We live in an era where man chase the latest gadgets and trends. Apps that give you all sorts of info that can lead to shortcuts in Fitness. Sometimes, it's cool to look back at a time when men built their might the old school way. The grit, the farm work, roughhousing and a simplistic but no bullshit approach to wrestle or fight that tested their wills and every fiber in their being. One of these men was John Pesek aka the Nebraska Tiger Man stood tall as a legend in that type of era.
Born in 1894 on the farm near Ravenna, Nebraska, John wasn't the type of athlete that stepped foot in some controlled air conditioned gym or practiced some off the wall program. The man wrestled because in that time, that was one of the main activities a boy had to do. Just like Dan Severn did decades later in Michigan. He got into scraps with cowboys in the harsh prairie lands under what was called Rafferty Rules. In other words, just fucking survive and be dominant.
You wouldn't find this guy playing the role of a strong motherfucker, he just was. Came up the ranks training with another legend in the Catch Game, Joe Stecher. John in a short amount of time, earned a reputation for being one of the deadliest hookers of his generation in Catch As Catch Can Wrestling. For those playing the home game and don't know what a hooker is, I'm telling you right now it's not a prostitute, giggalo or escort. These guys weren't flashy showmen that can put on a performance, they were the cream of the crop when it came to submissions. I'm talking ankle breakers, cranking joints, tearing ligaments and making grown men scream in agony with vicious holds that turned the mat into a damn torture chamber. These were the men you never wanted to test.
Pesek had those quick reflexes mixed with farm strength and power that made him the stuff of nightmares for opponents. Guys like this weren't the ones that separated Strength Training from Fighting or whatever form of Conditioning. With them, you got the total package bro. With John, he worked the land, took on anyone that dared to find out what he or the opponent were capable of and developed a physique for the time that can dish out and take a hell of a beating that would put most men even today in the hospital. He even had the distinct honor of being a "policeman" for Billy Sandow and Ed Lewis. A policeman was the guy who was more of a mercenary that was sent in to take care of challengers that didn't follow the script in worked matches. When it was called for a shoot (meaning the real thing), Pesek would deliver. He tore guys a part, put them in the ER and commanded respect the hard way.
-Here's a fun tale of some old school wrestling that shows the legitimacy of John's abilities
He had a real shoot against not just another incredible wrestler of the time, but a 1920 Olympic Silver Medal winner in the name of Nat Pendleton (although there's controversy surrounding the loss which several high level people believed he won the gold medal). Back in 1923, promoters wanted a legit contest to help settle some business. So, they opened up the cage and let the tiger loose. Not only did Pesek just dominate Pendleton with leg locks and full on control, he killed the match in just under 41 minutes within two straight falls. You have to remember now, Nat was a tough wrestler, tough as hell in his own right but even he was no match for the Nebraskan farm boy in the realm of Rough & Tumble style of wrestling. That's one of the beauties and dangerous forms of Catch, it rewarded men that could really go, not just look the part and play by the rules.
Like many of those transitioning from the real contests to the crazed spectacle, Pesek was smacked right in the middle of it. He was one of those guys however that didn't love the way things shifted. He was a true hooker and shooter where he preferred the skills, raw strength and enduring pain that decided a winner. Crossed paths with Joe Stecher multiple times, even pulled a double cross that showed he wasn't into playing the game of the promoters. He wasn't called the Nebraskan Tiger Man for nothing, it wasn't just some off the wall nickname, it was real and like a Tiger, he couldn't be tamed. That, was what made him an icon of his generation.
Later on in his life outside of the ring, he bred Greyhounds and wanted to live on his own terms. He passed on in 1978 but his spirit still carries a powerful entity in anyone with intensity and ferocity. He didn't need Social Media attention or have the perfect program, he had balls the size of grapefruits, heart of a mighty Tiger and skills that very few or arguably ever could match. It's something we should all learn. Get at it, be real and be amazingly awesome. Those old timers are watching.
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