The Story of a Wrestler Koja Yusuf (Koca Yusuf)

[Hakan]

"The Terrible Turk" Yusuf Ismail

Height: 6 ft 2 inch (1.87 Meters)
Weight: 240 lbs (108 Kilograms)
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Early Life and Early Career:

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Yusuf was a world famous Turkish wrestler who was born in modern day Bulgaria around 1857. Both his father and his grandfather were wrestlers. Yusuf learned to wrestle from several famous Turkish wrestlers aswell as from his father and grandfather.

Koca yusuf became the Champion or Bash Pehlivan of the Kirkpinar Wrestling Tournament 26 times. The Kirkpinar Wrestling Tournament has been held annually since 1356 in Edirne Turkey. The Tournament holds the Guinness World Record for the longest running sports competition. The only wrestling match Yusuf ever lost was against Kavalali Colak Mumin Pehlivan.

Career in France:

A famous french wrestler Sabes after defeating Joseph Doublier was in search of a more challenging opponent. Joseph Doublier then visited Turkey and brought Koca Yusuf with him aswell as several other Turkish wrestlers back to Paris. When Koca Yusuf arrived in Paris he wrestled Sabres and defeated him in four seconds.

Yusuf spent the next 3 years in France where he where he defeated all of his opponents. Yusuf had reportedly said that he would slit his own throat if he had ever lost. Koca Yusuf later wrestled a fellow Turk in Paris and it was said to be "one of the most brutal bouts ever seen on the mat".

Tour of the United States:

In 1898 Antonia Pierri took Koca Yusuf to New York. Yusuf appeared at the London Theatre in New York and $100 was offered to anyone who could stay in the ring with him for 15 minutes. George Bothner was the only one to accept the challenge however he was defeated. He described the experience as follows: He was a modern Hercules and he knew how to apply his punishing strength, as he was as quick as a jungle cat and master of all holds. Youssuf came at me like a bull. He rushed me right off the mat into a bunch of chorus girls in the wing. The first thing I knew I found myself helpless. The Turk picked me up as if I was a kitten. Never before have I felt such terrible strength. Before I could give a wiggle or squirm he dashed me down on the boards with terrific force, knocking all the strength and wits out of me ... They told me that after I had landed, Youssuf rolled me over with his foot, looked out over the audience, gave a contemptuous snort and walked off the stage. When I came to, I was a sadder, but wiser young man. Somehow or other I got into my clothes, hobbled out into the street and started to walk up Third Avenue towards my home. Youssuf had given my neck such a wrench that he almost tore it from my shoulders. It was several days before I could look in the direction I was headed.
He was undefeated prior to his arrival in New York until his disqualification in a match against World Greco-Roman Heavyweight Champion Ernest Roeber at Madison Square Garden on March 26, 1898. Ismail, who may have intentionally fouled himself, caused the crowd to riot when he pushed Roeber out of the ring, a raised platform, and caused him to fall headfirst onto the ground five feet below. Roeber was unconscious for several minutes, and many in the crowd believed he had been killed, causing spectators to charge into the ring. Only a small police guard under Chief of Police John H. McCullagh were able to block the crowd from entering.

Roeber was revived after a few minutes and examined by physicians for injuries. Having landed on his shoulder, it was announced that he had suffered a back injury and it was decided that he would not be able to continue. Referee Hugh Leonard awarded the match to Roeber and, with calls to "Kill the Turk" and threats of lynching from those in attendance, Ismail was escorted by police to his dressing room. Ismail's manager, William Brady, offered to stage an exhibition bout between Ismail and Tom Cannon, but McCullagh refused to allow the event to continue due to concerns of rioting. The match was described in the 1907 novel The Substitute: A Football Story by sports writer Walter Camp.

A rematch between Ismail and Roeber was held at the Metropolitan Opera House on April 30. During the bout, the two began a shoving match, which caused their managers, William Brady and Martin Julian, to enter the ring. Brady and Julian, who also managed rival heavyweight boxing champions Jim Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons, began arguing over the management of their respective men. When Fitzsimmons attempted to intervene, several fans stormed the ring and referee Herman Wolff declared the match a no-contest before the event could once again end in a near-riot. Opera House management closed the venue to wrestling events soon after.

Months later, Ismail defeated Evan "Strangler" Lewis for the American Heavyweight Championship in Chicago, Illinois. Lewis was neither able to overcome Ismail's massive size and strength nor manage to use hissleeper hold during the match. Ismail had the $5,000 prize money converted to gold and carried it in a money belt along with the title.

Death:


Shortly after his victory over Lewis, Ismail took the first ship back to Europe, where he reportedly planned to open a coffee or bazaar in his native village near Shumen. It was on the ill-fated SS La Bourgogne that he was one of the 600 passengers who drowned when the ship sank on the morning of July 4, 1898. According to colorful accounts from the New York press, Ismail fell overboard while passengers were being evacuated to the lifeboats. Dragged underwater by the weight of his money belt, supposedly containing between $8,000 and $10,000 in gold coins, he drowned before the crew could get to him.

Yusuf İsmail - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kırkpınar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Koca Yusuf - Vikipedi

 

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Türk Hava Kuvvetleri ilk A400M’i teslim aldı!