Stanislaus Zbyszko
| Stanislaus Zbyszko | |
|---|---|
Zbyszko circa 1913
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| Birth name | Jan Stanisław Cyganiewicz |
| Born |
April 1, 1879 Jodłowa, Austria-Hungary (now Poland) |
| Died | September 23, 1967 (aged 88) St. Joseph, Missouri |
| Family | Wladek Zbyszko (brother) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Stanislaus Zbyszko |
| Billed height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Billed weight | 230 lb (100 kg) |
| Billed from | Vienna, Austria |
| Trained by | Władysław Pytlasiński |
| Debut | 1909 |
| Retired | 1925 |
Jan Stanisław Cyganiewicz (April 1, 1879 – September 23, 1967), better known by the ring name Stanislaus Zbyszko, was a Polish strongman and professional wrestler 2-time World Heavyweight Champion at his highest profile in the United States during the 1920s. The surname Zbyszko was only a nickname, which was given him by friends due to his bravery when he was a child - it was the name of a fictional medieval Polish knight from the historical novel "Krzyżacy" by Henryk Sienkiewicz. He was the brother of Wladek Zbyszko.
Stanislaus Cyganiewicz was born on April 1, 1879 in Jodłowa near Kraków, Poland. A noted intellectual, he studied music, philosophy, and law while growing up in Vienna, Austria. He also possessed gifted strength; and he joined the renowned Vindobona Athletic Club while in college, where he gradually developed an imposing physique. In addition, he also practiced in the Sokol (“Falcon”), a Polish patriotic gymnastic society, which centered on the physical, mental, and cultural advancement of the nation’s citizens while instilling discipline and a love of country. Around the turn-of-the-century, Cyganiewicz first encountered the wrestling industry when he used his great power to successfully defeat an experienced grappler at a local circus in Poland. Standing just 5'8", Cyganiewicz was built like a house, carrying 260 pounds of chiseled muscle; and he was soon recruited to Berlin by a local promoter. As fellow strongman Georg Hackenschmidt established himself as Europe’s premier grappling star, Cyganiewicz was thus attracted to a career in wrestling as well; and he was subsequently introduced to the professional game by the Polish grappler , who eventually became his mentor.
Over the next few years, Cyganiewicz gradually established himself among Europe’s fastest-rising Greco-Roman wrestlers while competing in a number of tournaments; and by 1903, Health & Strength listed him among the continent’s leading heavyweights. He eventually took the ring name Stanislaus Zbyszko; and in 1906, he battled Russia’s "Cossack" Ivan Poddubny to a two-hour draw before then outlasting George Lurich and Constant le Marin to win a prestigious Paris tournament. He was next brought to England by Charles "C.B." Cochrane, who was previously Hackenschmidt’s manager; and he engaged in a series of prominent encounters against Turkey's "Champion of the Bosphorus" Kara Suliman while performing at the London Pavilion and the Gibbons music halls. However, he was soon embroiled in a major controversy when Suliman was revealed to be Bulgaria's Ivan Offtharoff, who was actually employed by Zbyszko and Cochrane in one of the earliest public revelations of wrestling's "theatrical hoaxes".
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Wikipedia