Zbyszko and the Last Shoot Match

Станіслава Zbyszko нарадзіўся Станіслаў Ян Cygankiewicz красавіка 1, 1879 у Jodlow, Польшча, якая ўваходзіла ў склад Аўстра-Венгерскай імперыі. Згодна з Вікіпедыі, ён абраў імя кольца Станіслава Zbyszko таму што гэта было імя выдуманага польскага рыцара. Артыкул у Walla Walla, Газета Вашынгтон, The Evening Statesman’s Tuesday, Лютага 8, 1910 edition, publicized Zbyszko’s university and intellectual accomplishments.

Stanislaus Zbyszko was in the United States campaigning for a try at Фрэнк Готч, the Heavyweight Champion of the World. Zbyszko was both an accomplished wrestler and weightlifter like George Hackenschmidt, the man Gotch beat for the title.

Zbyszko had already wrestled with Gotch to a one hour draw in 1909. They would wrestle again in June 1910 but many would say Gotch used poor sportsmanship and jumped Zbyszko during the handshake pinning Zbyszko in under 6 секунд. Gotch would then beat Zbyszko for the second fall after 30 хвілін. Gotch would not wrestle Zbyszko again after this match. Аднак, due to the tainted nature of the loss, Збышко апынуўся больш запатрабаваным змагаром у прамоўтэраў.

У канцы 1910, Zbyszko would take on his greatest opponent, the Great Gama. Gama, an undefeated wrestler Gotch and many other champions avoided, was not able to beat Zbyszko the first time they battled. The match ended in a draw. After this match, Gama solved the puzzle. He defeated Zbyszko in all their subsequent matches including the last one in 1928, when both men were pushing 50 гадоў.

Па іроніі лёсу, Stanislaus Zbyszko won his first World Wrestling Championship after his prime, when wrestling was “worked” or pre-arranged. У росквіце сіл, the matches were “shoots” or legitimate contests.

In the prearranged era, І “Душыцель” Lewis needed someone to drop the belt to occasionally. Zbyszko had enough of a reputation to make the contests seem legitimate.

“Душыцель” Lewis was part of a promotion group that controlled the World title. Lewis was a “hooker’ or legitimate wrestler skilled in submissions. He could legitimately beat any wrestler around. When he was supposed to win the championship back, if the other wrestler refused, he simply beat him legitimately and took it.

Джо Стэчэр, who had been part of the promotion group but bore Lewis a grudge for beating him legitimately in 1920 пасля таго, як Штэхер адмовіўся кінуць пояс. Стэхер убачыў магчымасць, калі Льюіс і яго партнёры паставілі тытул “Big” Wayne Munn, a football player with no actual wrestling ability.

Zbyszko was scheduled for a match with Munn on April 15, 1925 in which Zbyszko was going to lose. Munn’s would seem more invincible after beating a man of Stanislaus Zbyszko’s reputation. Аднак, Джо Стэчэр заплаціў Збышку за перамогу над Манам.

In the last verified shoot match, Zbyszko pinned Munn again and again until the referee, who was in on the prearranged outcome, had to award the belt to Zbyszko. Збышко хутка аддаў пояс Штэхеру ў адпрацаваным паядынку.

Двайны крыж Штэхера і Збышка змяніў тое, як прамоўтэры барацьбы абаранялі свае чэмпіянаты. Legitimate wrestlers like Lou Thesz or legitimate tough guys like Harley Race were chosen to carry the belts to prevent double crosses like the one perpetrated on Munn.

Zbyszko retired and had a prominent role in The Night and the City (1950) ў 71 гадоў. He died in St. Іосіф, MO on September 23, 1967 ва ўзросце 88 гадоў.

Сёння, Zbyszko is all but forgotten but for the first two decades of the century, he was one of the most celebrated athletes in the United States and Europe. Later in his career, he changed how a profession was conducted for almost 50 гадоў. What do you think of his legacy?

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