Richard I. Shikat (11 January 1897 – 3 December 1968) was a German professional wrestler and World Heavyweight Champion who was active in the early portion of the twentieth century.[6][7] Shikat was considered to be one of the most dangerous 'hookers' (catch wrestlers) of his era and had memorable bouts with Ed "Strangler" Lewis, Wladek Zbyszko, and Jim Londos.[8] Over his long career, he wrestled under 3 successively simplified versions of his surname, namely Schickat, Schikat, and Shikat.[9]
| Dick Shikat | |
|---|---|
 A publicity photograph of Shikat (in long trunks) from the early 1930s | |
| Birth name | Richard I. Schikat[1] |
| Born | 11 January 1897[2][3] Tilsit, East Prussia, Germany |
| Died | 3 December 1968 (aged 71)[2][3] |
| Family | Paul Schikat (brother) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Dick Shikat Richard Shikat[4] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)[2] |
| Billed weight | 220 lb (15 st 10 lb; 100 kg)[2] |
| Trained by | Joe Toots Mondt[3] |
| Debut | 1918[5] |
| Retired | 1953[2] |
One of Shikat's most notorious moments was on 2 March 1936, when Danno O'Mahony lost his National Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Championship to Shikat at New York's Madison Square Garden. Shikat used his wrestling ability to genuinely hurt and punish O'Mahony, who tried to quit twice before the finish of the match. Shikat reportedly made the decision on his own, and following the win immediately put his title up for "sale" to various promoters. He eventually reached a deal with Sandow. Bowser, who held a management contract on Shikat, retaliated by booking him into various states without informing him. When Shikat failed to appear, he was frequently suspended by the local commissions. Later in March of that year, the Tennessee Athletic Commission suspended him, which triggered simultaneous suspension in 23 other states affiliated with the National Wrestling Association.[10] In the aftermath of this, the behind-the-scenes negotiations were exposed in a court case, no fewer than five wrestlers were being billed as champions, and the sport's popularity fell.[11]
Championships and accomplishments
edit- Professional Wrestling
- National Wrestling Association
- World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- New York State Athletic Commission
- NYSAC World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[13]
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
- Class of 2013
References
edit- ^ "Dick Shikat Wrestling History".
- ^ a b c d e Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Dick Shikat « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH".
- ^ a b c Saalbach, Axel. "Wrestlingdata.com".
- ^ "Dick Shikat". CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ Saalbach, Axel. "Wrestlingdata.com".
- ^ "Dick Shikat Wrestling History".
- ^ "Dick Shikat (1897 - 1968) - wrestlingscout".
- ^ "Dick Shikat". Classic Wrestling Articles. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
- ^ Kerby, Damon (2 October 1929). "Shikat Throws Brunowiecz in Wrestling Bout". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 23.
- ^ "Shikat Suspended by Tennessee's Athletic Board". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Associated Press. 25 March 1936. p. 16.
- ^ Bryan Alvarez & Dave Meltzer (25 April 2023). "Wrestling Observer Radio" (Podcast). Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
- ^ "World Heavyweight Title".
- ^ "World Heavyweight Title [NYSAC]".
- ^ "NWA Florida Heavyweight Title".
External links
edit- Dick Shikat at IMDb
- Dick Shikat's profile at Cagematch.net, Wrestlingdata.com