Stanislaus Zbyszko Stanislaus Zbyszko ( Polish : " Stanisław Jan Cyganiewicz " ) ( April 1 , 1879 – September 23 , 1967 ) was a Polish strongman and professional wrestler 2 - time World Heavyweight Champion popular in the United States during the 1920s . He was one of the most influential European grapplers of all - time , he was also among the sport ’ s great pioneer champions . 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 . Early life . 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 well - known Polish grappler , who eventually became his mentor . Wrestling career . 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 famous “ 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 . ” As Zbyszko started to compete more often in England and the United States , he increasingly began to make the switch to catch - as - catch - can freestyle wrestling ; and for several years , he alternated between grappling styles as he traveled between continents and countries . Already billed as Europe ’ s Greco - Roman champion , he was subsequently recognized among the world ’ s top catch wrestlers when he battled the fabled Frank Gotch to a one - hour draw in November 1909 in Buffalo , NY . The following year , he scored heralded victories over Dr . Ben Roller and “ the Terrible Turk ” Youssuf Mahmout , thus confirming his reputation among the world ’ s elite grapplers while also setting up a huge second encounter with Gotch at the Chicago Coliseum on June 1 , 1910 for the undisputed World Heavyweight Championship . However , in the rematch , Gotch tricked Zbyszko , jumping him when Zbyszko walked out for what was in Europe the customary handshake , and pinning him in just 6 . 4 seconds . Zbyszko was infuriated and protested the result , but the match went on and Gotch took the second fall in just under 30 minutes . The performance led many fans to believe the bout was a work ( although Gotch would never again face Zbyszko during his career ) . Despite the controversial loss , Zbyszko was now regarded among the premier wrestlers in the world ; and he would then take on the mammoth challenge of Pakistan ’ s feared Great Gama , an undefeated champion who had been unsuccessful in his attempts to lure Frank Gotch into a match . And so , on September 10 , 1910 , Zbyszko faced the Great Gama in the finals of the John Bull World Championships in London . The match was £250 in prize money and the John Bull Belt . Within a minute , Zbyszko was taken down and remained in that position for the remaining 2 hours and 35 minutes of the match . There were a few brief moments when Zbyszko would get up , but he just ended back down in his previous position . Crafting a defensive strategy of hugging the mat in order to nullify Great Gama ’ s greatest strengths , Zbyszko wrestled the Pakistani legend to a draw after nearly three hours of grappling , though Zbyszko ’ s lack of tenacity angered many of the fans in attendance . Nevertheless , Zbyszko still became one of the few wrestlers to ever meet the Great Gama without going down in defeat ; The two men were set to face each other again on September 17 , 1910 . On that date , Zbyszko failed to show up and Gama was announced the winner by default . He was awarded the prize and the John Bull Belt . Receiving this belt entitled Gama to be called Rustam - e - Zamana or World Champion . Over the next decade , he competed in Europe while his younger brother , Wladek Zbyszko , established himself among the top stars in the United States . In 1927 it was announced that the Great Gama and Zbyszko would face each other again . The day finally came in 1928 when both wrestlers met again in Patiala . The result of the bout was , however , drawn quickly when Gama threw Zbyszko in only 42 seconds . Championship Controversy . By this time , the industry had begun a gradual shift towards “ worked ” programs ; and Stanislaus Zbyszko was eventually recruited back to the U . S . by the “ Gold Dust Trio ” of Strangler Lewis , Billy Sandow , and Toots Mondt . Though now in his early 40s , Zbyszko was booked to defeat Lewis for the World Title on May 6 , 1921 ; but his reign was ultimately a bust at the box office , and he relinquished the title back to Lewis on March 3 , 1922 . Around this time , a disagreement caused Joe Stecher to split from the Gold Dust Trio promotion , thus forming a separate wrestling faction . Zbyszko remained with the Trio , who were promoting ex - football player Wayne Munn as a charismatic new champion . In order to build up Munn ’ s credibility , the Trio booked him to successfully defend the title against Zbyszko on April 15 , 1925 ; however , Zbyszko had secretly accepted a payoff from Tony Stecher ( Joe ’ s brother / manager ) to switch to their company . Consequently , Zbyszko betrayed the Trio by turning the match with Munn into a legitimate shoot , pinning the non - wrestler again and again until the referee was forced to award the title to the 47 - year old veteran , who then dropped the title to Stecher a month later to complete the ploy . This was one of the last times a World Title changed hands legitimately ; and the legacy of this conspiracy was momentous , as it would be decades before promoters would ever feel comfortable putting their title on a non - wrestler again , thus fueling the support for expert “ hooker ” Lou Thesz to serve as a champion throughout the 1930s , 40s , 50s , and 60s . Retirement . In 1928 , Zbyszko received a lucrative offer to travel to India and wrestle the Great Gama in a rematch of their bout from 18 years earlier . Despite both men now being well past their primes , the match purportedly drew 60 , 000 fans , who watched Great Gama defeat Zbyszko in just 40 seconds , leading many to speculate that Zbyszko was paid to do the job for Gama . Zbyszko then retired and actively scouted wrestling talent in South America , where he discovered acrobatic gymnast Antonino Rocca , whom he developed into one of the sport ’ s biggest stars . From their Missouri farm , the Zbyszko brothers also trained future legends Johnny Valentine and Harley Race ; and in 1950 , Stanislaus had a prominent role in the movie , " Night and the City " . Knowing that a key role in the film was a grizzled Greco - Roman wrestling legend , director Jules Dassin saids he " didn ' t want to pick an actor and train him to be a wrestler - - I wanted to do the opposite . I had never gone to a wrestling match , but I had an image of a wrestler from my youth . " The wrestler turned out to be Zbyszko . Dassin said , " I was told he was dead , but it turned out he was alive and was a chicken farmer in New Jersey . " He turned out to be " a beautiful , cultured , multilingual man " who looked like a graceful rock formation . During breaks in filming , Dassin would travel into town to watch experimental theatre ; he later recalled that Zbyszko was the only other person who would tag along ( the rest of the cast and crew balked at the invitation ) . Like the character he played in the movie , Zbyszko often complained of the industry ’ s evolution into a form of showmanship . On September 23 , 1967 , Stanislaus Zbyszko died of a heart attack at age 88 . He was cited by Strangler Lewis as one of the best legitimate wrestlers of all - time ; and as a tribute , his surname was later adopted by contemporary star Larry Zbyszko .