Georg Hackenschmidt - Wrestling Career

Wrestling Career

Hackenschmidt left Tallinn in 1898 for the St. Petersburg Athletic and Cycling Club under the training of Dr. Vladislav von Krajewski, who convinced young Hackenschmidt that he had the potential to become the strongest man in the world. Beginning his wrestling career, he defeated the famous French wrestler Paul Pons in April 1898; but in January 1899 he had army duty, being commanded to join the Preobrashensky regiment, the first life guards of the Czar. Released after five months, he defeated Mr. von Schmelling for the Russian championship of 1899 on 19 May that year.

In June 1900 he entered a 40-day wrestling tournament in Moscow and captured the championships of both Moscow and St. Petersburg. His career as a professional wrestler was on the rise, he won many tournaments and matches, and in 1901 he won the championship of the world tournament in Vienna as well as a championship of the world tournament at the Casino de Paris. He won tournaments everywhere he wrestled, and toured England in 1903 to confront the country's best wrestlers in the new catch-as-catch-can style which was becoming popular. Managed by the flamboyant C. B. Cochran, he would face and defeat up to five men in one evening. They created a music hall boom in wrestling, and Hackenschmidt became a major superstar and drawing card.

He wrestled in opera halls, music halls and theaters. As the wrestling boom took hold in England and wrestlers came in from all around the world for the grand tournaments that had become the rage, he remained the dominant grappler, rather easily defeating every man he met. Cochran polished his act until the Russian Lion was a major showstopper. He might take on five wrestlers in the same evening, defeating them all with ease.

Handsome as well as beautifully built, he was adored by women and admired by men, and became the darling of society. Personally a soft-spoken, cultured and intellectual young man, Hackenschmidt could speak seven languages fluently and became a noted author, speaker and philosopher. He moved well in social circles and was a credit to the sport. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, himself a proponent of physical culture and exercise, proclaimed, “If I wasn’t president of the United States, I would like to be George Hackenschmidt.”

Hackenschidt continued touring England and defeated the local favorites Tom Cannon, Tom Connors, Tom MacInerney and Tom Clayton. But when he defeated Antonio Pieri twice, the Italian sought revenge by trying to find a wrestler who could beat the Russian Lion. He thought he had found such a man in Ahmed Madrali, called the “Terrible Turk,” who tangled with Hackenschmidt at the Olympia in London on 30 January 1904. Because of all the ballyhoo, traffic was jammed from the Olympia back to Piccadilly, and the Olympia was packed. Hackenschmidt picked up Madarli and threw him down onto his arm, dislocating his shoulder. The contest had lasted about two minutes.

Madrali recovered, and the two would face each other again, with Hackenschmidt winning just as easily. But this was his big year. Only on 2 July at the Royal Albert Hall the Russian Lion faced the American champion Tom Jenkins, a vastly underrated wrestler who would prove to be Hackenschmidt’s toughest opponent to date, under Greco-Roman rules. Nevertheless, he pinned Jenkins in two straight falls.

Hackenschmidt left Cochran’s management to tour Australia, and then sailed to America for an extended tour and a rematch with Jenkins at the Madison Square Garden under catch-as-catch-can rules, which Hackenschmidt by now preferred. Jenkins put up a hard battle, but Hackenschmidt again won in two straight falls, the first in 31 minutes, 14 seconds, and the second in 22 minutes, 4 seconds, and could now claim to be the rightful free-style heavyweight champion of the world. He then wrestled in Canada, did some sightseeing and returned to England for a long list of music hall engagements.

Hackenschmidt defeated the Scottish champion Alexander Munro and Madrali in a return bout at the Olympia, and on February 6, 1908, defeated the American wrestler Joe Rogers in straight falls inside of 14 minutes. He then sailed to America to fulfill his obligation to meet a new challenger from Iowa by the name of Frank Gotch.