John Pesek

(1894-1978) born near Ravenna. Professional wrestler, farmer, and greyhound racing dog trainer, ranked by some authorities as one of the top ten professional wrestlers in history, he had a career that spanned 29 years, including a successful tour of matches in Australia in 1929, and was declared heavyweight world champion in 1937 by the National Wrestling Association of America; nicknamed "Tiger Man," he also raised and trained several award-winning greyhounds, and was inducted into the Greyhound Hall of Fame at Abilene, Kansas in 1978 for his contributions to the sport. Consult Omaha World Herald Magazine, April 1, 1956, p. G-6 and Nebraskaland, January 1966, pp. 18-21, 52- 53 and lengthy obituary in Ravenna /NE/ News, March 15, 1978, pp. 1, 3, 9 and Buffalo Tales, Newsletter of Buffalo County, Nebraska Historical Society, Vol 20 (March/April 1997) 1, 3-5.

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