Georg Karl Julius Hackenschmidt (1 August [O.S. 20 July] 1877 – 19 February 1968) was an early 20th-century Baltic German strongmanand professional wrestler who is recognized as professional wrestling's first world heavyweight champion.[2]
George Hackenschmidt
Hackenschmidt, circa. 1905
Birth name
Georg Karl Julius Hackenschmidt
Born
August 1, 1877 Dorpat, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire
Died
February 19, 1968(aged 90)[1] London, England, United Kingdom[1]
Professional wrestling career
Billed height
175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Billed weight
99 kg (218 lb)
Trained by
Ferdinand Gruhn Georg Lurich
Debut
1896
Retired
1911
Hackenschmidt launched his professional career in Reval in the Governorate of Estoniaand lived most of his life in London, England, where he gained the nickname of "The Russian Lion".[3] He is believed to be the creator of the professional wrestling version of the bear hug as well as the person who popularised the hack squat, a deadlift with arms behind the body.[4] He was known for his impressive strength, fitness and flexibility and, later in life, wrote many books on physical culture, training and philosophy.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hackenschmidt