Dan Kolov

Dan Kolov
Born December 27, 1892
Sennik, Sevlievo, Bulgaria
Died March 26, 1940 (aged 47)
Sennik, Sevlievo, Bulgaria
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) King Kong
The King of Wrestling
Bulgarian Lion
Balkanian Lion
The Steel Hands
Dan Koloff
Billed weight 231 lb (105 kg)

Dan Kolov (1892–1940), born Doncho Kolеv Danev (Bulgarian: Дончо Колев Данев), was a famous Bulgarian wrestler and a national hero of Bulgaria.

Dan Kolov was a Bulgarian wrestler and a fighter. He was the first European freestyle wrestling champion from Bulgaria. He won the European gold in 1936 in the championship in Paris. This is the 2nd distinction for Bulgaria after the world title of Nikola Petrov (classic style wrestling) from 1900.

Early years

Doncho Kolev Danev was born on the 27th of December, 1892 in the village of Sennik, Sevlievo municipality. He was barely seven years old when his father died. This tragic event forces him to become a shepherd in order to survive. He leaves Bulgaria in 1905 and goes to Hungary, where he works as a gardener in Budapest. In 1909 he meets with another Bulgarian wrestler, Nikola Petrov, who convinces him to emigrate to the United States.

Sport career (wrestling and martial arts)

Dan Kolov leaves Bulgaria and moves to the US at the age of 17. He works various jobs until he finds work as a railroad construction worker. He quickly impresses people with his extraordinary physical power and becomes famous for his ability to twist metal rails around his neck. He even fights a bear, while hunting. Legend has it that he fights the beast for an hour with his bare hands until he gets a chance to kill the animal with his rifle later. Apparently, witnesses saw the marks of Kolov's hands on the neck of the bear. He is subsequently hired as a wrestler with "Victoria Circus". At the beginning of the last century, wrestling is represented in freestyle wrestling bout in which punches and kicks were allowed. It was a dangerous sport with extremely serious and severe injuries. Catch as Catch Can (CACC) or Catch Wrestling can be considered the father of today's MMA.

Before being discovered and trained to be a professional wrestler by Zbyszko Cyganiewicz, Kolov was self-taught. Kolov was the first wrestler who captured professional heavyweight wrestling's 'Diamond Belt' twice. His most famous victories are: in New York vs. Latvian Rudy Dusek - 1919 in Tokyo vs. Jiki Higen -"The Strangler" - 1921 in Paris vs. Henri Deglane -1933. . He was also three times Heavyweight Champion of Europe (1934, 1937, 1937).[1] In 1937, Kolov defeated the current Heavyweight Champion of Europe, American Al Pereira, only for Pereira to win the title back, and for Kolov to reclaim it, before losing it in turn to Joe Savoldi.[2]

He starts his career as a wrestler by taking part in the organised wrestling matches between the workers. He later won the tournament in the circus "Victoria" in the year of 1914 when the director of the circus invites people from the public to compete and check their physical power with the star Jeff Lawrence - "The Cyclope". Dan (Doncho) accepts the challenge and he succeeds in overpowering 233 pound wrestler. He won against many famous MMA players from that time such as - Jeff Lawrence, Stanislaus Zbyszko, Jack Shirey also called "The Lightning Man", Rudy Dusec, Jo Stecker, Ed "Strangler" Lewis, Jim Browning and many more. He was invited in Japan where he claimed victory against Djiki Hegen "The Strangler" — idol in Japan's wrestling, who never lost to anyone before as a professional. After this win the public tried to kill Dan. Similar incident also happened before the match, when through the window of his hotel room, flew a dagger that Dan "Doncho" successfully avoided. In the big MMA tournament in Paris, Dan Kolov wins all of his matches against all of his opponents including the final with Henri Deglan.

1922

1923

1924

1925

1926

1927

1928

1929

1930

1931

1932

1933

1937

Back in Bulgaria

After 30 years in a foreign country he comes back to Bulgaria and is greeted as a national hero. Throughout his whole career he is asked many times to change his citizenship to American. He refuses it with the words: Dan Kolov is Bulgarian.

Dan Kolov remains proud Bulgarian until his death and is famous for his words: "I feel strong, because I am Bulgarian". For him his motherland is the most holy and sacred thing.

He is remembered for his big heart, helping many Bulgarian people in the country and abroad. He gives all of his money, till' his last cent, to charities. The first Bulgarian Airplane for the National Bulgarian Post is donated by him.

Having returned home, he spends most of his time establishing wrestling clubs by training young people, but continues to compete professionally until the last years of his life.

Also, he is famous with another memorable saying, upon his return to Bulgaria, he was asked if he wants someone to take him home by carriage, to which he replied: "I left home walking, I will go home walking!".

The new communist government, after 9 September 1944, awards him with the high accolade "Honoured Master of Sport". In 1962, the Bulgarian Wrestling Federation organises an International freestyle wrestling tournament named after him to commemorate his memory.

Later years and death

Dan Kolov died in Bulgaria on 26 March 1940 from tuberculous. He was buried, with a specific request, facing the 'Balkan' ("Balkan against Balkan"), as "Balkan" in Bulgarian means"mountain" - "Mountain against Mountain".

Rumors around his death

One of the versions for his condition is that he didn't get infected naturally, but that he was purposely infected by French doctors. It is known that there were a lot of attempts to get Dan disgraced and disqualified from tournaments.

References

  1. ↑ European Heavyweight Title
  2. ↑ Wrestlingdata.com - The World's Largest Wrestling Database
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 St. Louis Wrestling Results - 1923
  4. ↑ Wrestling Potpourri 1918-27
  5. ↑ Wrestling Potpourri 1918-27
  6. ↑ SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Jack Taylor
  7. ↑ Google Discussiegroepen
  8. ↑ ED "STRANGLER" LEWIS - Facts within a Myth - Chapter 20
  9. ↑ Chicago Wrestling Results - 1925
  10. ↑ The WAWLI Papers # 031-040