Great Gama Wrestles Stanislaus Zbyszko

On Saturday, September 10, 1910, Stanislaus Zbyszko, fresh off his first tour of the United States, wrestled the Great Gama at Shepherd’s Bush Stadium in London, England. 7,000 spectators crowded into the stadium to watch the match.

A few weeks earlier, Mr. Benjamin brought a group of Pehlwani wrestlers from India to wrestle in England. Fans consider the Great Gama to be the greatest Pehlwani wrestler of all-time. Some fans consider the Great Gama to be the best wrestler of all-time period.

Prior to this match, Gama defeated Dr. Benjamin Roller, a frequent American Heavyweight Wrestling Title contender. Gama’s brother, Inam Bax, defeated John Lemm. Lemm wrestled a series of bouts with Stanislaus Zbyszko in early 1910 during Zbyszko’s early months in the United States.

For this match, Zbyszko stood five feet, ten inches tall. Zbyszko weighed two hundred twenty-four pounds. Gama was taller at six feet, one inch tall. Gama was lighter at two hundred two pounds.

Fans anticipated a great match from the two celebrated wrestlers. However, the match progressed in the same manner as many legitimate contests. The men wrestled a long, boring, and inconclusive wrestling match.

Stanislaus Zbyszko emerged as the main reason for the lack of action in the match. Maybe smarting from the tactics Gotch used in their June 1910 World Title match, Zbyszko wrestled defensively throughout the match.

The men wrestled in a consistent pattern throughout the match. Gama attempted a hold. Zbyszko slips out of the hold and drops to the mat on all fours. Gama takes Zbyszko’s back and tries in vain to turn Zbyszko onto his back. Eventually, Zbyszko crawled to the edge of the mat forcing the referee to restart both men in the center of the mat.

Only twice did Zbyszko try to lift Gama off his feet. When Gama blocked the lift, Zbyszko released the hold and dropped back down on all fours. Zbyszko’s passive defense frustrated Gama, who twice tried to apply a stranglehold on Zbyszko.

Referee J. Smith warned Gama that he would disqualify Gama if he did not release the strangleholds. Gama reluctantly let go of the stranglehold each time.

After two hours and thirty-seven minutes, Smith realized that the sun was going down and it would soon be dark. Smith called the match a draw. The ring announcer told the crowd that Zbyszko and Gama would resume the match the following Saturday, September 17, 1910. The announcer said the wrestlers would wrestle to a finish in the resumed match.

Gama was not the only person Zbyszko frustrated with his tactics. As Zbyszko left the ring to return to his dressing room, a large group of fans rushed at Zbyszko. While Zbyszko tossed several fans away, the fans struck Zbyszko several times with fists and feet.

The London Police quickly surrounded Zbyszko and pushed through the crowd. The police delivered Zbyszko safely to the dressing room.

Whether it was the contest or the reaction of the fans, Zbyszko decided he had had enough of Gama. Instead of returning to resume the match, Zbyszko’s English management sent the following telegram: “Match off. Zbyszko leaving England.”

Fans expected the men to cross paths again, but Zbyszko and Gama wrestled only one more time. In 1930, when both men were in their early 50s. I may tell that story in a future post.

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Sources: The Guardian (London, England), September 12, 1910, p. 10, Nottingham Evening Post (Nottingham, England), September 12, 1910, p. 7 and Newcastle Daily Journal (Newcastle, England), September 16, 1910, p. 11

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