Ivan Poddubny (6 pics + video)

Ivan Poddubny - known around the world, his name is fanned beautiful legends.

Height - 184 cm.
Weight - 139 kg.
Neck - 50 cm.
Biceps - 46 cm.
Chest - 138 cm.
Waist - 104 cm.
Thigh - 70 cm.
Shin - 47 cm.



son of a farmer, a simple loader Black Sea, it eventually became "King of the circus arena", fought on the biggest arenas in Europe, Asia, Africa and America. For decades Poddubnyi won a brilliant victories over nearly all the strongest professional wrestlers of the world, for which he was named "Champion of Champions". This title was awarded to him popular rumor, it was called so grateful admirers of his talent. Many big names were given to him by his fans: "Ivan invincible", "Thunderstorm Champions", "Man-mountain» ...



Childhood Poddubnyi born September 26 (October 8, New Style), 1871 in the small village of Krasionovke in Poltava, a poor peasant family. Together with his father and brothers Maxim Ivanovich future champion with a boyish years plowed land, ground rye, metal stack. The simplicity of the peasant way of life, hard physical labor in the character of the boy laid the extraordinary tenacity helped accumulate a mighty force, which later became famous Russian nugget.



When passed seventeen, Ivan left his native place, he went to work, began in the Sevastopol port loader. Here, even the most experienced of his colleagues opened his mouths in astonishment when he shoulders a huge box that was not under force and three, rose to his full enormous growth and walked on top of a shaky gangplank.



In 1896 Poddubnyi by chance was in Feodosia Beskaravayny circus, in the arena of which were very well-known at the time the athletes - Lurich, Borodanov, Razumov, Italian Pappy. Two days of 25-year-old longshoreman entranced gaze watched their fights in the arena, and the third, unable to stand, went backstage and asked permission to try their hand I battles with the champions.

Permission was granted and - a miracle happened. With all the celebrities he dealt instantly. Even Lurich Poddubny could not resist and had to pin two minutes.

From the moment he began his career fighter. Was in the circus Truzzi, in the company of Nikitin. And suddenly - an urgent call in Petersburg athletic society. It turned out that for the past two years, it has closely monitored the progress of several professionals, among whom was Poddubny. And when the Paris sports association in conjunction with the French magazine "Sport" St Petersburg offered to send representatives to the tournament in 1903, the choice was singing Ivan Maksimovic. Here it should be said about the nature of this tournament. He also wore the title of "World Cup". Although this rank has not been confirmed by any official competitions in Paris and actually looked like what they were called: they invariably attracted all the best professionals in the world, were traditional, carried out in a fairly strict sequence.

In 1898, the first winner was Paul Pons, six-foot hero, a former mechanic. He is the ultimate showdown to pin the champion of America Englishman Tom Cannon, who had recently invented a new technique, which he called "Nelson" - in honor of the famous English admiral. Pons was awarded a special belt and was awarded the title of "World Champion". In the future, all the winners of the tournament in Paris considered the holders of the title.



1899. In Paris come the Turks. Mighty Kara Oh-meth Pons wins and becomes the "World Champion". 1900 - French champion Laurent Bokerua. 1901 - the year of the triumph of the "Russian Lion" George Gakkenshmidt. 1902 - Paul Pons again. Now Gakkenshmidt was sick and ready for tough test suggested Poddubny. He agreed.
Began measuring and weighing. Height -184 cm. Weight - 120 lbs. Bosom - 134 cm! ("Incredibly, says experts - and it's not straining to exhale"). Biceps - 45 cm, forearm - 36 cm, the wrist - 21 cm, the neck - 50 cm waist - 104 cm, hip - 70 cm, calves - 47 cm, leg - 44 cm. (In 1904, the competition of athletes, which He did not like to do, flexing his hands lowered along the body, raised on biceps weight of 120 kg!)

Ivan Poddubny highlight the best coach society Eugene de Paris. He has worked with his student in the city on the Neva River, and two months before the start of the competition brought to Paris. Here began training for that time of extraordinary intensity. "In the course of a month, - wrote in his memoirs Poddubny - I trained every day with three fighters: the first - 20 minutes, the second - 30, and a third - 40 - 50 minutes, until one of them turned out to be completely exhausted before such an extent that could not even hold hands. After that, 10 to 15 minutes, I ran, holding five-pound dumbbells that, by the end became unbearable burden for my hands ... »



During the Nazi occupation of Yeisk 70-year-old Poddubnyi refused to go to Germany and to prepare German athletes, saying: "I - Russian wrestler. And they'll stay, "and defiantly continued to wear the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. To feed his family, worked as a marker in the billiard room, which allowed the Germans to reveal to him at a military hospital.
In the postwar years, Ivan Maksimovic beggar, starving. For food sold all the awards.

In 1949 he died of a broken heart.

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