Although extra synonymous with bodybuilding than wrestling, the late Eighteen Nineties noticed Eugen Sandow, the person many credited with possessing the proper physique, wrestle a caged lion in entrance of a US viewers.
The bout was undertaken throughout Sandow’s in depth tour of america below the tutelage of promoter Florenz Ziegfeld. Maybe unsurprisingly, many seen the occasion as an train in futility throughout which a half dazed lion lazily swiped on the Prussian showman.
Right this moment’s publish focuses on the circumstances resulting in this weird encounter, the battle itself and it’s aftermath, to discover simply how far Sandow was keen to go to advertise his physique and his enterprise.
Why a Lion?
The choice to pit Sandow towards a 650 pound lion in a ‘Catch as you’ll be able to’ wrestling match was not the results of meticulous planning. Certainly, the battle solely occurred following the cancellation of a circus wrestling match between a grizzly bear and a lion.
The proposed bear-lion face off had been the brainchild of Colonel Daniel Boone, a California based mostly circus supervisor searching for to attract larger crowds to his occasions.
When phrase hit the general public {that a} grizzly bear could be preventing a lion, the response was remarkably combined. Some rushed to purchase tickets starting from $10-20 whereas others such because the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, sought to ban the battle.
In the long run it was the latter who received out because the proposed battle was rapidly banned by regulation authorities, leaving Boone with an issue. He had offered tickets for a lion battle and was understandably hesitant to refund the cash.
Sensing the chance for a fast buck, Florenz Ziegfeld, the person answerable for dealing with Eugen Sandow’s 1894 tour of america, stepped in.
Ziegfeld’s reasoning was easy. Whereas the regulation banned bouts between two animals, it stated nothing about an animal and a person. What’s extra, the person in query, Eugen Sandow, was believed to be one of many strongest males in existence. If something, it could be a good battle! (Or so the promotional materials would have you ever consider).
Within the week main as much as the battle, Sandow appeared in quite a few Californian newspapers in a bid to drum up assist for his newest publicity stunt. When questioned about his motives, Sandow informed reporters that as a result of he was fascinated about testing the bounds of human power, he had resolved to do what nobody else had ever carried out, battle a lion.
Ziegfeld’s promoting was much more grandiose as the ultimate days earlier than the battle noticed the eccentric promoter inform people who Sandow was risking life and limb to battle a man-eating lion that was hungry for blood.
Would the World’s most completely developed man survive? Would Sandow tame the lion or the lion tame Sandow?
Excessive Hopes however Poor Performances
Nat Pendleton recreating the battle for the 1936 movie, ‘The Nice Ziegfeld’
When the evening of the battle got here on Might twenty second 1894, it was clear that the battle’s promotion had been profitable. When the lights got here down on the stage, over 3,000 spectators had arrived to look at Sandow face his best foe.
Query marks had been rapidly raised nevertheless when the lion entered the caged wrestling enviornment.
Although undoubtedly fearsome in its personal manner, the lion (nicknamed ‘Commodore’) appeared lower than preventing match. Aged and disheartened, it was clear that this animal had seen higher days.
The lion’s claws had been visibly clipped and a few suspected that the animal had been drugged earlier than the battle in order to guard Sandow.
As Cynthia Brideson and Sara Brideson recounted of their biography of Ziegfeld, what adopted subsequent was nothing in need of farcical,
Sandow put up his fists as if getting ready to field one other man. The lion yawned at him. Sandow pulled on the large cat’s whiskers to awaken him. The lion half rose however then lay down once more.
Sandow then grabbed the lion’s mane, however the cat did nothing greater than flick sawdust within the strongman’s face together with his tail. …
In an try and salvage the night, Sandow lifted the lion as if it had been a home cat and carried it across the ring. The lion appeared to get pleasure from being carried, which solely angered the gang extra.
The battle was rapidly ended with Sandow declared the winner. When the refrain of boos quietened and a disgruntled crowd went house, the native newspapers started their assessments.
There’s no such factor as unhealthy publicity proper?
The response of the American newspapers had been undeniably crucial. In keeping with the San Francisco Corridor, the battle had been a very one-sided affair which had pitted a feeble lion towards a ‘a gladiator of the trendy day’.
That the lion had ‘not performed in any respect’ served as an instance the affairs asymmetry. Different criticisms equally reigned in, with one newspaper selecting to satirise the bout by the cartoon proven beneath whereas others started to query each Boone and Ziegfeld in regards to the lion’s well being.
Sandow v. a shackled Commodore
Although not affecting Sandow’s repute or status in any possible way, the battle had important repercussions for Ziegfeld, who went a number of years earlier than returning to California with a promotional occasion. The lion bout had taught him that his advertising talents weren’t infallible.
Sandow later managed to show the bout into an enthralling battle in his 1897 guide Energy and Receive It. Displaying a remarkably poor quick time period reminiscence Sandow informed readers of his heroic endeavors.
Let it by no means be stated then that Sandow was a poor marketer. For enjoyable, you’ll be able to learn his total description of a battle beneath with the caveat that the historic recounting of the battle by others paints a wholly completely different image!
Maybe the best, actually probably the most thrilling, of all my experiences is that which I’m about to narrate. It’s the story of my lion battle in San Francisco.
I used to be performing in that western metropolis on the time of the mid- winter honest, which adopted the Chicago Exhibition. In reference to this honest Colonel Bone was exhibiting an incredible menagerie. Sooner or later he marketed a battle to the demise between a lion and a bear. An incredible tent, with lodging for twenty thousand folks, was erected for the event. Hundreds and hundreds of individuals had purchased tickets, when the police issued an order forbidding the efficiency, and the proposed spectacle needed to be deserted.
The thought occurred to me that I ought to take the bear’s place and measure my power towards the king of the forest’s. After all there’s all the time between the unarmed man and the beast this drawback, that the beast has pure weapons in his tooth and claws, while a person has nothing to assist him within the battle. This lion, furthermore, was a very livid animal. Solely per week earlier than he made a meal of his keeper. I’ve met many lions in varied locations, and this beast was actually the most important and most interesting of all of them.
I used to be absolutely ready to fulfill him as he was, offered I might have an equal for his claws in a brief dagger or some related weapon; however the regulation in America, as in England, is rightly very stem towards cruelty to animals, and the dagger, in fact, couldn’t be allowed. If I desired to fulfill the beast the one manner was to battle him as I might field a person, utterly unarmed.
As there isn’t a regulation to stop cruelty to males, there was no objection to this technique, although Colonel Bone, in addition to my very own associates, insisted that if there was to be a battle it should be a wrestle between brute power and human power. In brief, mittens must be positioned on the lion’s toes to stop him from tearing me to items together with his claws, and a muzzle must be positioned over his head. Even with these precautions I used to be suggested to not proceed with the competition.
“Together with his power,” stated Colonel Bone, “he’ll knock your head off.” However, personally, I had no concern, I used to be solely anxious for the competition to start. The engagement was accordingly made, and “A lion battle with Sandow” was boldly marketed. The announcement despatched a thrill by the cities for lots of of miles round, and so as absolutely to be outfitted for a efficiency which might be sure to draw hundreds and hundreds of individuals, I made a decision to rehearse my battle with the lion beforehand.
Accordingly, preparations had been made, and with a lot problem the lion was mittened and muzzled. It took a number of males with lassos and chains some hours to carry out this operation, for not solely had they to protect towards the animal’s overpowering power, however they needed to proceed cautiously so as to not injure him.
An important cage, measuring seventy toes throughout, was introduced spherical, and into it Colonel Bone, one of the skilled of lion tamers, let the animal enter. Few folks had been current, however amongst them was my supervisor, that tall, slim, nice little Ziegfeld, with a face white as snow.
There isn’t any doubt that Mr. Ziegfeld and the small firm felt the place acutely, for, although personally I had confidence in myself — and confidence of victory is all the time half a battle received — but these round had been under no circumstances certain of the difficulty, and there was some concern that my first tight with a lion could be my final.
Nevertheless, my goal being mounted, I entered the cage, unarmed and stripped to the waist. The lion, with fury in his eyes, crouched down able to spring. Having learn a great deal of the strategies of the lion I used to be not unprepared for this type of assault.
As he made his final pressure for an incredible leap I stepped sharply to the aspect and he missed his mark. Turning rapidly earlier than he had time absolutely to get better, I caught him around the throat with my left arm, and spherical the center with my proper. By this implies, although his weight was 530lbs., I lifted him as excessive as my shoulder, gave him hug to guarantee him that it was essential to respect me, and tossed him on to the ground.
Thus outdone at his first try, the lion roared with rage. Speeding fiercely in the direction of me he raised his large paw to strike a heavy blow at my head. For the second, feeling the swish of the lion’s paw because it handed my face, I actually thought that Colonel Bone’s comment that he would knock my head off would show true. Fortunately I dodged my head simply in time and acquired grip around the lion’s physique, with my chest touching his and his toes over my shoulders.
Now got here the tussle; the extra I hugged him the extra he scratched and tore, and although his toes had been mittened he tore by my tights and elements of my pores and skin. However I had acquired him as in a vice, and his efforts to get away had been fruitless. Selecting an opportune second, I flung him off me. Colonel Bone and my supervisor shouting to me to return out of the cage, as I had carried out sufficient and the lion’s rage was unbounded.
I used to be decided, nevertheless, earlier than I left to strive only one different feat. Shifting away from the lion I stood with my again in the direction of him, thus inviting him to leap on me. I had to not wait many moments.
He sprang proper on my again. Throwing up my arms I gripped his head, then caught him firmly by the neck, and in a single movement shot him clear over my very own head to the bottom earlier than me. Colonel Bone rushed into the cage, snapping two revolvers to maintain the lion off, and I got here out, my legs torn, my neck scratched, and with scratches throughout my physique, however I felt that I had mastered that lion, and that I ought to have little problem in mastering him once more on the efficiency that was to be given subsequent day in public.
When the hour for the battle got here the massive tent which held twenty thousand folks was actually packed in each half. The cage with the lion was exterior, and while he was being mittened and muzzled he grew to become so livid that he broke two iron chains that sure him, and acquired free.
The folks shrieked, the very males who a second earlier than had been boasting of their bravery, had been the primary to fly, and there was a basic stampede. However the second the lion noticed my eyes mounted fearlessly and firmly on him he appeared paralysed. Colonel Bone got here np and pulled out his revolver, telling me to not take my eyes off him, as I had him in my energy. While we each remained immobile, the cage was introduced close to his head, and by a dexterous motion I had him over on his again, and as soon as extra he was a prisoner. The keepers tried once more to mitten him, and after an incredible wrestle they succeeded.
Then got here the scene within the enviornment, the lion appeared firsts and as I entered the entire place shook with cheers and applause. By the entire of that huge meeting ran a thrill of nice pleasure, and photographers had been there able to take instantaneous footage of the varied positions of the battle with the lion. However no sooner did I enter the cage than the animal cowered down.
He knew that I used to be his grasp and he refused to battle. Feeling that the viewers could be sadly disillusioned 1 tried to goad him on, however nothing would transfer him. Most beasts are cowards at coronary heart, and this lion having met his match on the rehearsal refused to budge.
Finally I caught maintain of his tail and twisted it. This was the one factor that moved him. As he made a sure in the direction of me I dodged, swung spherical and picked him up, after which tossed him down.
The battle lasted scarcely two minutes. The lion, recognising that my power was an excessive amount of for him, would battle no extra. Although I lifted him up and walked spherical the world with him on my shoulders he remained as agency as a rock and as quiet as a lamb. The fierce battle on the rehearsal had subdued his braveness.
He was clearly conquered. I used to be afraid that my viewers could be disillusioned with the comparative tameness of tlie proceedings, however, quite the opposite, everybody appeared completely glad, and “the lion battle with Sandow” was lengthy the discuss of the day in San Francisco.
Whereas there’s a lot to admire about Sandow, his capacity to relay the reality was oftentimes suspect. From the inflated crowd figures to perceptions of the battle, Sandow’s publish battle writings had been the stuff of make consider and demonstrated that the Prussian born businessman all the time sought to advertise himself no matter actuality.
A well timed reminder to not consider all the things that comes from the health trade!
Dr. Conor Heffernan was an assistant professor of Sport Research and Bodily Tradition on the College of Texas, Austin. Dr. Heffernan now resides in Belfast, offering Sociology of Sport lectures at Ulster College; which makes a speciality of European and American well being.
Dr. Heffernan has a ardour for public histories, which drove him to turn into the founding father of Bodily Tradition Research in 2015, a historical past web site the place his articles have amassed lots of of hundreds of readers during the last 8 years.
Dr. Heffernan’s analysis focuses on the surge of well being and physique cultures within the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, particularly referring to bodily schooling, army coaching and gymnasiums. Dr. Heffernan’s work has additionally concerned analyzing the transitioning nature of diets within the twentieth century. He enjoys lifting weights and maintaining a healthy diet in his spare time.
