Billy Kopsch

{{Short description|French professional wrestler}} {{Infobox professional wrestler | name = Billy Kopsch | image = Billy Kopsch.png | image_size = | image_upright = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = William Kopsch | birth_date =  | birth_place = Alsace, France | death_date =  | death_place = | death_cause = | residence = | alma_mater = | spouse =  | partner = | children = | parents = | relatives = | family = | website =  | ring_names = | height =  | weight =  | billed = | trainer = George Hackenschmidt | debut = | retired = 1926 }} '''Billy Kopsch''' was a French professional wrestler who moved to Australia where he achieved notability.

Kopsch claimed to have been trained by George Hackenschmidt in London and competed in America before coming to Australia where he was an active professional wrestler in the early 1900s. He participated in the revival of professional wrestling in the country following the First World War and was in contention to be the Australian Heavyweight Champion and New South Wales Heavyweight Champion in the 1920s. He later disappeared.

==Biography== Kopsch stated that he was born in Alsace, France, in the early 1880s but emigrated to Germany where he studied medicine at Bonn University at the direction of his parents. He was expelled from the university after fighting with another student and decided to become a gymnast and was able to join a gymnastics troupe ultimately winning a tournament in Munich. He later moved to London where he studied under George Hackenschmidt and then Iceland to study Glíma.<ref name="SportingGlobe_1923">{{Cite news |date=30 May 1923 |title=Not an Ordinary Man: Billy Kopsch and His Little Ways |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184808146 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Sporting Globe |location=Melbourne, Vic |page=1}}</ref> He ultimately moved to America where he performed as a professional wrestler,<ref name="SportingGlobe_1923" /> and claimed to have come to Australia to wrestle alongside George Hackenschmidt when he toured the country in 1905 choosing to settle in Broken Hill.<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 March 1922 |title=Notes by "Early Bird" |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/48459536 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, NSW |page=3}}</ref>

Kopsch attempted to establish himself as a professional wrestler after arriving in Australia, wrestling Buttan Singh in 1906,<ref name="BarrierMiner_1926">{{Cite news |date=16 January 1926 |title=Kopsch Praises Sunni |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/45920717 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, NSW |page=5}}</ref> however his efforts were curtailed when the First World War caused Australian professional wrestling to almost cease to exist.<ref name="TheHerald_1922">{{Cite news |date=26 January 1922 |title=Professional Wrestling |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/243638980 |access-date=17 June 2020 |work=The Herald |location=Melbourne, Vic |page=3}}</ref> He was able to establish a gymnasium in Broken Hill,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 February 1922 |title=General Notes |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/48455455 |access-date=13 September 2024 |work=Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, NSW |page=1}}</ref> and achieved notoriety for claiming to drink bull blood and eat raw steak to build strength,<ref>{{Cite news |date=23 December 1939 |title=One Fighter Spargo Couldn't Manage |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180257320 |access-date=13 September 2024 |work=Sporting Globe |location=Melbourne, Vic |page=8}}</ref> and staging a publicity stunt in which two men used hammers to break a large rock placed on his chest.<ref>{{Cite news |date=3 March 1945 |title=Wrestling Freaks Who Were Box Office |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/265054314 |access-date=13 September 2024 |work=Saturday Evening Express |location=Launceston, Tasmania |page=4}}</ref>

In the early 1920s Billy Meeske attempted to revive Australian professional wrestling actively promoting himself as the countries heavyweight champion and in January 1922 Kopsch publicly issued a challenge to Meeske or the retired Clarence Weber to wrestle him for the championship with Meeske accepting the challenge.<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 January 1922 |title=General Notes |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/48454200 |access-date=13 September 2024 |work=Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, NSW |page=3}}</ref> Later the same month the newly established company Country Stadiums Ltd. arranged for Meeske and Kopsch to wrestle in Geelong attempting to assume responsibility for professional wrestling in Australia,<ref name="TheHerald_1922" /> however as of April the bout had still not taken place with Kopsch having received no further communication regarding it.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 April 1922 |title=General Notes |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/48459934 |access-date=13 September 2024 |work=Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, NSW |page=1}}</ref> In August 1922 Meeske instead organized to wrestle Joe Bailey for the title,<ref>{{Cite news |date=23 August 1922 |title=Wrestlers Active |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184798151 |access-date=17 June 2020 |work=Sporting Globe |location=Melbourne, Vic |page=14}}</ref> winning and being dubbed heavyweight champion of Australia in November.<ref>{{Cite news |date=23 November 1922 |title=Stadium Wrestling: Meeske's Clear-Cut Victory |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/243781891 |access-date=17 June 2020 |work=The Herald |location=Melbourne, Vic |page=2}}</ref> thumb|left|Billy Kopsch, 1923. In December 1922 Kopsch issued another challenge to Meeske for the championship,<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 December 1922 |title=Boxing |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/45592708 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, NSW |page=3}}</ref> and in February 1923 Meeske agreed to arrange a match.<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 February 1923 |title=General Notes |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/45598281 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, NSW |page=1}}</ref> They faced each other in May before a large crowd in Melbourne with Meeske defeating him decisively,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 June 1923 |title=The Champagne of Wrestling |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184808452 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Sporting Globe |location=Melbourne, Vic |page=10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=6 June 1923 |title=Heavyweight Wrestling |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/45608457 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, NSW |page=5}}</ref> with Kopsch appearing to suffer a dislocated shoulder.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 June 1923 |title=Boxing |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/45608752 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, NSW |page=3}}</ref> They wrestled a second time in June with Meeske winning a second time,<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 June 1923 |title=Stadium Fights |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/274146622 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=The Sun News |location=Melbourne, Vic |page=8}}</ref> and later in the month Kopsch also wrestled South African Jim McMurdo losing a third time.<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 June 1923 |title=Kopsch Thrown Twice |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/244029490 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=The Herald |location=Melbourne, Vic |page=2}}</ref> In August Kopsch challenged Meeske again this time to a jiu-jitsu match,<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 August 1923 |title=Kopsch's Challenge |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184810585 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Sporting Globe |location=Melbourne, Vic |page=10}}</ref> with strangle-holds permitted and Kopsch, being billed as a Russian, lost again.<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 August 1923 |title=Kopsch's Challenge |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/243812355 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=The Herald |location=Melbourne, Vic |page=3}}</ref> He then left Melbourne returning to Broken Hill.<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 August 1923 |title=Boxing |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/45616698 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, NSW |page=4}}</ref>

In April 1924 Jim McMurdo's manager contacted Kopsch to attempt to organize another match,<ref>{{Cite news |date=12 April 1924 |title=General Notes |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/45643309 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, NSW |page=2}}</ref> and in June he returned to the ring wrestling New Zealander Theo Gadding, billed as champion of New Zealand,<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 June 1924 |title=Advertising |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/45905846 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, NSW |page=2}}</ref> in a draw in Broken Hill.<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 June 1924 |title=Wrestling |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/45872639 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, NSW |page=2}}</ref> In December 1925 he wrestled again against Samuel Burmister in Broken Hill in a match billed as being for the heavyweight championship of New South Wales which he lost, claiming a wrist injury.<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 December 1925 |title=Wrestling |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/45920717 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, NSW |page=5}}</ref> He next wrestled in January 1926 being easily defeated by Mahomet Ali Sunni,<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 January 1926 |title=Wrestling Heavyweight Championship |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/45920717 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, NSW |page=2}}</ref> and he promoted Sunni's wrestling credentials after the bout,<ref name="BarrierMiner_1926" /> participating in his match against Peter Limutkin from ringside later that month,<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 January 1926 |title=Kopsch Praises Sunni |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/45923255 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, NSW |page=3}}</ref> and promoting his match against Jim McMurdo in February.<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 February 1926 |title=Billy Kopsch's Statement on Championship Bout |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/45926880 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, NSW |page=3}}</ref> He arranged wrestling exhibitions to promote professional wrestling in Broken Hill in February.<ref>{{Cite news |date=12 February 1926|title=Wrestling|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/45926479 |access-date=13 September 2024 |work=Barrier Miner|location=Broken Hill, NSW|page=1}}</ref>

Kopsch fell into obscurity and disappeared with his nephew writing to the Broken Hill city council to request any information on his whereabouts in 1946,<ref>{{Cite news |date=31 December 1946 |title=Inquiries Made for Former Wrestler |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/48486190 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, NSW |page=4}}</ref> and the local Broken Hill police requesting information on his whereabouts in 1948.<ref>{{Cite news |date=26 June 1948 |title=Barrier Daily Truth |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141192484 |access-date=12 September 2024 |work=Barrier Daily Truth |location=Broken Hill, NSW |page=4}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kopsch, Billy}} Category:People from Alsace Category:Sportspeople from Broken Hill Category:Australian male professional wrestlers Category:French male professional wrestlers Category:French emigrants to Australia

Billy Kopsch

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