Stanislaus Zbyszko
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Stanislaus Zbyszko | |
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Birth name | Jan Stanisław Cyganiewicz |
Born | Jodłowa, Austria-Hungary (now Poland) | April 1, 1879
Died | September 23, 1967 St. Joseph, Missouri, U.S. | (aged 88)
Family | Wladek Zbyszko (brother) |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Stanislaus Zbyszko |
Billed height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
Billed weight | 230 lb (100 kg) |
Billed from | Vienna, Austria |
Trained by | Władysław Pytlasiński |
Debut | 1901 |
Retired | 1934 |
Signature | |
Jan Stanisław Cyganiewicz
Early life
Stanislaus Cyganiewicz was born on April 1, 1879, in Jodłowa near Kraków, Poland.[3] An intellectual, he studied music, philosophy, and law while growing up in Vienna, Austria.[3] Standing 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m), Cyganiewicz was heavily built, weighing 260 pounds. He also possessed remarkable strength and joined the renowned Vindobona Athletic Club while in college, where he gradually developed an imposing physique. He also practiced in the Sokol (“Falcon”), a Polish patriotic gymnastic society, which centered on the physical, mental, and cultural advancement of the nation's citizens while instilling discipline and a love of country. Towards the end of the 19th century, Cyganiewicz first encountered the wrestling industry when he defeated an experienced grappler at a local circus in Poland. He was soon after recruited to Berlin by a local promoter. As fellow strongman George Hackenschmidt established himself as Europe's premier grappling star, Cyganiewicz was attracted to a career in wrestling as well. He was subsequently introduced to the professional game by the Polish grappler Władysław Pytlasiński, who eventually became his mentor.
Wrestling career
Over the next few years, Cyganiewicz gradually established himself among Europe's fastest-rising Greco-Roman wrestlers while competing in a number of tournaments; by 1903, Health & Strength listed him among the continent's leading heavyweights. He eventually took the ring name Stanislaus Zbyszko, and in 1906, he battled Russia's "Cossack" Ivan Poddubny to a two-hour draw before then outlasting Georg Lurich and Constant le Marin to win a prestigious Paris tournament. He was next brought to England by Charles "C.B." Cochrane, who was previously Hackenschmidt's manager; and he engaged in a series of prominent encounters against Turkey's "Champion of the Bosphorus" Kara Suliman while performing at the London Pavilion and the Gibbons music halls. However, he was soon embroiled in a major controversy when Suliman was revealed to be Bulgaria's Ivan Offtharoff, who was actually employed by Zbyszko and Cochrane in one of the earliest public revelations of wrestling's "theatrical hoaxes".
As Zbyszko started to compete more often in England and the United States, he increasingly began to make the switch to catch-as-catch-can freestyle wrestling; and for several years, he alternated between grappling styles as he traveled between continents and countries. Already billed as Europe's Greco-Roman champion, he was subsequently recognized among the world's top catch wrestlers when he fought Frank Gotch to a one-hour draw in November 1909 in Buffalo, NY. The following year, he scored heralded victories over Dr. Ben Roller and the Terrible Turk Youssuf Mahmout, thus confirming his reputation among the world's elite grapplers. He also set up a huge second encounter with Gotch at the Chicago Coliseum on June 1, 1910, for the undisputed World Heavyweight Championship. However, in the rematch, Gotch tricked Zbyszko, jumping him when Zbyszko walked out for what was in Europe the customary handshake, and pinning him in just 6.4 seconds. Zbyszko was infuriated and protested the result, but the match went on and Gotch took the second fall in just under 30 minutes. The performance led many fans to believe the bout was a work (although Gotch would never again face Zbyszko during his career).
Despite the controversial loss, Zbyszko was now regarded among the premier wrestlers in the world; and he would then take on the mammoth challenge of India's feared
In 1927 it was announced that the Great Gama and Zbyszko would face each other again. The two wrestlers met for a highly anticipated rematch in 1928 in Patiala, although it resulted in a draw when Gama threw Zbyszko in only 42 seconds.
Championship controversy
By this time, the industry had begun a gradual shift towards
Retirement
In 1928, Zbyszko received a lucrative offer to wrestle the Great Gama in a rematch of their bout from 18 years earlier. Despite both men now being well past their primes, the match purportedly drew 60,000 fans, who watched Great Gama defeat Zbyszko in just 40 seconds. Zbyszko then retired and actively scouted wrestling talent in South America, where he discovered soccer, rugby-player, boxer, wrestler and acrobatic gymnast Antonino Rocca, whom he developed into one of the sport's biggest stars. From their Missouri farm, the Zbyszko brothers also trained future legends Johnny Valentine and Harley Race; and Stanislaus had a supporting role in the movie, Night and the City (1949). Knowing that a key role in the film was a grizzled Greco-Roman wrestling legend, director Jules Dassin said he "didn't want to pick an actor and train him to be a wrestler -- I wanted to do the opposite. I had never gone to a wrestling match, but I had an image of a wrestler from my youth." The wrestler turned out to be Zbyszko. Dassin said, "I was told he was dead, but it turned out he was alive and was a chicken farmer in New Jersey." He turned out to be "a beautiful, cultured, multilingual man" who looked like a graceful rock formation. During breaks in filming, Dassin would travel into town to watch experimental theatre; he later recalled that Zbyszko was the only other person who would tag along (The rest of the cast and crew balked at the invitation). Like the character he played in the movie, Zbyszko often complained of the industry's evolution into a form of showmanship.
On September 23, 1967, Stanislaus Zbyszko died of a heart attack at age 88. He was cited by Strangler Lewis as one of the best legitimate wrestlers of all-time; and as a tribute, his surname was later adopted by Larry Zbyszko.
In 1983, Stanislaus Zbyszko was inducted into the National Polish American Sports Hall of Fame.[4]
Championships and accomplishments
- George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2010[5]
- International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2021[6]
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Pioneer Erainductee in 2003
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Other titles:
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1932 | Madison Square Garden | Himself | |
1950 | Night and the City | Gregorius | (final film role) |
References
- ^ "Cyganiewicz, Stanislaw Jan, 1879-1967". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ^ NEWS, The FIRST. "Noted intellectual, multiple world wrestling champ and later Hollywood star - Stanisław Cyganiewicz, born 140 years ago this day, was no April Fool".
- ^ a b Pro Wrestling Historical Society. "Biography: 0137 - Stanislaus Zbyszko". #PWHS. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ^ "Stanley Zbyszko « National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame and Museum". Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ^ "Mick Foley, Terry Funk headline pro hall of fame class at Gable Museum". The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ "Induction Weekend 2021 | Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame".
External links
- Stanislaus Zbyszko's profile at Wrestling-Titles.com
- Stanislaus Zbyszko's profile at Cagematch.net , Wrestlingdata.com , Internet Wrestling Database