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“Germany’s Ace Bad Man” proclaimed the posters,  and he was a man who should receive a prize for sheer audacity. 

Here we were in 1930s Europe with Hitler tightening his hold on the German nation about to embark on his European undertaking and in British wrestling rings Karl Reginsky was goose stepping around and giving the Nazi salute. The fans reacted just as you would expect and Reginsky was one of the most hated of all 1930s wrestlers, as he laughed his way to the bank.

We have undocumented reports of Reginsky in Britain from the very start of the All-In era, as early as January 1931 working against Bert Assirati, Atholl Oakeley and George Boganski. Our first documented report is on 20th August, wrestling Billy Riley in Wigan, Riley’s home turf. Reginsky was said to be the German champion and the match, wrestled in catch-as-catch-can style,  was for the middleweight championship of the world, which was held by Riley. Reginsky trained in Crewe and a train was chartered to take his fans to Wigan. Old timer Joe Carroll was Karl’s second and the match was promoted by George DeRelwyskow. Experience and skill overcame strength and youth. Riley won the first fall after 45 minutes and the second just seven minutes later.

Working in Britain throughout the 1930s he was one of Oakeley’s men, and the wrestler/promoter described their close friendship in “Blue Blood on The Mat.” As the decade progressed Reginsky increased in strength, weight up to 15 stones, skill and claiming the European heavyweight title, and notoriety, as he developed his bad boy German image as war clouds formed over Europe.

Infamy not just in the ring. When Reginsky was sued by referee Phil Meader for assault in the dressing room the presiding judge, clearly not a fan of wrestling and sceptical that any rules existed, sarcastically commented that wrestlers were not allowed to eat their opponents. Rules were read to the court, including one that wrestlers’ seconds were not permitted to give their fighter strychnine or cocaine, which was followed by laughter. The judge described Reginsky’s attack as ‘a little discourteous’.  

Judgment was made against Reginsky, who was ordered to pay £150. Shortly afterwards  he was declared bankrupt, with liabilities of £459 against assets of £15. When questioned about income tax Reginsky declared that he had never paid any.

As the decade neared conclusion it was clear that Europe was not the safest of places for Karl Reginsky. On the 3rd June, 1939, he set sail for Sydney, Australia. On 30th July in Brisbane we find “Karl Reginsky, a bullet headed German wrestler, who entered the ring attired in a swastika-decorated robe, defeated Sam Burmister, announced as the ‘Jewish champion.”  Subtle as ever!

As far as British wrestling was concerned that was more or less the end of the road for Karl Reginsky. We do find him back in Britain in December, 1946, advertised fighting Charlie Green in Coventry on December 10th, our library visits uncovered a win over Bert Mansfield at Bloxwich on 9th January, 1947, and two or three other contests. Most significant of all was Karl’s invitation to take part in Athol Oakeley’s World Heavyweight tournament at Harringay on 18th February, 1947. Following a win over Clem Lawrence Reginsky was eliminated from the tournament by Ivar Martinsen.

There’s far more to the Karl Reginsky story. This was clearly a case for Ron Historyo.

Ron Historyo Goes On The Trail of Karl Reginsky

Until I started to learn a few things about British Wrestling History I thought Karl Reginsky was one of those people who came to Britain with Irslinger, Modrich, Boganski, Sherman, Pojello and Bartush to give wrestling an international feel and bring experience. These kind of guys came to work with ex amateurs, Atholl Oakeley and Bill Garnon, and some of our great Catch wrestlers like Billy Riley and Harold Angus and Westlmorland champ Doug Clark.

​There was however a third category of wrestler that was needed very quickly in as bigger number as possible to form a viable Roster.

​Tough men, strong men, fighters, athletes, that could be trained into wrestling entertainers. Guys who could look the part. Such men were Bert Assirati, Jack Pye, Norman (The Butcher) Ansell, King Curtis, Half Nelson (Fred) Keyes and Black Eagle (Robert Adams). It was very much a shock to me that to Casimer Raczynski had been born in London in 1908 (Pancras). It just did not seem possible. The German Persona of wearing a Swastika on the back of his robe and the whole of his behaviour was so convincing.

​I had to dig a little deeper. We will call him Karl Reginky, an anglicized name used for the ring, nothing official. Father was Boleslaus Raczynski who was Polish but it seems had lived under German Rule due to partition. He married in 1904 and died in 1938. He was a teacher  and player of  the Zither who made the Music Halls, well known and lived to a good age (79) Sadly he committed suicide by gassing and made the papers over his death. In Teaching Music he used the name Schultz.

​Back to the German thing. Karl Reginsky’s mother was Anna Mohr and she was a German subject, she had been working as a parlour maid for a Goldsmith in London. It was a love story really, she had gone to Boleslaus for music lessons and he was the love of her life. To my mind that made Karl Reginsky an Anglo/Polish/ German, born along with two brothers and a sister in central London. Certainly his travel documents state British.

​Up to 1912 (at least) the family were in England but in July 1920 I find mother and the four children returning from Hamburg having lived in Glucksburg, on the border of Denmark, until Karl was age 11.

​We already know that in October 1937 Reginski assaulted referee Phil Meader after a bout with Joe Devalto and it was for real, with charges being made and Reginsky being fined. In 1938 the award was £150. The truth is that Meader never collected and Reginsky went Bankrupt, also because he had not been paying tax on his wages and by the middle of 1939 went missing. At that point though he had built up a fearsome reputation.

This was a tough man who was ready to step in the ring and work rough with the roughest and strongest. A man who had multiple matches with Jack Sherry.

​With the pedigree not in any doubt, what were Reginsky’s origins as wrestler? Where was he at the dawn of British Wrestling after the Music Hall Era?​

In the early part of 1931 I found Reginsky in a bout with Oakeley, one with Boganski and a couple with Assirati who I can reveal he must have known well. According to the book “Gangland Soho” in January 1931 Karl Reginsky the wrestler was the manager at the Phoenix Club in little Denmark Street, He and a friend were attacked outside the club by two other men and Karl survived having his throat badly cut. The matter blew over. Karl’s brother also had an incident in the same club with an Iron bar being used on a customer and a waitress. No witnesses came forward. More about Karl’s throat later but the brother sort of fits.

Back in the days of Hackenschmidt Peter Gotch was fighting at lightweight in the music halls. Although I knew Assirati performed as a comedy strength acrobat in the Mello and Nello stage act and possibly continued in the Music Halls for a couple of years after commencing wrestling, I had no idea that wrestling was still being pushed in the music Halls in 1931. Peter Gotz had a team and was touring the country. Yes I think we knew that he and Jack Carroll had helped with the instruction of the early Assirati, but here I have some further evidence that Karl Reginski was also included. Just a small newspaper advert and a picture of a theatre in Barrow. And within a couple of weeks the same again at the Rawtenstall Palace. ​

These must be the final days of Wrestling being on in the Music Hall, along with other acts. Yes in later decades Wrestling was done in Night clubs , but the days of Catch Wrestling in fields  and the Music hall were coming to an end.

​Gotz carried this on for a while although most adverts don’t specify the wrestlers. Was it an exhibition or a match? One thing I did notice on other adverts, is that members of the public were invited to try, but I can’t confirm if that was what Assirati and Reginsky took part in.

​The week before the Barrow show, at the Empress Hall in Wigan. Reginsky had wrestled Billy Riley in a Catch match for the World Middleweight title. It went 53 minutes with Riley forcing the much younger man to tap out in Submission, (2-0). Joe Carroll was Reginsky’s second. Relwyskow was Referee. History has already recorded this, but I make the point about Reginsky’s Schooling. Like Assirati and others,  Reginsky had been picked up from London meeting the profile of a would be wrestler. No doubt it was the circles they mixed in. One year later the shape of the new wrestling was a lot more apparent. Mainly old timers filling this bill but Reginsky and Ben Sherman were the same age.

Through the 1930’s Reginsky’s career hit the heights and it is ironic that here on Heritage we have a bit of fun. Remember we had a top wrestlers of the 1930’s countdown? Doug Clark had come first as home wrestler. Overseas Karl Reginsky came in number eight. Bert Assirati born here in 1908 and of Italian Descent was not an import so was in the home list. The imports had wrestled elsewhere. You have to laugh. Reginsky slipped the net. He was a home product.

In 1939 posters suggested that Reginsky was off to America. IHe was newly married in this year to Grace Knight in Pancras and on the 6th of June they sailed from Southampton, not to America, but to Sydney.

The story of Reginsky’s bankruptcy reached Australia ahead of him and even a story that Reginsky told himself hit the papers. He said that he was at Heidleburh University in Germany in 1927 training to be a medical student when he had a quarrel and ultimately a duel with another student. His opponent was killed in the duel and Reginsky received a deep cut across the neck.

It is true that such duelling went on at Heidelburg, but we have now two stories about the throat slash. It could only happen in wrestling. Was he even in Germany after 1920? I have no idea, but I think we have proved the point that as well as his roots he was also very much a London man. In 1931 his father had  said that he had been teaching music in England for many decades. The roots were in England as well.

I have also written about Sam Burminster and how he came over to England to work for Relwyskow because he could not get enough work in Australia.

For a couple of months Reginsky took part in a few feuds, in particular a couple of  matches with Sam Burmister. Two bald headed tough guys. Must have been quite a battle. Ultimately the two bruisers shared the spoils.

I believe that Reginsky’s time as a wrestler was almost over. (1939) He was to pop up again in a sixteen man world tournament at Harringay in 1947, but I would imagine that was isolated unless he continued  in places unknown.

​I am unsure what he did but in 1942 he left Australia and travelled the world for four years.

​When I look closer at all the other shipping records, he looks to have joined the Merchant Navy as he’s listed as crew in a variety of roles like Able Seaman, Asst butcher and Ships Carpenter. These were  his movements.

• May 1942 left Sydney for New York via Victoria British Columbia and San Francisco 
• March 1943 left Glasgow for New York
• July 1944 arrived in San Franciso (departure port not named)
• December 1944 left Gwam (Pacific) for San Francisco
• March 1945 left Saipan (Pacific) for San Francisco
• May1945 left San Francisco for Seattle via New Westminster, British Columbia
• June 1945 left Hawaii for San Francisco
• December 1945 left Eniwetok (Pacific) for Seattle
• May 1946 left Marseilles for New York via San Francisco

And that is what happened after the famous Phil Meader incident and the bankruptcy. A lot had happened to |Karl Reginsky in the years 1938-1939, he had come to a peak as a wrestler, had his troubles and lost his father, got married .

​The truth from the fiction is not easy. After fighting Billy Riley at Middleweight this man of five feet nine inches evolved into a fifteen stone fearsome Nazi machine.

That is what I know about Carl Reginsky.

What happened to him after Harringay 1947, I do not know.

​Special thanks to a man named Peter Booth, a good friend and fellow genealogist in Australia. The complexity of movements, spellings and name changes in this research has been most difficult in finding some of Reginsky’s life. I hold my hands up, I needed someone to bounce ideas off and double check me on all this. Without Peter, I would not have found it all.

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Historyo