New Coliseum.  
The two-of-three-falls match was scheduled with no time-limit for the World Title.  More then
twenty promoters from throughout the nation were to be on hand along with two Missouri
State Senators, a Circuit Judge and the Acting Mayor of St. Louis, Walter J.G. Neum.  Prior
to the match, Stecher trained with George Tragos, Frank Tomek, Jimmy Reynolds and Gene
Ladoux at the Knight of Columbus Gym in East St. Louis.  His brother, Tony was on hand to
manage the operations.  He stayed at the Statler Hotel.

The promotions of the event was getting national coverage and the victor would make
headlines from Chicago to Omaha.  Dozens of newspaper reporters were going to attend the
event first hand.  Lewis was brought to the ring first and Stecher second.  The champ was
accompanied by Tony and Nick Lutze.  Action began at 10:00 and did not end until almost 1:
30 in the morning.  Lewis took the initial fall with an arm lock and body block in 2 hours and
16-minutes, 32 seconds of scientific grappling.  Stecher evened the bout after a break and :
56 seconds into the second.  The match was tied up and the World’s Heavyweight Wrestling
Title was on the line.  The third went 12-minutes and 50 seconds.  Lewis used a bar arm and
body block to score the final pin of the night.  Stecher lost his claim.

Stecher received 50% of the estimated $60,000 gate.  A huge amount of money.  Tony
protested after the match, stating that one of Joe’s legs were entangled in the ropes during
the final fall and was off the mat before the pin.  The second claim was that the referee,
Harry S. Sharpe, made too fast of a count at the end of the first fall.  He immediately issued
a challenge for a rematch.  Stecher defeated Joe Malcewicz in Boston on January 23, 1930
in two-of-three-falls.  Malcewicz won the first in 18:50.  Stecher rebounded to win the second
in 22:03 and the third in 6:31.

A week later on January 30th, he received a title shot against Sonnenberg.  9,000 Boston
fans turned out to watch Sonnenberg use his flying tackle to beat Stecher in the first and
third falls and retain his championship.  The time of match is a disputed one-hour, two-
minutes, and 37 seconds.  In the Providence rematch between Stecher and Malcewicz on
February 25, 1930, Malcewicz beat Stecher in two-of-three-falls.  Stecher lost the first and
third.  He lost to Jim McMillen in Chicago on October 25, 1933.  Joe remained active for
several more years before retiring.

Mr. Stecher died in March 1974 in St. Cloud, Minnesota.  He was the World Champion for
1,958 days and one of the most athletic champions in the history of the sport.  He was a
great leader of the profession.


Research by Tim Hornbaker
Joe Stecher Wrestling History
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