Background
He was born near Šiauliai, in Lithuania in 1893.
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Karl Pojello
Edit ProfileCareer
During World War I he fought on the side of the Russian army. At the age of 18 he was thought to be one of the best amateur wrestlers in Russia. As a successful amateur wrestler, he joined a group of professional wrestlers traveling from city to city.
With them he traveled to and wrestled in China, Japan, and in 1924 he came to Chicago.
His career took a drastic turn, when in 1927, he met a Lithuanian wrestling promoter A. Tamašiūnas. At the time he was one of the most popular professional wrestlers in the United States.
Karolis Požėla died on September 4, 1954 from lung cancer. Upon hearing of the death of Karl, Maurice Tillet had a heart attack.
He was taken to Cook County Hospital where he died on the same day.
They are buried together. Pojello"s friend and promoter Tamašiūnas built them a gravestone. Text on the gravestone reads: "Friends Whom Even Couldn"t Participant".
European Heavyweight Championship (1 time).
Achievements
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In 1913 Požėla won an international wrestling tournament in Breslav. There he beat Canadian wrestling champion Carl van Wurden in under 3 minutes. But it wasn"t until he beat Johnny Mayers, another Lithuanian wrestler, considered to be middleweight champion of the world, when he came to fame and recognition.
