Zbyszko Defeats Westergard

On January 10, 1912, Stanislaus Zbyszko continued his campaign for another title shot with World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Frank Gotch.  To press his claim, he secured a match with Gotch training partner and protegé, Jake Westergard.  Westergard claimed a questionable win over his mentor Gotch, who probably dropped the match to Westergard in a prearranged match.

Zbyszko was a skilled Greco-Roman wrestling champion with a limited repertoire of holds in the catch-as-catch-can style.  The few Zbyszko did possess were both powerful and difficult to escape.  Despite his size at 5’09” and 236 pounds, Zbyszko was also deceptively quick.

Jake Westergard weighed 212 pounds at about 6’00” tall.  Westergard’s long limbs would give him one advantage in the match but it would not be enough to win the match.

While mat pundits considered Zbyszko the favorite in the match, Westergard was a credible challenger.  He proved his viability as a challenger with his performance in the match.

The Salt Lake City, Utah crowd clearly favored Westergard and continuously cheered him through the match.  Westergard was on the offensive for most of the match with Zbyszko trying to counter through his defensive wrestling.

After the customary handshake at center ring, the men returned to their corners before tying up to start the match.  The men strained for a hold for ten full minutes before Zbyszko secured a headlock.  Westergard squirmed away before Zbyszko caught him again.  However, Westergard was able to escape again.

Westergard then employed the one tactic his long arms made relatively easy.  He was able to reach down to Zbyszko’s legs and secure the toe hold.  Several times, he secured the hold and ground on Zbyszko’s leg tendons.

Unlike his mentor Frank Gotch, who could make a man submit to the hold or have a tendon snapped, Westergard put Zbyszko in pain but could not submit him.  Zbyszko kept breaking free only to be secure in the hold again Westergard.

After giving up on the toe hold, Westergard began twisting Zbyszko’s arm.  However, the tactic gave Zbyszko an opening to secure Westergard’s legs and he took him down repeatedly off the attempted arm twists.

Westergard seemed to be getting the better of the contest, when Zbyszko suddenly picked him up off the ground and drove him head first into the mat.  Westergard tried to escape but Zbyszko kept his chest in contact with Westergard’s back.  Zbyszko’s back ride allowed him to secure Westergard’s far arm and flop him on his back for the first fall at 1 hour, 2 minutes.

Based on the first fall, it seemed like fans were in for a long match.  However, Zbyszko disposed of Westergard for the second and final fall in 7 minutes, 11 seconds with a reverse body hold.  Westergard may not have recovered from the throw on his head from the first fall.

Despite knocking off his protegé, Zbyszko would continue to be frustrated in his attempts to gain another title shot at Frank Gotch.  Gotch was enjoying his new family situation with his wife Gladys.  By April 1913, he would be retired.

Stanislaus Zbyszko wouldn’t retire until 1928, when he was 49 years old.  The last eleven years of his career were during the prearranged era, when he wrestled exhibitions with other wrestlers although he would legitimately defeat “Big” Wayne Munn in 1925.

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Source: The Salt Lake City Tribune, January 11, 1912 edition, p. 10

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