Christian Stucki talks about his farewell party salary: “I came close to a million”

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Blick: Christian Stucki, should we be concerned about your health?
Christian Stucki: No why?

According to your trainer, you have lost a lot of weight in a short time!
I changed my diet after taking an intolerance test at the end of last year. The test turned out to be quite surprising. I was not allowed to consume gluten, dairy products and various vegetables for a long time. I have adjusted my menu plan accordingly. With the quintessence of the weight going down well, which I consider a very positive side effect at the end of my wrestling career.

How difficult was the transition for you?
The diagnosis of the intolerance test came as a big shock to me at first. But relatively quickly I realized it was a great opportunity for the future of my life. I also realized that I don’t have to live with these limitations forever. For three months I consistently made sure to eat lentil or chickpea pasta instead of classic pasta. The avocado has also played a central role in my diet in recent months. My intestines have recovered so well that I can now treat myself to a real portion of spaghetti. But just a plate of spaghetti – and not two huge “Füder” as before.

Would you have done this treatment last winter if you still had a whole wrestling season ahead of you?
Most likely not. I took the test at a time when I knew I would only participate in one wrestling festival. For a full season of competition, the energy supply would almost certainly have failed with this menu plan.

Do you still have enough energy left for your farewell performance at the Berner Seeländisches in your residential community Lyss?
I’m convinced of that. Especially since I approach this race in the same way as Beat Feuz did on his final descent in Kitzbühel. Like lightning I want to make a good fall again, in other words: win the wreath. But in the battle for the festival victory I don’t go to the extreme anymore, I would like to enjoy my farewell performance a bit.

Which is more important: melancholy or anticipation?
It’s 50/50 Of course I’m a little nostalgic because I know I’m going to miss a few things from my active wrestling days. At the same time, I am very happy that I no longer have to base my life on heavy training. In recent years, I often had to go to bed way too early at night because I had to meet my husband in the weight room or sawdust ring the next morning. In the future I can live much more freely.

What are you sure you will never do again after your last game?
Absolutely no more squatting with 500 pounds on the barbell. And I will certainly never pull the brutally strenuous cable pull of my trainer Tommy Herzog again.

According to marketing experts, the king’s wrestling crown is worth CHF 500,000 and the victories over Unspunnen and Kilchberg are worth CHF 300,000 each. Since you’ve won all the major wrestling titles, you should be a millionaire! Right?
I certainly didn’t make that much money on a “clap”. But if I added it all up, I’d probably be very close to a million. I have been maintaining partnerships with sponsors for 14 years. If I didn’t earn good bosses in those days, I would have done something wrong. I can be very happy with what I have. But it’s also not like I’ve made provisions for the rest of my life. I will have to look for a job again.

Winterthur resident Noldi Ehrensberger, who was unable to redeem his title as king of wrestling in 1977 due to a strict advertising ban, recently accused you and other wrestlers of greed in an interview with SonntagsBlick. Did that statement hurt you?
A little. Money was never the motivator for me to get into the sawdust ring. I decided to do this sport at a time when you couldn’t make money with wrestling. And I would have gone another three years had I not become king in 2019 and not been able to sign additional endorsement deals. I have already decided that for the Swiss Federal Council in Zug. And Ehrensberger always insists that he is not jealous because the wrestlers can make money today, unlike before. But I feel like there is a certain envy resonating with Noldi’s statements. But I’m sure he wouldn’t have refused the money in my situation either.

Now it is common for a wrestling king to serve his sport in some way, even after he has retired from playing. What activity do you have in mind?
I can very well imagine acting as a referee for the young wrestlers or the active ones.

Since the wreath festival has been broadcast live, the judges have often been criticized because the slow motion exposes almost every wrong decision. Where would you place leverage in this regard?
Stefan Strebel, the association’s acting technical director, has already promoted many good things regarding the judges. But the remuneration of these decision makers is far from current. In short, a referee is rewarded with a warm handshake and a dry sausage. The cost of 50 francs does not even cover the fuel costs of most referees. When you consider that at the many wreath parties the wrestlers in the gift temple can choose prizes between 300 and 3500 francs, the judges don’t have to settle for a half-full tank.

There’s something new in the judging from your duel with Nick Alpiger at the last Federal. Since Alpiger wasted a lot of time grabbing in Pratteln, since this season the wrestlers have been instructed to grab the opponent’s pants within 45 seconds. Otherwise there is a risk of a deduction of up to one point.
I very much welcome this innovation. It is a pity that this arrangement did not exist a year ago.

Are you still mad at Alpiger?
Not mad, but his victory over me will always taste stale. In principle, everyone has to decide for themselves how they want to swing. If it’s true for him, that’s all well and good. But in my opinion, Alpiger’s behavior in this duel with me was not worthy of a sportsman. Nick took a really stupid hold for about two and a half minutes. Of course, in the end he beat me pretty cleverly. But the preceding chatter was definitely not in the proper English manner. And unfortunately, it was not the first time that he resorted to such border means in a duel.

Was Alpiger the most unpleasant opponent in your career?
I don’t want to commit myself to one name in this category. I never liked getting together with the Bernese Oberlanders Simon Anderegg and Hanspeter Luginbühl.

Who was your most unusual opponent?
The Bernese Mittellander Andreas “Res” Werren. Res was born with only one good arm. Thanks to his excellent technique, he still won a few crowns. And once Res beat me too.

If you could turn back the wheel of time, what battle would you want to fight again?
The first race at the Federal 2010 against Jörg Abderhalden. So I “split” the triple king with a short move. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it through the swing, so I had to settle for a pose. I would like to know what would have happened if I had continued with this “churz” uncompromisingly.

Just like the current “Samschtigjass” referee Abderhalden, you too have become a top media professional in recent years. What goes through your mind when you think of your first TV appearances?
(Laughs out loud.) I really need to put my head down on that! Shortly before taking my first federal exam in 2001 as a 16-year-old forest ranger apprentice in Nyon, I appeared on local broadcaster Tele Bielingue with blonde hair and a Hawaiian shirt. Unlike today, I was very shy then. On my very first TV appearance on TeleBärn, I managed to speak in just under three minutes in a twelve minute conversation. The moderator Albi Saner filled the remaining airtime. Back then, unlike other young athletes today, I never got the chance to do media training. So I can be satisfied with my development in this division.

You addressed your unusual outfit during the first TV appearances. Tell us about the most unusual prize you’ve ever brought home from a wrestling festival.
At the Federal 2016 in Estavayer I took a Fiat 500, which my mother has been driving through world history ever since. At another wrestling festival, after winning a wreath, I brought Xavier a pedal tractor. However, after his second place at the 2018 Bern Cantonal, my eldest son shed a few tears because of my prize selection!

Why?
During the first tour of the temple of gifts, a whirlpool caught my eye. I then announced to my loved ones that I would most likely decide at a living price and for this hot tub. In his mind, Xavier has already seen himself in the vortex. That’s why he was inconsolable when I finally opted for the beef at the last minute.

Will we see Xavier and his younger brother Elijah in action soon on a young wrestler’s day?
Last fall we tried it out together, they accompanied me to the training sessions in the Schwingkeller. At first, the two were absolutely thrilled. However, her desire to swing has diminished more and more. Now they both play football with great passion. If my boys do want to put their thongs on one day, I will of course give them my full support. If not, then I’m not sad either. As the sons of a struggling king, they would be under great pressure anyway. They would be constantly measured against my performance. And in recent years I have seen some sons of former top wrestlers who have suffered from this situation.

Source : Blick