John Pesek
Encyclopedia
John Pesek was an American
professional wrestler
and notable greyhound racing
dog breeder.
He was born to Bohemian
parents near Ravenna
, Nebraska
, the fifth of seven children, and grew up living the hard life of the American pioneer. His father Martin died in an accident when John was twelve. He originally planned a career in boxing
but took to professional wrestling instead, with which he became familiar by attending the traveling carnival
s of the era. His first high-profile match was in 1914 when he defeated Wladek Zbyszko
.
Pesek was nicknamed The Nebraska Tiger Man for his ferocity and catlike dexterity. He was also legitimately strong and could hold his own on the mat against opponents that frequently outweighed him considerably. Pesek is recorded as losing only about 20 matches in his entire career http://www.pwhf.org/halloffamers/bios/pesek.asp, which he began undefeated until January 16, 1920 when he lost to fellow Nebraskan Joe Stecher
. Among the few other men to ever defeat Pesek were Jim Londos
and Ed "Strangler" Lewis
. A true "hooker"
who believed in wrestling as legitimate competitive sport, Pesek disliked the wrestling "trust" that emerged in the 1920s for its booking of pre-determined match outcomes. His reluctance to co-operate with promoters isolated him from the wrestling mainstream for much of his career.
One important wrestling figure with whom Pesek did agree to work was Ed Lewis, for whom he became a "policeman" to ward off the so-called "trustbusters", outlaw wrestlers who posed threats to promotions and their champions by refusing to co-operate (fix matches) during matches. On November 14, 1921, Pesek squared off against one of the most prominent trustbusters, Marin Plestina, a wrestler born in Serbia
from Italian parents, at Madison Square Garden
. Pesek proceeded to administer such a severe beating (through continual fouling) that Plestina was hospitalized. All three falls of the match were forfeited due to repeated head butting and eye gouging by Pesek. His repeated fouling caused a near riot. The New York Times credits Plestina with "intensified fairness" in the face of Pesek's continued fouling. This is the reason Pesek was banned from wrestling for life in New York. These comments are taken from a New York Times article dated 11/15/21. New York's athletic commission
refused to award Pesek his prize money and banned him from wrestling in the state, but the Tiger Man had done his job http://www.1wrestlinglegends.com/column/mh-02.htm.
On another occasion, Pesek was hired to give Lewis' ally, Boston-area promoter Paul Bowser
, a hand in his battle with rival promoter Jack Curley
. Curley was aggressively promoting Olympic wrestling medalist Nat Pendleton
and issued a series of haughty challenges, among them boasting that Pendleton could beat Lewis and any other wrestler on the same night. Pesek was enlisted to face Curley's protégé, and in a legitimate contest
held on January 25, 1923, Pesek defeated and injured Pendleton to claim an $
8000 purse and give Bowser a major financial and publicity victory http://www.slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Movies/2006/03/03/1471510.html.
Pesek would memorably cross paths with Joe Stecher again, wrestling him three times in 1926. Stecher, now the world champion, won the first meeting on April 29, and the second match on August 25 ended in a draw. Then, on October 6 at Los Angeles
' Olympic Auditorium
, subbing for Ed Lewis, Pesek diverted from the planned result and trapped Stecher in a wrist lock. Stecher appeared to submit, but in order to save face the referee disqualifed Pesek under the pretense that he had used an illegal choke hold, allowing Stecher to retain the title. Stecher was said to have cried after the match http://www.otherarena.com/htm/cgi-bin/biography.cgi?joestech.
Despite making a good living in America, Pesek eventually grew tired of backroom politics and opted to go overseas for a while in 1929. Traveling to New Zealand
and Australia
, he became a sensation there, winning 47 consecutive bouts http://bchs.kearney.net/BTales_199703.html.
Pesek's reputation as a maverick held him back from holding many championships in his career, and he has been characterized as a "trustbuster" in his own right http://www.wrestlingmuseum.org/people/pesek_john.html. It turned out that none of the titles he did hold were either won or lost in the ring. From 1931 to 1933, he was the recognized Midwest Wrestling Association (MWA) champion, until he forfeited the title to wrestle for another promotion. Later, Pesek was recognized for a time as National Wrestling Association champion
. He was belatedly given the vacant NWA championship on September 13, 1937, as he had been the only man to post a $1000 bond for a proposed tournament one year earlier. However, he was soon stripped of the title when he refused to meet two challengers. Pesek was again awarded the vacant MWA championship in 1938, but was stripped of it in June 1940 for, once again, failing to meet the top contenders.
By the end of the 1920s, Pesek had begun turning his focus towards racing greyhounds, and on 800 acres (3.2 km²) of his Nebraska farm he built up one of the nation's leading stables. He won several national titles, and the pedigree of one of his greatest dogs, Australian-born "Just Andrew", could be found in 95 percent of American greyhound stock by 1975 http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?i=116943.
John Pesek continued to appear occasionally in exhibition matches through the 1950s, long enough to wrestle on the same card as son Jack, who would go on to enjoy a lengthy wrestling career of his own. John died at his home on March 12, 1978 and is buried at the Highland Cemetery outside Ravenna. A bronze statue of John with two greyhounds was being created at the time of his death, and it was posthumously unveiled in front of Ravenna Bank on May 28, 1978.
Although lesser known than some of his contemporaries, John Pesek is recognized today as one of the best wrestlers of his era. He was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
in 2005, as well as the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
in 1996; Pesek had earlier been inducted into the Lincoln Journal
's Nebraska Sports Hall Of Fame in 1957. His contributions to the sport of greyhound racing have also been recognized by his induction to the Greyhound National Hall Of Fame in 1978 - his dogs "Gangster" and "Just Andrew" were inducted in 1964 and 1975, respectively.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
and notable greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
dog breeder.
He was born to Bohemian
Bohemian
A Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...
parents near Ravenna
Ravenna, Nebraska
Ravenna is a city in Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Kearney, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,341 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ravenna is located at ....
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, the fifth of seven children, and grew up living the hard life of the American pioneer. His father Martin died in an accident when John was twelve. He originally planned a career in boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
but took to professional wrestling instead, with which he became familiar by attending the traveling carnival
Traveling carnival
A traveling carnival is an amusement show that may be made up of amusement rides, food vendors, merchandise vendors, games of chance and skill, thrill acts, animal acts or sideshow curiosities. A traveling carnival is not set up at a permanent location, like an amusement park, but is moved from...
s of the era. His first high-profile match was in 1914 when he defeated Wladek Zbyszko
Wladek Zbyszko
Wladek Zbyszko , real name Wladyslaw Cyganiewicz, was a Polish professional wrestler and strongman. He is the brother of Stanislaus Zbyszko...
.
Pesek was nicknamed The Nebraska Tiger Man for his ferocity and catlike dexterity. He was also legitimately strong and could hold his own on the mat against opponents that frequently outweighed him considerably. Pesek is recorded as losing only about 20 matches in his entire career http://www.pwhf.org/halloffamers/bios/pesek.asp, which he began undefeated until January 16, 1920 when he lost to fellow Nebraskan Joe Stecher
Joe Stecher
Joe Stecher , sometimes spelled Joe Stetcher, was a professional wrestler and three-time World Heavyweight Champion. Stecher is the first wrestler to regain the original version of the World Heavyweight Championship....
. Among the few other men to ever defeat Pesek were Jim Londos
Jim Londos
Christos Theofilou or Christopher Theophelus better known as "The Golden Greek" Jim Londos, was a professional wrestler who was one of the most popular stars wrestling offered during the Great Depression.-Career:Jim Londos was born Christos Theofilou in 1897 in Argos, Greece. as the youngest of...
and Ed "Strangler" Lewis
Ed Lewis (wrestler)
Robert Herman Julius Friedrich , was a professional wrestler best known by his ring name Ed "Strangler" Lewis, whose career spanned four decades.-Wrestling career:...
. A true "hooker"
Catch wrestling
Catch wrestling is a style of folk wrestling that was developed and popularised in the late 19th century by the wrestlers of traveling carnivals who incorporated submission holds, or "hooks", into their wrestling to increase their effectiveness against their opponents...
who believed in wrestling as legitimate competitive sport, Pesek disliked the wrestling "trust" that emerged in the 1920s for its booking of pre-determined match outcomes. His reluctance to co-operate with promoters isolated him from the wrestling mainstream for much of his career.
One important wrestling figure with whom Pesek did agree to work was Ed Lewis, for whom he became a "policeman" to ward off the so-called "trustbusters", outlaw wrestlers who posed threats to promotions and their champions by refusing to co-operate (fix matches) during matches. On November 14, 1921, Pesek squared off against one of the most prominent trustbusters, Marin Plestina, a wrestler born in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
from Italian parents, at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. Pesek proceeded to administer such a severe beating (through continual fouling) that Plestina was hospitalized. All three falls of the match were forfeited due to repeated head butting and eye gouging by Pesek. His repeated fouling caused a near riot. The New York Times credits Plestina with "intensified fairness" in the face of Pesek's continued fouling. This is the reason Pesek was banned from wrestling for life in New York. These comments are taken from a New York Times article dated 11/15/21. New York's athletic commission
New York State Athletic Commission
The New York State Athletic Commission or NYSAC, also known as the New York Athletic Commission, regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of New York, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, professional wrestlers, seconds, ring officials,...
refused to award Pesek his prize money and banned him from wrestling in the state, but the Tiger Man had done his job http://www.1wrestlinglegends.com/column/mh-02.htm.
On another occasion, Pesek was hired to give Lewis' ally, Boston-area promoter Paul Bowser
Paul Bowser
Paul Forbes Bowser was a professional wrestling promoter who was active from the 1920s to the 1950s in the Boston area.-Wrestler:...
, a hand in his battle with rival promoter Jack Curley
Jack Curley
Jack Curley was a sports promoter of the early 1900s. He managed several high-profile boxing events around the turn-of-the-century and he also established professional wrestling as a viable business in the big city, and he eventually built the New York office into an industry power while...
. Curley was aggressively promoting Olympic wrestling medalist Nat Pendleton
Nat Pendleton
Nathaniel Greene "Nat" Pendleton was an American Olympic wrestler and film actor.-Early life:Pendleton was born in Davenport, Iowa to Adelaide E. and Nathaniel G. Pendleton. He studied at Columbia University where he began his wrestling career. He was twice Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling...
and issued a series of haughty challenges, among them boasting that Pendleton could beat Lewis and any other wrestler on the same night. Pesek was enlisted to face Curley's protégé, and in a legitimate contest
Shoot (professional wrestling)
A shoot in professional wrestling is a term that refers to any unplanned, unscripted or real-life occurrence within a wrestling event. Contrary to popular belief, the name does not originate from "shooting in" for a takedown, as in amateur wrestling - rather it is a carny term shortened from...
held on January 25, 1923, Pesek defeated and injured Pendleton to claim an $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
8000 purse and give Bowser a major financial and publicity victory http://www.slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Movies/2006/03/03/1471510.html.
Pesek would memorably cross paths with Joe Stecher again, wrestling him three times in 1926. Stecher, now the world champion, won the first meeting on April 29, and the second match on August 25 ended in a draw. Then, on October 6 at Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
' Olympic Auditorium
Grand Olympic Auditorium
The Grand Olympic Auditorium is the former name of a sports venue in Los Angeles, California, United States. Located at 1801 S. Grand Avenue, the venue was built in 1924 specifically for the 1932 Summer Olympics, which saw the boxing, weightlifting, and wrestling events held there. At the time it...
, subbing for Ed Lewis, Pesek diverted from the planned result and trapped Stecher in a wrist lock. Stecher appeared to submit, but in order to save face the referee disqualifed Pesek under the pretense that he had used an illegal choke hold, allowing Stecher to retain the title. Stecher was said to have cried after the match http://www.otherarena.com/htm/cgi-bin/biography.cgi?joestech.
Despite making a good living in America, Pesek eventually grew tired of backroom politics and opted to go overseas for a while in 1929. Traveling to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, he became a sensation there, winning 47 consecutive bouts http://bchs.kearney.net/BTales_199703.html.
Pesek's reputation as a maverick held him back from holding many championships in his career, and he has been characterized as a "trustbuster" in his own right http://www.wrestlingmuseum.org/people/pesek_john.html. It turned out that none of the titles he did hold were either won or lost in the ring. From 1931 to 1933, he was the recognized Midwest Wrestling Association (MWA) champion, until he forfeited the title to wrestle for another promotion. Later, Pesek was recognized for a time as National Wrestling Association champion
World Heavyweight Championship (National Wrestling Association)
The World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship of the National Wrestling Association , an offshoot of the National Boxing Association...
. He was belatedly given the vacant NWA championship on September 13, 1937, as he had been the only man to post a $1000 bond for a proposed tournament one year earlier. However, he was soon stripped of the title when he refused to meet two challengers. Pesek was again awarded the vacant MWA championship in 1938, but was stripped of it in June 1940 for, once again, failing to meet the top contenders.
By the end of the 1920s, Pesek had begun turning his focus towards racing greyhounds, and on 800 acres (3.2 km²) of his Nebraska farm he built up one of the nation's leading stables. He won several national titles, and the pedigree of one of his greatest dogs, Australian-born "Just Andrew", could be found in 95 percent of American greyhound stock by 1975 http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?i=116943.
John Pesek continued to appear occasionally in exhibition matches through the 1950s, long enough to wrestle on the same card as son Jack, who would go on to enjoy a lengthy wrestling career of his own. John died at his home on March 12, 1978 and is buried at the Highland Cemetery outside Ravenna. A bronze statue of John with two greyhounds was being created at the time of his death, and it was posthumously unveiled in front of Ravenna Bank on May 28, 1978.
Although lesser known than some of his contemporaries, John Pesek is recognized today as one of the best wrestlers of his era. He was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is an American professional wrestling hall of fame and museum located in Amsterdam, New York. It was previously located in Schenectady, New York...
in 2005, as well as the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
in 1996; Pesek had earlier been inducted into the Lincoln Journal
Lincoln Journal Star
The Lincoln Journal Star is Lincoln, Nebraska's major daily newspaper. Owned by Lee Enterprises, the Journal Star was created by the 1995 merger of Lincoln's morning newspaper and its evening newspaper The Lincoln Journal Star is Lincoln, Nebraska's major daily newspaper. Owned by Lee...
's Nebraska Sports Hall Of Fame in 1957. His contributions to the sport of greyhound racing have also been recognized by his induction to the Greyhound National Hall Of Fame in 1978 - his dogs "Gangster" and "Just Andrew" were inducted in 1964 and 1975, respectively.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Double wristlock
- Toe hold
Championships and accomplishments
- Midwest Wrestling Association
- MWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipMWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe MWA World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Kansas City, Kansas-based Midwest Wrestling Association...
(2 times)
- MWA World Heavyweight Championship
- National Wrestling AssociationNational Wrestling AssociationThe National Wrestling Association was an off-shoot of the National Boxing Association, formed to sanction professional wrestling. This NWA is not the same organization as the National Wrestling Alliance, which was formed in 1948....
- NWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipWorld Heavyweight Championship (National Wrestling Association)The World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship of the National Wrestling Association , an offshoot of the National Boxing Association...
(1 time)
- NWA World Heavyweight Championship
- Other accomplishments
- World Heavyweight Championship (original version)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameThe Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
(Class of 1996)
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
- (Class of 2005)