計劃的劉易斯 – 茲比斯科比賽

當比利·桑多（Billy Sandow）和埃德·劉易斯（Ed Lewis）決定斯坦尼斯勞斯·茲比斯科（Stanislaus Zbyszko）的頭銜統治沒有足夠的宣傳動力時, 他們決定 “win” 三月奪冠 1922. 聖. 路易斯發起人約翰康托斯能夠確保重賽, 這將發生在聖. 路易斯體育館在星期四, 十二月 14, 1922.

By this time, American professional wrestling outside of carnivals and double-crosses was a “工作” or staged exhibition. The wrestlers cooperated with each other to make their matches more exciting.

The wrestlers in this era were “射手’ or legitimately skilled wrestlers. Some wrestlers were also “hookers” or skilled submission wrestlers. 和 “扼殺” Lewis may have been the greatest “妓女” in professional wrestler. If any of the wrestlers tried to double-cross Lewis by legitimately beating him for the title, Lewis would simply hurt them and keep the title against their will. If someone Lewis dropped the title to refused to give the belt back, Lewis would hurt them and simply take the title. This match carried the risk of a double-cross.

斯坦尼斯Zbyszko, at 42-years old, was eleven years older than Lewis. Zbyszko also wasn’t the submission wrestler Lewis was but he may have been the more skilled pure wrestler. While Zbyszko was past his prime, Lewis considered him one of only two men on his level.

In Lou Thesz’s autobiography 妓女, Thesz describes several conversations between he and Lewis about Zbyszko. Lewis said you always had to be careful with Zbyszko because he could shoot on his opponent at any time. During training sessions, Lewis discovered Zbyszko was his equal in competitive wrestling despite Lewis’ advantage in age.

During their matches, Lewis learned Zbyszko had a tell, when Zbyszko was getting ready to double-cross an opponent. When he realized his opponent was in a bad position and considered shooting on him, he would start breathing heavily. His brother Wladek would do the same thing.

When Lewis felt Zbyszko start breathing heavily, Lewis immediately extricated himself from his vulnerable position. Lewis would then “hook” or put a submission hold on with just enough juice to let Zbyszko know he suspected the double-cross. Lewis told Thesz it was enough to gain Zbyszko’s cooperation. Zbyszko would go back to working with Lewis.

Going into the St. Louis match, Sandow and Lewis were concerned Zbyszko might try to take back the championship by shooting on Lewis. Zbyszko had wrestled Frank Gotch in a legitimate contest for the World Championship in 1910. Zbyszko always felt like Gotch robbed him, when Gotch tackled him off the handshake and won the first fall in 6 秒.

A shaken Zbyszko almost forfeited the match but went through with the contest after cajoling by the referee and his manager. Zbyszko didn’t regain his composure and lost the second fall in a little over 20 分鐘. Gotch refused to wrestle Zbyszko again and retired in 1913 as champion.

The loss stung Zbyszko for a long time. When he realized Gotch was never going to wrestle him, he returned to Europe in 1914. Caught up in World War I, he didn’t make it back to the U.S. until after the war. 40-years-old and past his prime, it looked like a World Championship was not possible for the old warhorse.

Even though it was a worked match and planned title reign, “winning” the title from Lewis in 1921 took some of the sting out of the Gotch match for Zbyszko. Would Zbyszko go along with the finish and drop the match to Lewis again? Next month, we will finish up the story.

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Sources: 聖. Louis Star and Times, 十二月 15, 1922 版, P. 20 和 妓女 通過盧·塞茲

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