Emile Czaja

{{Short description|Australian-Indian professional wrestler and actor (1909 – 1970)}}

{{Infobox professional wrestler

|name = Emile Czaja

|image = Dara Singh vs King Kong.jpg

|caption = Czaja (bottom) wrestling Dara Singh in 1955

|names = Emile Czaja
King Kong
King Kong Czaja
King Kong Czaya

|height = 6 ft 0 in

|weight = 400 lb

|birth_date = {{birth date|1909|7|15|df=y}}

|death_date = {{death date and age|1970|5|16|1909|7|15|df=y}}

|birth_place = Hungary

|death_place = Singapore

|death_cause = Car accident

|billed = Australia

|trainer =

|debut = 1937

|retired = 1962

|}}

Emile Czaja (15 July 1909 – 16 May 1970), better known by his ring name King Kong, was an Australian-Indian professional wrestler and actor born in Hungary in 1909. He was active from 1929 until 1970. He wrestled mostly in Japan, Singapore, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. In professional wrestling, his arch rivals were Aslam Pahalwan,{{cite web|title=Secret of sports|date=11 June 2009|url=http://4ursport.blogspot.com/2009/06/uncrowned-king-of-wrestling-worldaslam.html|publisher=The Uncrowned King News|access-date=20 August 2014}} Hamida Pahalwan, Sheik Ali and Dara Singh.{{cite web| url = http://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=9047&gimmick=Emile+Czaja| title = Emile Czaja « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database}}

Early life

The Hungarian born Emile Czaja started wrestling in Europe. At the age of 18, he was participating in important matches all over Europe. He excelled in all styles of wrestling and soon become a formidable opponent for all the top contenders.

Professional wrestling career

Czaja started his professional career in India in 1937.{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/there-are-no-shortcuts-to-success-says-kane/articleshow/4646279.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221012033432/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/there-are-no-shortcuts-to-success-says-kane/articleshow/4646279.cms |archive-date=12 October 2022 |title=There are no shortcuts to success, says Kane |work=The Times of India |last1=Vijayakar |first1=Pradeep |first2=Swamy |last2=V Narayan |date=11 June 2009 |access-date=25 December 2009}} He was given the name "King Kong" after playing the part of King Kong in an Indian movie. In 1945, he wrestled Hamida Pehelwan in front of approximately 200,000 spectators in Lahore, India.{{Cite web|url=http://www.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingGuestColumn/schramm_99may7.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729125638/http://www.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingGuestColumn/schramm_99may7.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=29 July 2012|title=A history of crowds|publisher=SLAM! Wrestling|author=Schramm, Chris|date=7 May 1999|access-date=25 December 2009}} He frequently wrestled for over 100,000 fans.

In 1937, he arrived in Bombay India, where many western wrestlers had gathered to trade grips with the East Indian greats. Some of the celebrities were Jeji Goldstein of Palestine, Edmond Von Kramer of Germany, Tony Lamaro of Italy, Emil Koroshenko of Hungary, George Zbisco of Poland, George Constantine of Romania, Arty Counsel of Australia, and later joined by five times world champion, Ed "Strangler" Lewis and Ted Thye. These assailants often dare Great Gama, but to their dismay, Gama had retired and the fleet of Imam Bux, Hamida, Goonga, Yankapa Boolar, Young Gama among others were the stalwarts willing to face the challengers. Kong wrestled quite a few of them and after drawing with Goonga, earned a shot at Hamida Pahalwan. These were the two defeats that Kong had suffered before the war and this by no means belittled his ratings as one of the world's top ranking wrestlers.

Then in 1947, after the war, another country was created- Pakistan. Wrestling immediately took a strong hold there. In 1952, Emile Czaja came back to Bombay from Singapore and approached a well-known businessman Mr. Goostad D. Irani, "The Mat Mogul of India", and a tournament was arranged in Bombay. It was a tremendous success for all. Wrestling had its next lease of life by the hard work of Emile Czaja-Goostad D. Irani friendship. Up until the late 1960s the wrestling flourished in all parts of India under Irani's promotion.

On 16 November 1955 in the Japan Wrestling Association, King Kong and Tiger Joginder Singh defeated JWA founder Rikidōzan and Harold Sakata in a two out of three falls tournament final to crown the inaugural All Asia Tag Team Champions.{{cite web|url=http://all-japan.co.jp/history/05.html |title=AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship official title history |access-date=29 August 2007 |publisher=All-Japan.co.jp |language=ja |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070811175141/http://www.all-japan.co.jp/history/05.html |archive-date=11 August 2007 |url-status=dead }} They later vacated the title after the tag team split up. On 22 November of that year, however, Rikidōzan defeated King Kong to become the inaugural All Asia Heavyweight Champion.{{cite book | author=Royal Duncan & Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications | year=2006|edition=4th | isbn=0-9698161-5-4 }} His matches against Hamida, Goonga, Aslam Pahalwan, Seelie Samara, Tor Johnson and Tiger Joginder Singh are still talked about.

After marrying in 1956, he continued his pro-wrestling career using Sydney as his headquarters. He broke gate records in Australia and wrestled Rikidozan of Japan for {{frac|3|1|2}} hours before losing the bout by a lone fall. He met and beat some of the best in the world. Some of the well-known names that were beaten by this man mountain are Tiger Holden, Harban Singh, Syed Saif Shah, George Pencheff, Big Bill Verna, George Zbisco and many others. He wrestled Lou Thesz for the world title in Singapore in 1958. He wrestled in the East, Europe and United Kingdom throughout the mid-1960s and fans saw the Mighty King Kong in action again.

=Bouts with Dara Singh=

File:Dara Singh vs King Kong.jpg mounted punches to King Kong at the Japan Wrestling Association 1955]]

Of all his fights, the ones that caught imagination of the public in South Asia were his bouts with Dara Singh. Dara Singh's act of flooring King Kong remains embedded in Indian legend.{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/When-he-floored-King-Kong/articleshow/14859233.cms|title=When he floored King Kong|work=The Times of India|date=13 July 2012|author=Deepender Deswal|access-date=13 July 2012}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120713/jsp/calcutta/story_15722424.jsp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205130358/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120713/jsp/calcutta/story_15722424.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 February 2016|title=My 100% Indian superhero|author=Victor Banerjee|date=13 July 2012}}{{Cite web|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/dara-singhs-fight-against-king-kong-will-always-be-remembered/973498/|title = Dara Singh's fight against King Kong will always be remembered - Indian Express}}

Death

While traveling back to Singapore after a match in Penang, Malaysia, Czaja was badly injured in a car crash in Ipoh on 12 May 1970. He died in Singapore on 16 May 1970, aged 60.

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
class="wikitable"
1953	Ponni	Himself	Tamil film
rowspan="2" \| 1962	King Kong	King Kong	rowspan="13" \| Hindi films
Hong Kong
rowspan="3" \| 1963	Patal Nagri
King of Carnival
Faulad	Slave master
rowspan="4" \| 1964	Khufia Mahal	Wrestler
Samson
Hercules	Wrestler
Aaya Toofan	Wrestler
rowspan="3" \| 1965	Tarzan and King Kong	Tarzan's opponent
Sangram
Hum Sab Ustad Hain	King Kong Wrestler
1968	Mujrim Kaun?
1972	Mele Mitran De		Punjabi film

Championships and accomplishments

Japan Wrestling Association
All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time)- with Tiger Joginder Singh

Other promotions
Oriental Heavyweight Championship{{cite web|url=http://zeenews.india.com/exclusive/rustum-e-hind-dara-singh-the-end-of-the-strongman-saga_4809.html |title='Rustum-e-Hind' Dara Singh: The end of the 'strongman' saga|publisher=Zee News |date=12 July 2012 }}
Australian Junior Heavyweight Championship