Editing George Hackenschmidt (section)

{{short description|Estonian strongman and professional wrestler}}
{{original research|date=June 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox professional wrestler
|name        = George Hackenschmidt
|image       = Georg Hackenschmidt ca. 1905.jpg
|caption     = Hackenschmidt, circa. 1905
|height      = {{convert|175|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}
|weight      = {{convert|100|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|birth_name  = Georg Karl Julius Hackenschmidt
|birth_date  = {{birth date|1877|8|1|mf=y}}
|birth_place = [[Tartu|Dorpat]], [[Governorate of Livonia]], Russian Empire<br />(now Tartu, Estonia)
|death_date  = {{death date and age|1968|2|19|1877|8|1|mf=y}}<ref name="PS55">{{cite news|title=Power Slam|work=This Month in History: February|publisher=SW Publishing|id=55|page=28|date=January 1999}}</ref>
|death_place = London, England<ref name="PS55"/>
|resides     =
|billed      =
|trainer     = Ferdinand Gruhn<br />[[Georg Lurich]]
|debut       = 1898
|retired     = 1911
| module    = {{Infobox sportsperson
| child     = yes
| nocat_wdimage = yes
| name = 
| headercolor = lightsteelblue
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|the {{flag|Russian Empire|1858}}}}
{{MedalSport|[[Weightlifting]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[World Weightlifting Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalBronze | [[1898 World Weightlifting Championships|1898 Vienna]] | 10 events<ref name=":3" />}}
{{MedalSport|[[Greco-Roman wrestling]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[European Wrestling Championships|European Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1898 European Wrestling Championships|1898 Vienna]]|Openweight<ref name=":4" />}}
}}
}}

{{Professional wrestling sidebar}}
'''Georg Karl Julius Hackenschmidt''' (1 August 1877<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=George |first=Hackenschmidt |title=The Path to Strength and Health |publisher=Popov Brothers |year=1911 |location=Moscow |pages=102 |language=Ru}}</ref> – 19 February 1968) was an Estonian<ref name="Üks" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ajakirisport.ee/2017/12/01/koige-kuulsam-eestlane/|title=Kõige kuulsam eestlane|first=Riho|last=Paramonov|date=1 December 2017|work=Ajakiri Sport|access-date=22 April 2019|language=et}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.esbl.ee/biograafia/Georg_Hackenschmidt|title=Hackenschmidt, Georg|date=2011|work=Eesti spordi biograafiline leksikon (ESBL)|access-date=22 April 2019|language=et}}</ref> [[Strongman (strength athlete)|strongman]], [[wrestling|amateur]] and [[Professional wrestling|professional wrestler]], [[writer]], and [[Philosophy of sport|sports philosopher]] who is recognized as professional wrestling's first [[World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (original version)|world heavyweight champion]].
Hackenschmidt began his professional career in [[Tallinn]] (Reval), [[Estonia]] (then part of the [[Russian Empire]]), and after an 1899 tournament in Paris was often referred in the media by the [[moniker]] "The Russian Lion".<ref name=":0" /> He lived most of his middle age and later life in London, England.<ref>Markie, Arnie. ''The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives''. pg. 340. Simon and Schuster, 2004. {{ISBN|0-684-80663-0}}</ref> 

He is believed to be the creator of the professional wrestling version of the [[bear hug]] as well as the person who popularised the [[Squat (exercise)#Variants|hack squat]]; additionally, Hackenschmidt is also attributed as the creator of the [[bench press]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Hackenschmidt's Great Strength Due To Work|url=https://classicwrestlingarticles.wordpress.com/2015/08/30/hackenschmidts-great-strength-due-to-work/|website=Classic Wrestling Articles|date=30 August 2015|access-date=30 August 2015}}</ref> He was known for his impressive strength, fitness, and flexibility. Later in life, he wrote many books on [[physical culture]], training and [[philosophy]].