HONORED ARTIST OF RUSSIA

This truly honorary title doesn't sound anything like the pro wrestling titles we are accustomed to hear about. And yet, it was a pro wrestling title in the USSR. The thing is, in Soviet Union all pro wrestlers were employees of the State Circus and obviously went under the category of performers, entertainers so to speaks artists. The pro wrestling style in Soviet Union was Lutte Classique which is Greco-roman style of wrestling. The championship tourneys were run by the State Circus in every big city of the country. In 1939 the former world heavyweight pro wrestling champion Ivan Poddubny was awarded the title of a HONORED ARTIST OF RUSSIA. Pro wrestlers even though many of them had amateur wrestling background weren't considered sportsmen and their victories in the circus tourneys weren't valued as sports achievements. For the sportsmen though there was another honorary title called MASTER OF SPORTS. By the way it was awarded to Poddubny as well (in 1945) but it was an exception rather than the rule.

I am glad to share with everyone this article about 'rasslin and theatre' which always go together. An article about the legendary pro wrestler of Russian Empire peer of Poddubny - the Great Kazakh Kazhymukan Munaitpasov

6 comments

6 Comments

Peter

Dec 13, 2021

The music accompanying the wrestlers is Gracie Fields "Sing as we go"

ruslan-pashayev

Replying to

Thanks so much, that I didn't know. So here's what the commentator says: the world's champion wrestler Haji Aubrec (a typical 'Terrible Turk' kind of name) and his opponent the heaviest wrestler of the tournament Cyclop (an ancient Greek mythical character). As we see in the end of this video the champ wins this match. By the way Cyclop's real name was Alexander Mazur (1913-2005), he was a very famous pro wrestler in Soviet Union and had an amazing amateur career as well, in 1955 at the age of 42 he won Greco-Roman wrestling amateur world heavyweight championship. Back then in Soviets often professionals (circus wrestlers) were allowed to enter the amateur competitions.