Episode 132 – Stan Zbyszko Wins
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In this episode, we discuss Stanislaus Zbyszko finally winning the world title in 1921. I also review a Fred Kohler Chicago card from 1936.
Updates
Melissa Gotto incident at UFC Fight Night: Mociano vs. Duncan
WWE/TKO policies starting to wear on WWE fan base
Ed “Strangler” Lewis shaking hands with Stanislaus Zbyszko before their 1921 World Title Match (Public Domain)
Main Content
Stanislaus Zbyszko traaveled to the United States in 1909 to wrestle Frank Gotch. After Gotch won a controversial match in 1910, Gotch refused to wrestle Zbyszko again.
After being in Europe from 1914 to 1920, Zbyszko returned to the United States to resume his professional wrestling career in his forties. Zbyszko finally “won” the World Title in 1921.
Recommendation
BBC Radio 4’s Great Lives episode on the Great Gama
Ali Baba versus Dick Lever from 1938
Review
Six match card at the Chicago Stadium on Friday, November 20, 1936 for Fred Kohler Enterprises
This card established Fred Kohler as a Chicago wrestling promoter. Kohler took over Chicago in 1942 after Joe Coffey’s death in 1941 and Ed White’s retirement in 1942.
The card drew 9,736 spectators for a net gate of $7,505.00. Good gate but would have been better in a smaller building instead of the 26,000 seat Chicago Stadium. Chicago Tribune said it was the first big card in ten months.
First match – Stanley Buresh, 185 pounds from Australia via Nebraska, defeated Ernie Peterson with a flying body slam in fourteen minutes, fifty-six seconds. Joe Stecher trained Stanley Buresh, who was born in Bohemia (today’s Czech Republic) and moved to Nebraska. Buresh may have read about Australia in National Geographic.
Second match – Nango Singh defeated Red Vagnonne with a series of headlocks in fifteen minutes.
Third match – Oki Shikina defeated Mike Kilonis with a japanese bar lock in fourteen minutes, forty-three seconds.
Four match – Lee Wykoff defeated George Mansor with a series of crotch hold and body slams in seventeen minutes, fifty-six seconds.
Five match – Rudy Kay defeated Walter Roxy in seven minutes, thirty-seconds, when the referee disqualified Roxy for kicking.
Main event – Everett Marshall defeated Ali Baba with a double-nelson in thirty-five minutes, forty-four seconds to win the World Title recognized by Illinois.
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