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George Hackenschmidt hailed from Estonia and called himself the "Russian
Lion" in the ring. He was a famous bodybuilder and championship wrestler.
He began wrestling in the 1890s and became an international celebrity,
but mostly in Europe where he won the European version of the World Heavyweight
Champion by defeating Ahmed Madrali in Vienna in 1901. Later that year,
he also won the European Greco Roman Heavyweight Title and held both for
over three years. He moved to the United States to defeat Tom Jenkins for
the American version of the World Heavyweight Title and thus became the
owner of the unified and undisputed World Heavyweight Championship.
George Hackenschmidt is known for having classic encounters with Frank
Gotch. The first match, in Chicago, took place on April 3rd 1908 and lasted
2 and 1/2 hours. The match was mired in controversy as Hackenschmidt accused
Gotch of using what he would call "unscrupulous methods" in the press.
Hackenschmidt would face Ad Santel, a legendary hooker, in a match prior
to the rematch with Gotch and it became common knowledge that Santel was
paid by Gotch to ensure that Hackenschmidt was not at 100%. Hackenschmidt's
knee was injured severely and this, no doubt, lead to the second win by
Gotch later in 1908. Hackenschmidt retired from active wrestling and authored
"The Way To Live", a manual for healthy living that gained popular acclaim.
Hackenschmidt retired to England and passed away in February of 1968 at
the age of 90. He is best known for unifying the World Title, which served
as a forerunner to the NWA World Heavyweight Title. Hackenschmidt was a
powerful and charismatic performer that captured the imagination of fans
worldwide and deserves his place here in the UWOW Hall of Fame.
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George Hackenschmidt hailed from Estonia and called himself the "Russian
Lion" in the ring. He was a famous bodybuilder and championship wrestler.
He began wrestling in the 1890s and became an international celebrity,
but mostly in Europe where he won the European version of the World Heavyweight
Champion by defeating Ahmed Madrali in Vienna in 1901. Later that year,
he also won the European Greco Roman Heavyweight Title and held both for
over three years. He moved to the United States to defeat Tom Jenkins for
the American version of the World Heavyweight Title and thus became the
owner of the unified and undisputed World Heavyweight Championship.
George Hackenschmidt is known for having classic encounters with Frank
Gotch. The first match, in Chicago, took place on April 3rd 1908 and lasted
2 and 1/2 hours. The match was mired in controversy as Hackenschmidt accused
Gotch of using what he would call "unscrupulous methods" in the press.
Hackenschmidt would face Ad Santel, a legendary hooker, in a match prior
to the rematch with Gotch and it became common knowledge that Santel was
paid by Gotch to ensure that Hackenschmidt was not at 100%. Hackenschmidt's
knee was injured severely and this, no doubt, lead to the second win by
Gotch later in 1908. Hackenschmidt retired from active wrestling and authored
"The Way To Live", a manual for healthy living that gained popular acclaim.
Hackenschmidt retired to England and passed away in February of 1968 at
the age of 90. He is best known for unifying the World Title, which served
as a forerunner to the NWA World Heavyweight Title. Hackenschmidt was a
powerful and charismatic performer that captured the imagination of fans
worldwide and deserves his place here in the UWOW Hall of Fame.