Stanislaus Zbyszko

Stanislaus Zbyszko, born Stanisław January Cyganiewicz, ( born April 1, 1879 in Jodłowa, Galicia, † September 23, 1967 in St. Joseph, Missouri) was a Polish wrestler. He was world champion professional wrestler in the Greco-Roman and free style.

Life

Stanisław Cyganiewicz grew up in his birthplace and was already there in the school his nickname " Zbyszko ", derived from the heroes of Zbyszko Bogdaniec from the novel Krzyżacy ( German: The Crusaders ) by Henryk Sienkiewicz. This name was later, when he was a famous professional wrestler in the United States, also to his stage name.

After leaving school, Stanisław Cyganiewicz studied in Vienna music, philosophy and jurisprudence. Whether he brought one of these subjects at the end, is not known. In Vienna he began, which was unusually muscular with a size of 1.73 meters and as an adult a weight of about 110 kg applied to the balance, the Sport Club Vindobona AC Vienna with the heavy athletics, especially with the rings. His example was there Georg Hackenschmidt. Later, he became a follower of the " Sokol " movement in Bohemia, but returned to Poland and worked there for some time as a circus wrestler. There he was discovered by a local organizer of professional wrestling and received from this contract as a professional wrestler. His teacher was temporarily while the famous Polish champion wrestler Władysław Pytlasiński.

Already in 1900 he started for the first time at a World Championship of professional wrestler. At this time he wrestled only in Greco- Roman style. In 1906 he went to London, where he was supervised by Charles Cochrane, who was also Georg Schmidt Hack Manager. In London he also learned the freestyle wrestling.

In 1909 he went to the United States and continued his career as a freestyle wrestler. In the next 20 years he was one of the best professional wrestlers in free style in the heavyweight division and was twice world champion. In 1930, he finished his career as an active wrestler and was first promoter. In the late 1930s he went to Buenos Aires and trained there Antonino Rocca, a rising young Argentine freestyle wrestler. After his stay Argentina he bought with his brother Ladislaus Cyganiewicz, who was Wladek Zbyszko also become a famous professional wrestler, a farm in Missouri, on the they set up a training camp for professional wrestler. The most famous student of them were Johnny Valentine and Harley Rose.

1932 and 1950 had Stanislaus Zbyszko with in several movies. He worked there together, among others, the famous director Jules Dassin.

He spent his retirement years on his farm in Missouri, where he died at the age of 88 years in 1967.

Stanislaus Zbyszko was one of the most successful pioneers of professional wrestling. He was the only professional wrestler who became world champion in both styles.

Sporting career

1900-1908

Already in 1900, Stanisław Cyganiewicz participated in Saint Petersburg in a World Championship of professional wrestler in the Greco- Roman style. He finished there the 2nd place behind Alexander Aberg from Russia and before George Lurich from Russia and L. le Beaucairois from France.

In 1903, he started at a World Cup in Paris in Greco- Roman style. He finished there the 3rd place behind Jess Pedersen from Denmark and R. le Boucher of France, but before Omer de Bouillon in Belgium. All three were at that time famous professional wrestler. After the World Cup we became aware of him in the United States. In an article in the famous motor sports magazine "Health & Strength", he was already considered one of the best European professional wrestler.

In a tournament in St. Petersburg in 1906 Stanisław Cyganiewicz the Russian Ivan Martynov, Alexander Zaikin and Jelisejew defeated the German Leonhard Reiber and Heinrich Weber, the lightweight world champion from 1903, the Poland Boleslaw Rogalski, the Turks Nourlah and the Belgian Emil Peyrouse and thus tournament winner before Peyrouse and Heinrich Weber.

In 1906, he was then in Paris also champion the professional wrestler in the Greco-Roman. Style in the heavyweight division before Georg Lurich and Constant le Marin from Belgium. This was the biggest success of his career Ringer until then.

After this World Cup Stalnislaw Cyganiewicz went to London and trained there the free style. In London, he played in the London Pavilion and in the Gibbons Music Hall a few battles and defeated thereby also the dangerous Turks Kara Suliman.

1909-1920

1909 Stanisław Cyganiewicz went to the United States and was there under the name Stanislaus Zbyszko to a well-known freestyle wrestler. When I arrived there he met on November 25, 1909 in Buffalo, NY, on the reigning freestyle world champion in the heavyweight division, the American Frank Gotch. It was a handicap match was agreed in the Frank Gotch Zbyszko would have to defeat the course of 60 minutes. Gotch managed not, therefore Stanislaus Zbyszko was declared the winner.

On February 12, Stanislaus Zybszko Tom Jenkins defeated in New York and in the course of 1910, it still came victories over the Catcher Dr. Benjamin F. scooters and Youssef Mahmout ( The Terrible Turk ). On September 10, 1910, he fought in London against the Indians Great gamma, which actually Rustam e Zamana Gama Pehliwan said in the " John Bull Wrestling Championship" for the world championship of the British version and reached against the physically far superior Indians by his sophisticated defensive tactics after a crucial time of 2 hours and 35 minutes a draw. In the rematch a week later, on 17 September 1910 back in London, won Great gamma and thus became world champion professional wrestler in the British / Indian version.

On October 1, 1910 Stanislaus Zbyszko was then fighting chance at the Chicago Coliseum against Frank Gotch for the world championship of professional wrestler in the heavyweight division. He was more than lists in not quite a fair way of Gotch, because this took him practically at the opening handshake, threw him to the ground and hoisted him after a crucial time of 6 seconds. All protests Zbyszkos and its annex were unsuccessful. This was the first attempt by Stanislaus Zbyszko after the American version of professional wrestler World Champion was to be failed.

On January 26, 1911 Stanislaus Zbyszko denied in New York again a Handicap Match. He had the task to defeat three strong wrestler in one evening. In the first fight he won over the seven-time world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling, the Russian Ivan Maximowitsch Poddubny in 4 minutes and 40 seconds, then he beat the American cowboy Yankee Rogers in 49 minutes and 20 seconds. However, he does not succeed even the Americans Gus " Americus " Schönlin defeat, which he lost Handicap Match. In a rematch he was defeated on May 4, 1911 in New York again against Gus Schönlin. On November 25, 1911 Stanislaus Zbyszko fought in New York against the world champion in Greco-Roman. Style Raicevich Giovanni, an Italian Slovenian origin. This fight also lived Enrico Caruso at. It was agreed three courses of 60 minutes. In first gear Zbyszko won after 37 minutes and 30 seconds. In second gear, succeeded Raicevich Zbyszko after 10 minutes to put the fight time on the shoulders. The judges that first victory this case was confirmed, but changed shortly after his judgment and decided that Zbyszko would have been with a shoulder off the mat, so no shoulder victory Raicevichs present. The fight would therefore need to be continued. Raicevich refused, however, and left together with Enrico Caruso and other prominent Italian viewers outraged the venue.

In 1912, Stanislaus Zbyszko won, among other things Ordemann Henry, Charles Cutler and Dr. Benjamin F. scooter. But on December 20, 1912, he had to put in a Boston loss to George Lurich.

In 1913, he stayed back in Europe and won on July 16, 1913 in Vienna over the Czechs Gustav Frištenský and ranking on September 10, 1913 in London against Great gamma again draw. On January 16, 1914 in Boston he had a victory over the world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling Alexander Aberg.

In the years 1915 to 1919 Stanislaus Zbyszko was inactive.

1920-1929

But at the beginning of the year 1920, he appeared in the United States back on the mat. On 29 March 1920 he defeated here in New York the Finns John Olin after 53 minutes and 27 seconds fighting time. Olin was silver medalist at the Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912 in Greco-Roman. Style in the heavyweight division.

On May 6, 1920, he defeated the first time Ed Lewis in a match in New York. The year 1921 began with a win over the Americans Joe Stecher, whom he defeated in New York on March 14 after a fight time of 2 hours 16 minutes and 10 seconds. Lewis and Stecher should still play special roles in the career Zbyszkos.

On May 5, 1921 Stanislaus Zbyszko then fought at Madison Square Garden New York against Ed " Strangler " Lewis to the world heavyweight championship. He won that fight in the relatively short fight time of 23 minutes and 17 seconds and was then for the first time world champion professional wrestler in free style. These two wrestlers then stood at an event by Tex Rickard on November 28, 1921 at Madison Square Garden in a championship rematch against. This meeting was held in three courses. In first gear, Lewis won in 17 minutes and 31 seconds, but the other two transitions Zbyszko won in 21 minutes and 24 seconds and 14 minutes and 57 seconds and thus defended his world championship title.

On February 6, 1922 Stanislaus Zbyszko defeated in New York Earl Caddock and another encounter between Zbyszko and Lewis took place on March 3, 1922 held in Wichita ( Kansas). It went back to the world title in the heavyweight division. Lewis was able to defeat Zbyszko and thus relieve him of the World title.

After two quiet years 1923 and 1924 Stanislaus Zbyszko took in 1925 again a run to get back to the World Cup. The situation in American Ringer scene was doing the following: In the past three years, the number of spectators at the fights had declined constant because time and again faced the same wrestler in the fight for the world championship. Several leading to promoter Jack Curley and Tony Stecher agreed, therefore, that a new man should appear on the wrestling scene, which should also be world champion. For this purpose, the former professional football player Wayne Munn was chosen. After a few " build battles " succeeded in this at the beginning of 1925 actually defeating Ed " Strangler " Lewis and become the new world champion, with the defeat of Lewis was of course denied.

After this fight was persuaded to compete against Munn and leave this victory Stanislaus Zbyszko Tony Stecher. This fight took place in Philadelphia on April 15, 1925. Zbyszko, who Munn was rings driven vastly superior, but did not abide by this agreement and nailed Wayne Munn after a short fight time on the mat firmly so that the initiated referee had no other way to explain than Zbyszko to shoulder winner. Stanislaus Zbyszko was for the second time world heavyweight champion. Already on May 30, 1925 then Zbyszko went to his first title defense. In St. Louis he lost it against Joe Stecher, which probably should be, come about because of threats that were made against Zbyszko this defeat.

On March 30, 1926 Stanislaus Zbyszko lost in Atlanta against the eventual world champion Jim Londos and also lost on April 13, 1926 in Atlanta, in another world championship fight again against Joe Stecher.

In 1927 he succeeded in New York against the German Hans Steinke only a draw and on December 2, 1927, he lost in New York against Giovanni Raicevich. The outcome of these battles showed that he is now but slowly his age, he was now 48 years old, had to pay tribute.

But in 1928 he was once again to earn much money the chance. It came about a battle for the world championship after the British Indian version. In Patiala, he met there in front of 60,000 spectators again Great gamma. Stansislaus Zbyszko suffered in this battle but a crushing defeat, because after 30 seconds Great Gamma had already thrown him. After that he played no more important struggle.

Literature and links

• Stanislaus Zbyszko at the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Information Wrestlingclassics.com
• Stanislaus Zbyszko on oldtimestrongman.com
• Stanislaus Zbyszko on cagematch.de

• World Champion ( Wrestling )
• Ringer (Poland )
• Ringer (United States)
• Wrestlers
• Born in 1879
• Died in 1967
• Man