 Stecher and Lewis wrestled for the first time on October 20, 1915, when a then-unknown Lewis was counted out after over two hours when he fell out of the ring and hit his head on a chair.The two then rematch on July 4, 1916, where they grappled for nearly five hours before the match was finally ruled a draw.After a third draw in 1918, Lewis had achieved notoriety by again managing to avoid being pinned by Stecher, though he was widely criticized for employing a defensive/avoiding style, while Stecher was usually the dominant aggressor.