NEVER DEFEATED

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1073, 10 September 1930, Page 10

NEVER DEFEATED

WRESTLER’S PHENOMENAL RECORD STECHER TO MEET McDOUGALL “I have had approximately 500 matches and I haven’t been beaten yet in a match before the public. I have 500 dollars for anybody who can prove otherwise.” This is the phenomenal record claimed by Tony Steelier, the Amercan light-heavy-weight wrestler who arrived from Australia yesterday, and who will have his first match in New Zealand at the Auckland Town Hall on Man day evening against '’Scottv” McDougall, under the auspices of the Auckland Ex-Servicemen’s WrestlingUnion. Among Stecher’s victims are John Kilonis, Clarence Eklund and Mike Yokel, to mention only three men known in New Zealand and Australia. However, all of liis 500 matches have not been wins. Manv have been drawn bouts and in this connection Steelier claims the longest bout on record, a contest of five hours 20 minutes to a draw, against a wrestler named West < ’obb.. It seemed surprising to the reporter that a man with a record of 500. contests without a loss had not wrestled for the light-heavy-weight title at some time or another, but Stecher explains that his own career has been a secondary consideration. He manages the affairs of his brother, Joe Steelier, three times heavy-weight champion of the world, and in doing so has his hands quite full enough without chasing championships on his own account. CONFUSION WITH BROTHER Stecher, who is 37 years of age and about 12st 71b in weight, uses the ring name of Tony Steelier Dostall while in the States, in order to avoid confusion with his brother, who has a universal reputation, but while in New Zealand be will use his own name. In addition to wrestling, Stecher is a baseball, tennis and golf player, and lie is also at home astride a horse. He is fond of shooting, and his hobby is pigeon racing. While in Australia, Tony stecher did not g<R any matches. The only two men of his weight, Edwards and Thye, refused to wrestle him, he says, and he was not prepared to wrestle 15stone or 16-stone men, so he has come to New Zealand to try conclusions with men of his own weight. Speaking of his probable matches in New Zealand, Stecher said he would prefer to wrestle men of about J2st 71b or 13st until he had become properly acclimatised. Afterward, lie would be prepared to wrestle anyone. Ho is especially keen to meet Walker and Kara Pasha. Regarding his match with McDougall* on Monday evening, Stecher said that McDougall was considerably heavier than himself, and he would have preferred to meet him later, but if the union wanted the match he had no objections.