Steinke-Freberg Match Hastings All Appearances

Of Being Fake.

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NEITHER GETS FALL

IN HOUR AND HALF

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Apparently Make No

Attempt To Gain A Fall

On Each Other.

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If you can’t play square,

Don’t play at all

Clean sportsmanship received another severe jolt in New Ulm last Friday evening from which it will take considerable time to recover. Readers of the Review undoubtedly looked forward to the staging of the Steinke-Freberg wrestling match promoted by Alex Vogel as a really worth-while event in sporting circles. Many of those who read the article telling of the match attended the bout under the impression that it would be run in a clean, square, sportsmanlike manner, but what they saw was a good wrestling “exhibition”, not a wrestling match. No strenuous attempt was made by either of the wrestlers to throw the other, for although they often obtained holds on one another which were almost impossible to break, somehow they always managed to get free. The two participants, wrestling under Queensbury rules, which call for a decision by the referee after an hour and a half of wrestling, providing no fall is obtained, did not want to secure a fall on each other, and when the decision of the referee was given, calling the match a draw, those suspecting the affair to be a fake were convinced in their own minds that such was the case.

Match Called Draw

In spite of two five point fines given to Freberg by the referee, Fred Anderson, one for an alleged foul and the other for repeated use of the strangle hold, Freberg still had the count evened up at the end of an hour and fifteen minutes of wrest-ling. And, to top it off, the referee failed to call a single point on either of the two men for the balance of the bout, fifteen minutes of wrestling.

Interest Was At Peak

It is a shame that a stunt of this kind should be pulled off just at a time when interest in the wrestling game was at its highest. Fans in this vicinity have had an opportunity during the past few weeks of seeing two matches the likes of which can not be bettered anywhere. This refers to the Lundin-Freberg and the Steinke-Martinson matches. As a result of these splendid exhibition the fans had faith in the promotorship and a full house greeted the wrestlers Friday evening. But the fiasco of that night gave wrestling such a black mark that it will be many a moon before the atmosphere is again clear.

New Ulm Review,

January 28, 1925

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