Gotch Meets Match in Zbyszko
On a Thursday night, November 25, 1909, World Wrestling Champion Frank Gotch met Polish Wrestling Champion Stanislaus Zbyszko for a handicap match in Buffalo, New York. Gotch agreed to forfeit the bout if he could not throw Zbyszko twice in an hour.
Frank Gotch from the Public Domain
Zbyszko’s size and strength created problems for Gotch, who weighed 190 pounds to Zbyszko’s 260 pounds. However, Zbyszko never threatened Gotch. His goal was to survive and win the match to set up a world title match later. Twice Gotch almost caught Zbyszko twice with Gotch’s dreaded toehold but Zbyszko was able to slide free.
If Zbyszko thought the strategy would help him in their championship match on June 1, 1910, he would find out differently. Gotch agreed to meet Zbyszko in Chicago, IL at the Coliseum on Wednesday, June 1, 1910. Gotch would retire after the match at 33 years of age but he returned the next year.
The men agreed to a split of 80 percent for the winner and 20 percent for the loser. Zbyszko entered the ring first around 10 p.m. Gotch entered next, some photographs were taken and the men met at the center of the ring for the handshake.
Stanislaus Zbyszko from the Public Domain
Frank Gotch would occasionally engage in less than sportsmanlike conduct. Gotch took a step back, tackled Stanislaus Zbyszko and pinned him to the mat with a bar-arm and half-nelson. Zbyszko and his manager Jack Hermann protested to referee Dick Fleming. Fleming refused to entertain their protest.
Zbyszko was more cautious during the second fall, which lasted 27 minutes and 35 seconds. Gotch took Zbyszko down with a single-leg takedown. Zbyszko answered by slamming Gotch to the mat several times with Gotch squirming back to his feet each time.
In an impressive feat of strength, Zbyszko slammed Gotch to the mat. Before Gotch could squirm back to his feet, Zbyszko lifted him from the mat and slammed him again.
At the twenty-seven minute mark, the pace finally wilted Zbyszko. Gotch slammed Zbyszko to ground. A look of panic came across Zbyszko’s face as Gotch applied a bar-arm and wristlock for the second fall.
Gotch won $22,000 to Zbyszko’s $2,000. Gotch retired after the fight although it would be brief. Zbyszko stated that he was returning to Poland. Zbyszko would return to the United States after World War I. He would finally win a world title in 1925, when he was in his mid-forties.
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Gotch vs. Hackenschmidt: The Matches That Made and Destroyed Legitimate American Professional Wrestling is available on Amazon in both paperback and e-book.
Gotch vs. Hackenschmidt is available at Amazon in paperback and on e-book.
