Yusuf İsmail
Encyclopedia
Yusuf İsmail also widely known as Youssouf Ishmaelo, was a Turkish professional wrestler who competed in Europe
and the United States
as Yusuf Ismail the Terrible Turk during the 1890s. During his lifetime, his native Turks knew him as Şumnulu Yusuf Pehlivan. However, writer Rıza Tevfik posthumously awarded him the honorific Koca (great) and he was later remembered as Koca Yusuf.
Widely known for his massive size and brute strength, he was recognized as one of the top three strongmen in the world by Alan Calvert, pioneer of American weight training
, and photographer Edmond Desbonnet
during the turn of the century. Prior to his arrival in the United States, he remained undefeated in his near four-year career and successfully challenged Evan "Strangler" Lewis for the American Heavyweight Championship
in 1898. Yusuf İsmail was the original wrestler to be known as "the Terrible Turk", however several others, including Kızılcıklı Mahmut
(promoted as his son) and Armenian American Robert Manoogian
, also used the name throughout the first half of the 20th century.
tournament in 1887. Edmond Desbonnet
claimed in his book Les Rois de la Lutte (1910), the Turkish invasion began in 1894 after a wrestler named Joseph Doublier was defeated by a rival, Sabès. In a search to find someone who could defeat Sabès, Doublier visited Turkey and brought back three wrestlers: Kara Osman
, Nurullah Hasan
, and the 6’2", 250-pound Youssuf Ishmaelo. In his Paris debut, Ishmaelo defeated Sabès in four seconds. Sabès had attempted to use a front belt hold, but Ishmaelo withstood the hold and pinned him using a chokehold.
Ismail spent the next three years in France where he dominated opponents. A colorful figure, he was also known for his fierce pride. When rivals Antonio Pierri and Tom Cannon threatened to bring in a wrestler to defeat him, Ismail reportedly said he would cut his throat if he was ever beaten. His match against another fellow Turk, Ibrahim Mahmout
, was said to be one of the "most brutal bouts ever seen on the mat" at the Cirque d'Hiver
in Paris. Youssuf became so enraged during the match that he tore Mahmout's nostrils, broke his ribs and twisted his arms. Although referee Tom Cannon had attempted to stop the match, only the intervention of a police inspector and six officers along with several spectators were able to separate the two. Kara Osman had been originally scheduled to face Ismail, but fell ill and Mahmout had taken his place. According to a rumor heard by French promoter Joseph Doublier, Osman had withdrawn from the match fearing his life because of an unspecified grudge between them.
, the two appeared at the London Theatre in New York offering $100 to anyone who could stay in the ring with him for 15 minutes. George Bothner, a well known lightweight wrestler, was the only one to accept the challenge. Although being outweighed by at least 100 pounds, Bothner claimed "there wasn't a man alive who could pin him on his back in 15 minutes" and accused Ismail of being an impostor "like so many other so-called terrors". Despite his bravado, Bothner was defeated several days later and suffered a neck injury during the match. He described their encounter years later to Nat Fleischer
in his book From Milo to Londos (1937).
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 who fell head first to 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 main body from entering.
Roeber was revived after a few minutes and examined by physicians for injuries. Having landing on his shoulder, it was announced that he had suffered a back injury and 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 the two 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 once again ended in a near riot. Opera House management closed the venue to wrestling events soon after.
Months later, he defeated Evan "Strangler" Lewis for the American Heavyweight Championship
in Chicago, Illinois. Lewis was unable to overcome Ismail's massive size and strength nor manage to use his sleeper 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.
or bazar
in his native village of Scutari. 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 $8,000-10,000 in gold coins, he drowned before the crew could get to him. Other journalists and surviving passengers claim to have seen "the Terrible Turk" throw women and children overboard trying to reach the lifeboats, however no mention of this was included in the official report and is generally assumed to have originated by Ismail's manager and promoter William Brady who later went on to become a successful Broadway
producer.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as Yusuf Ismail the Terrible Turk during the 1890s. During his lifetime, his native Turks knew him as Şumnulu Yusuf Pehlivan. However, writer Rıza Tevfik posthumously awarded him the honorific Koca (great) and he was later remembered as Koca Yusuf.
Widely known for his massive size and brute strength, he was recognized as one of the top three strongmen in the world by Alan Calvert, pioneer of American weight training
Weight training
Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the weight force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction...
, and photographer Edmond Desbonnet
Edmond Desbonnet
Edmond Desbonnet was a French academic and photographer who championed physical culture. He made physical education fashionable in belle époque France through the publication of fitness journals and by opening a chain of exercise clubs....
during the turn of the century. Prior to his arrival in the United States, he remained undefeated in his near four-year career and successfully challenged Evan "Strangler" Lewis for the American Heavyweight Championship
American Heavyweight Championship
The American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship was the first Heavyweight professional wrestling championship in the United States. The title existed from 1881 through approximately 1922.-Title history:-References:* at Wrestling-Titles.com...
in 1898. Yusuf İsmail was the original wrestler to be known as "the Terrible Turk", however several others, including Kızılcıklı Mahmut
Kızılcıklı Mahmut
Kızılcıklı Mahmut Pehlivan was a Turkish wrestler foremost known for his victory over Tom Jenkins in 1908 and loss to Frank Gotch in 1909 during a North American tour.Given Yusuf İsmail's fame, American professional wrestling promoters chose to launch Mahmut with the ring...
(promoted as his son) and Armenian American Robert Manoogian
Bobby Managoff
Robert Manoogian, Jr. was an American professional wrestler who was best known for his work with National Wrestling Alliance in the 1940s as Bobby Managoff...
, also used the name throughout the first half of the 20th century.
Early career and the "Turkish Invasion"
Little is known of his early life prior to his first wrestling appearance in 1894, however, according to Scottish wrestling historian William Baxter, Yusuf İsmail was born Youssuf Ishmaelo in Bulgaria (then part of the Ottoman Empire) in 1857. In A Pictorial History of Wrestling, the English wrestling writer Graeme Kent incorrectly wrote that Yusuf Ismail was not Turkish, but French. Ismail first came to prominence when he won the KirkpinarKirkpinar
Kırkpınar is a Turkish oil-wrestling tournament. It is held annually, usually in late June, near Edirne, Turkey since 1346.- Description :Before each bout, the wrestlers pour olive oil over their entire bodies, and the matches take place in an open, grassy field, with the contestants naked except...
tournament in 1887. Edmond Desbonnet
Edmond Desbonnet
Edmond Desbonnet was a French academic and photographer who championed physical culture. He made physical education fashionable in belle époque France through the publication of fitness journals and by opening a chain of exercise clubs....
claimed in his book Les Rois de la Lutte (1910), the Turkish invasion began in 1894 after a wrestler named Joseph Doublier was defeated by a rival, Sabès. In a search to find someone who could defeat Sabès, Doublier visited Turkey and brought back three wrestlers: Kara Osman
Kara Osman (oilwrestler)
Kara Osman was a 19th century Turkish oilwrestler. He was known to Turkish public as Filibeli Kara Osman after his birthplace Plovdiv. Osman and two other Turkish wrestlers, Nurullah Hasan and Youssuf Ishmaelo, were brought to the West in 1894 by French wrestler Joseph Doublier...
, Nurullah Hasan
Nurullah Hasan
Ali Nurullah Hasan was a Turkish wrestler. He was known with his nickname as Filiz Nurullah Pehlivan to Turkish public whereas he used the alias Hassan Nurullah for his professional wrestling career in Western Europe.Nurullah was trained in oil wrestling by Yusuf İsmail...
, and the 6’2", 250-pound Youssuf Ishmaelo. In his Paris debut, Ishmaelo defeated Sabès in four seconds. Sabès had attempted to use a front belt hold, but Ishmaelo withstood the hold and pinned him using a chokehold.
Ismail spent the next three years in France where he dominated opponents. A colorful figure, he was also known for his fierce pride. When rivals Antonio Pierri and Tom Cannon threatened to bring in a wrestler to defeat him, Ismail reportedly said he would cut his throat if he was ever beaten. His match against another fellow Turk, Ibrahim Mahmout
Hergeleci Ibrahim
İbrahim Mahmut , nicknamed Hergeleci, was a Turkish pehlivan , who also performed as a professional wrestler. He was the Turkish Kırkpınar champion in 1914.- References :...
, was said to be one of the "most brutal bouts ever seen on the mat" at the Cirque d'Hiver
Cirque d'hiver
The Cirque d'hiver , located at 110 rue Amelot , has been a prominent venue for circuses, exhibitions of dressage, musical concerts, and other events, including exhibitions of Turkish wrestling and even fashion shows...
in Paris. Youssuf became so enraged during the match that he tore Mahmout's nostrils, broke his ribs and twisted his arms. Although referee Tom Cannon had attempted to stop the match, only the intervention of a police inspector and six officers along with several spectators were able to separate the two. Kara Osman had been originally scheduled to face Ismail, but fell ill and Mahmout had taken his place. According to a rumor heard by French promoter Joseph Doublier, Osman had withdrawn from the match fearing his life because of an unspecified grudge between them.
Tour of the United States
He continued to managed by Doublier until 1898 when Antonio Pierri took him to New York. Taken on by promoter William A. BradyWilliam A. Brady
William Aloysius Brady, Sr. was an American theatre actor, producer, and sports promoter.-Biography:Brady was born to a newspaperman in 1863. His father kidnapped him from San Francisco and brought him to New York City, where his father worked as a writer while William was forced to sell...
, the two appeared at the London Theatre in New York offering $100 to anyone who could stay in the ring with him for 15 minutes. George Bothner, a well known lightweight wrestler, was the only one to accept the challenge. Although being outweighed by at least 100 pounds, Bothner claimed "there wasn't a man alive who could pin him on his back in 15 minutes" and accused Ismail of being an impostor "like so many other so-called terrors". Despite his bravado, Bothner was defeated several days later and suffered a neck injury during the match. He described their encounter years later to Nat Fleischer
Nat Fleischer
Nathaniel Stanley Fleischer was a noted American boxing writer and collector. Fleischer inaugurated in 1922, encouraged by Tex Rickard, the Ring Magazine publication...
in his book From Milo to Londos (1937).
- "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
European Greco-Roman Heavyweight Championship
The European Greco-Roman Heavyweight Championship was a Greco-Roman professional wrestling championship contested for throughout the continent of Europe...
Ernest Roeber
Ernest Roeber
Ernest Roeber was a German-American professional wrestler who held the European Greco-Roman Heavyweight Championship in 1894 to 1900 and again in 1900 to 1901. It is believed that the newsreel of his 1901 match against August Faust at the old Madison Square Garden is shown briefly in the current...
at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
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 who fell head first to 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
John H. McCullagh
John H. McCullagh was an American law enforcement officer and police captain in the New York City Police Department. Popularly known as "Farmer John", he was a protege of Captains Jeremiah Petty and George W. Walling and battled such notorious gangs and river pirates such as the Tub of Blood...
were able to block the main body from entering.
Roeber was revived after a few minutes and examined by physicians for injuries. Having landing on his shoulder, it was announced that he had suffered a back injury and 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
Lynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial execution carried out by a mob, often by hanging, but also by burning at the stake or shooting, in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate, control, or otherwise manipulate a population of people. It is related to other means of social control that...
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
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football...
.
A rematch between the two was held at the Metropolitan Opera House
Metropolitan Opera House (39th St)
The Metropolitan Opera House was an opera house located at 1411 Broadway in New York City. Opened in 1883 and demolished in 1967, it was the first home of the Metropolitan Opera Company.-History:...
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
Jim Corbett
James or Jim Corbett may refer to:*Jim Corbett , Edward James "Jim" Corbett , British-Indian hunter of man-eating tigers and leopards, conservationist, naturalist, photographer and author*James J...
and Bob Fitzsimmons
Bob Fitzsimmons
Robert James "Bob" Fitzsimmons , was a British boxer who made boxing history as the sport's first three-division world champion. He also achieved fame for beating Gentleman Jim Corbett, the man who beat John L. Sullivan, and is in The Guinness Book of World Records as the Lightest heavyweight...
, 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 once again ended in a near riot. Opera House management closed the venue to wrestling events soon after.
Months later, he defeated Evan "Strangler" Lewis for the American Heavyweight Championship
American Heavyweight Championship
The American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship was the first Heavyweight professional wrestling championship in the United States. The title existed from 1881 through approximately 1922.-Title history:-References:* at Wrestling-Titles.com...
in Chicago, Illinois. Lewis was unable to overcome Ismail's massive size and strength nor manage to use his sleeper hold
Sleeper hold
A sleeper hold may refer to:*A type of Chokehold*A pre-MMA term for a version of the rear naked choke used in professional wrestling matches...
during the match. Ismail had the $5,000 prize money converted to gold and carried it in a money belt
Money belt
A money belt is a belt with a pouch attached to the front which is worn under a shirt to protect valuables from thieves and/or pickpockets. Money belts are often worn by tourists as a precaution against theft. Items typically placed in a money belt would include passport, travel tickets, driver's...
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 coffeeCoffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
or bazar
Bazar
Bazar may refer to:* Bazar, Afghanistan* Bazar, Azerbaijan* Bazar, Łódź Voivodeship * Bazar, Lublin Voivodeship * Bazar, Masovian Voivodeship * Bazar, Ukraine...
in his native village of Scutari. It was on the ill-fated SS La Bourgogne
SS La Bourgogne
SS La Bourgogne was built in 1885 by Forges & Chantiers de la Mediteranee, La Seyne for the Compagnie Generale Transatlantique . She was a 7,395 gross ton vessel, length 494.4ft x beam 52.2ft, two funnels, four masts, iron and steel construction, single screw and a speed of 17 knots. There was...
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 $8,000-10,000 in gold coins, he drowned before the crew could get to him. Other journalists and surviving passengers claim to have seen "the Terrible Turk" throw women and children overboard trying to reach the lifeboats, however no mention of this was included in the official report and is generally assumed to have originated by Ismail's manager and promoter William Brady who later went on to become a successful Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
producer.
Championships and Accomplishments
- Professional wrestlingProfessional wrestlingProfessional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
- American Heavyweight ChampionshipAmerican Heavyweight ChampionshipThe American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship was the first Heavyweight professional wrestling championship in the United States. The title existed from 1881 through approximately 1922.-Title history:-References:* at Wrestling-Titles.com...
(1 time)
- American Heavyweight Championship
Further reading
- Brady, William A. Showman. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., 1937.
- Davis, Robert H and Irvin S. Cobb. Over My Left Shoulder: A Panorama of Men and Events, Burlesques and Tragedies, Cabbages and Kings and Sometimes W and Y. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1926.
External links
- KocaYusuf.org, official website about Koca Yusuf]
- Commemorative Coins issued by Turkish Mint
- Deceased Superstars - Youssuf Ishmaelo
- CageMatch.de - The Terrible Turk