| Show 1 WRESTLING IS GREATEST THRILL By y Robert Edgren Edgr i I S it i i i Ij Jf L 7 I 1 F SI I. S 5 S Sr ff I r LI I tf I. I J f M l cL S i jI j- j s. s I 4 I iI Yr S S J 11 9 Ii S M S S S. S S rn G Si 4 S IN Ue-E Ue N t-I t SH lI 0 A WR T E S U t 1 OF OFel el QT I IF IFIe Ie S' S S Lo bT Ie 1 M T S S SS S p R c. c u A IC 1 0 O 1 O. O B I-I I t. n S. S S S S. S L 3 1 11 1 t 7 1 Old Man Zbyszko Saw Lifes Life's Greatest Moment When He Faced Aberg the Russian Giant With His Own Life as the Prize for Which They Met on R Russian S Program S S STANISLAUS ZBYSZKO always introduced ed by Joe Humphreys O as The Mighty Son of Poland has had a a Career filled with remarkable adventures S Zbyszko's age is variously given give as anything from 41 to 46 Probably he is 48 years old In spite of that he now holds the wrestling championship champion champion- worlds world's h heavyweight I ship A few months ago he beat Strangler Strang Strang- ler Lewis for that title and more recently recent recent- ly beat Lewis again Born in Poland Zbyszko received a good education and might have been noted in some of the finer professions or arts if he hadn't been a physical freak In physique is a throwback to the time of the c cavemen cavemen Only five feet nine inches tall tan he is gigantic In breadth and thickness long armed enormously muscled In In strength he Is more like a aI agorilla agorilla gorilla than an ordinary man Because I I of his natural strength he became ai a a. i normal wrestler i tir H His His chest measurements la is 49 o inches Ch are e w when ab ab- ab not expanded waist 38 Inches neck 19 inches biceps 18 H Inches thigh 25 inches calf 18 inches wrist 9 inches and his weight between and pounds Hack Refused to Meet Mighty Pole The Pole wrestled In Europe and end England England England En En- I gland where he became famous when I George refused to wrestle wrestle wres wres- tle tIe him had Just taken up the catch-as-catch-can catch style of wrestling wrestling wrestling wrest wrest- I ling on a visit to America and announced announced an an- flounced that he was through with the Roman which was Zbyszko's style But as Hack had been Ro I man Inan champion for years many thought that the lIon Uon recognized superior ability In Zbyszko did wrestle not I I long afterward in New York It was a ahard ahard ahard hard struggle all an the wa way Hacken Hacken- I schmidt was to throw the Pole Eole twice In two hours or lose the match They wrestled wres wres- I I I tIed two hours without a fall tough fan tough goI goI going going go go- ing In Inan all an the way This was one bf the very few on on the Ike level leyel wrestling matches I seen In New York In many years ears lt left lert the mat exhausted by his efforts while Zbyszko who had been taking the aggressive fully funy as much muchas as was still fresh In Inthe Inthe the tho dressing room I talked the match over with H Hack ck who was much bruised and battered and he said that Zbyszko was a stronger man and a better wres wres- tIer I I was s' s lucky that he didn't throw me I 1 said Hack shaking his head dolefully Zibby Beaten by Trick of Gotch Zbyszko's single defeat out of contests contests con con- tests on the mat was in a match with Frank Gotch when he first came came to America and knew nothing about catch- catch catch can wrestling methods Gotch beat him by trickery Zbyszko came out to shake shalee hands and turned to go back to his corner when Gotch suddenly leaped on him and threw him in a few seconds Zbyszko being taken by surprise sur sur- surprise prise and entirely unprepared for de de- de Zbyszko left this country In 1910 to go to his home In Galatia lie He was In Petrograd Petrograd Petrograd Petro- Petro grad in 1914 when the great war broke out A native of Galatia then under Austrian rule he was promptly prompt interned and at one time put into a Russian prison But in spite of war conditions he was released and allowed to compete In wrestling wres wres- matches that were frequently held in the Russian capital It was there that Zbyszko had the greatest thrill of his life lite The greatest thrill probably ever known to any wrestler This is the story as he told it 1 to me In New York shortly after returnIng returning return- return Ing and winning the championship by beating Strangler Lewis The revolution came and Kerensky as assumed assumed as- as power The wrestling game In Russia was then dominated by two Bussian Russian Russian Rus Bus sian wrestlers who had visited America and wrestled all over the United States Alex Aberg and George Lunch Old Pole Taken As Polish Spy S bOrs The political t int in t turmoil went on and n the yr began to grow in tp power e Every v foreigner was regarded with suspicion Zbyszko was an outsider and Aberg and Lunch were strong Zbyszko had a quarrel with Aberg over money matters matters- a claim of Zbyszko's that Aberg owed him rubles which Aberg refused to pa pay Immediately afterward t tion n was lodged with the authorities that Zbyszko was a SP spy and he was arrested The country was In a tumult about spies and people arrested on suspicion were summarily dealt with Secret execution ex ex- without loss of time was the rule Aberg so Zbyszko says sas told the authorities that Zbyszko was not a prOminent prominent I nent wrestler but merely an Imposter who used his reputation to get around In Russia Russin unmolested A Strange Trial Given Wrestler The authorities moved perhaps b by the I I I humor wisdom g o ordered of le leoT Solomon oT that i Zbyszko or an odd must u sense n prove o of hl his quality by w wrestling s Aberg al How Io this turn of affairs suited f d A Aberg berg Zbyszko doesn't know Aberg had no choice in the matter but he was in a far more fortunate position that Zbyszko The order provided that If Zbyszko lost the match he should be executed Imme Imme- The bout was held In a big hall In Petrograd packed with soldiers friendly to Aberg the Russian I and d anxious to see e Zbyszko lose s the match t and his I life Aberg so Zbyszko says hired several hundred soldiers to root for him in the American style The contest lasted two hours and forty- forty three wrestler tI minutes in strong i n for o and Aberg d bi tricky was S a and a first i r Zbyszko class dared nor take chances Finally he wore Aberg down and pinned his shoulders to the mat matr Running to his corner Zbyszko tore open a bag containing a thousand rubles and threw the mone money Into the crowd While the soldiers scrambled for I It Zbyszko made his escape Given Freedom i 1 Of All Russia I The authorities bothered him no more hut let him go In the early days das of rule h lie could not leave Russia Russia Rus Rus- sia but wandered around the country countr with little money and less to eat The armistice signed he le crossed the border to his home In Poland half starved and amazingly amazing thin for such an nn elephant of ofa a man Food was plentiful t there and arni fg j mg noet Zbyszko b q quickly IY Jumped from n to lo pounds The fortune had be before be be- fore the war was gone He lIe had to begin all l over again as a wrestler and d as soon ge i as he could o came t to America k First being a fat man and old Zbyszko had to togo go through a long siege o of train train- ing for he wasn't content to go o barnstorming barn barn- storming around the country among the second rates So for months he put In an n hour a day running and an hour a day dav on the mat wearing heavy clothing and eating little He lIe took off fort forty pounds and his skin recently stretched r d by layers of fot hung I on him 1 I in folds f But his muscles fe were powerful as ever and and his endurance had come back bacle Took Off Forty S Pounds in Training First he beat Soldier Leavitt a pound wrestler then threw I Continued on page 3 3 N G- G J Continued from page 2 the Russian giant six feet six and 25 2 5 j S J pounds In weight Recovering top form Zbyszko worked his liis way up and won from Then he challenged Strangler Lewis the acknowledged acknowledged ac ac- ac- ac champion They met in the I Twenty second regiment armory NewYork New NewYork I York last May and Zbyszko started the wrestling world world and and Lewis Lewis Lewis-by by throwIng throwing throwing throw throw- I ing the Strangler in 23 minutes and 17 I 1 I seconds I Last month I saw him beat A Lewis again in Madison fl d noP Square Garden winning win ning two f falls out of three u under the new rules of the commission which allowed I flying fails Lewis had little chance with him I When Lewis was on top and Zbyszko wanted to get up the Pole simply I f straightened his legs and rose slowly to tb his feet teet earring Lewis up up with him It I Iwas was an astonishing exhibition of ot power Lewis found it impossible to ge get a headlock headlock head- head I lock ock on Zbyszko who could pull pun his head bead headin in between his great shoulders like a tur- tur I bald dome offered no room r for fora rora r tie le tIe That a I grip will m retain the championship one one year more and then retire undefeated says Zbyszko His chances look very good i Copyright 1922 the Bell syn Syndicate ate Inc 1 I I 7 Ir f |
