While the boys were still young, Frank Stecher enrolled his three sons in a wrestling course at the local Fremont YMCA, and Joe's older brothers soon emerged as accomplished amateur grapplers.

Joe's eldest brother, Lewis, would earn a commission to Annapolis, and as a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy, he was eventually recognized as the National Intercollegiate Light Heavyweight Wrestling Champion.

Moreover, Anton ("Tony") Stecher starred as the premier wrestler at Fremont High School; and as a result, Joe was determined to follow in his brothers' large footsteps.

In the following years, Stecher continued his ascent by defeating established grapplers like Jess Westergaard, Ad Santel, Bob Managoff Sr., Marin Plestina, and Adolph Ernst, all in straight falls, and all in 15 minutes or less.

Unfortunately, the bout never materialized, as Gotch broke a fibula in his leg while wrestling Managoff as part of a traveling circus, and his health deteriorated until he eventually died on December 16, 1917.

Despite having never faced Gotch (though it is speculated that he had dominated the aging champion in an impromptu sparring session), Stecher reigned as the sport's elite star while also beginning a legendary rivalry with a new professional wrestling sensation named Ed "Strangler" Lewis.

Between championship reigns, Stecher was defeated by the 290 lb Gobar Guha on October 27, 1921 at the Convention Hall in Kansas City, in a match that lasted 1 hour and 17 minutes.