Fight to old age and leave undefeated: the phenomenon of the Great Gama (4 photos)

According to a fairly common opinion, it is this man who deserves the title of the greatest wrestler in history.





Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt was born in India in 1878. And for spent more than 5 thousand fights in his half-century career. Coming out of each winner.



I must say that the boy, who is already in At the age of 10, he successfully participated in the championship for adults, did not have. Gul was born into a wrestler's family. And from the age of 6 he took the boy under his custody and began to train an uncle who was simply obsessed with wrestling.

At the age of 10 he fought with adults, and at 17 he met with the champion India Rahim Bakhsh and had three fights in a draw with him, winning in fourth.

After hundreds of successful fights in his homeland, the guy went to conquer Europe, where the theme of wrestlers was just gaining momentum. In battle with He defeated Stanislav Zbyshko in a minute. Although, it must be said, at first he was refused participation in an international tournament in London. All because of height - only 170 cm. Then an angry Indian said that he would overcome three wrestlers of any weight category in half an hour.

Nobody took the guy's words seriously. And in vain: Gama restrained his promise, legally took part in competitions and defeated dozens of opponents.



Not all outstanding strongmen of that time who claimed world title, agreed to fight the Great Gama: Taro Miyake, Georg Hackenschmidt and Frank Gotch refused.

And the then champions Jon Lemm and Jesse Peterson lost Indian in the ring Gama defeated the last one when he was already over 50. But age did not cause the end of a career: those who want to challenge the title was no more.

But he didn't give up training. Back home, wrestler continued to keep in shape. He even borrowed his training methodology Bruce Lee. The strongman devoted the rest of his life to raising a new generation, in including coaching a nephew who went on to win the title champion of Pakistan.

The great Gama died in 1960. The life of the 82-year-old strong man was taken away by a long illness.



The glory of the wrestler is immortalized in stone. And it's not a figure of speech, but reality. In India there is a museum where a stone with a carved on it is kept. inscription:

This stone weighing 1200 kg was lifted by the Great Ghulam Mohammed, known as "Gama Pahlavan", December 23, 1902, in age 22, who lifted him to his chest and walked around him for decent distance. In his life he remained undefeated and recognized the greatest wrestler ever born.