Description
Richard I. Schikat was born on January 11, 1897 in Ragnitz, Tilsit, East Prussia, Germany. Shikat began wrestling at age fifteen and served in the German navy during World War I. After initially establishing himself as an amateur wrestler in Germany and Europe, Dick moved to America in October, 1923 so he could further his career as a professional wrestler. Among the notable wrestlers that Shikat fought in the ring throughout his wrestling career in America are Stanislaus Zbyszko, William Demetral, Joe “Toots” Mondt, Ed Lewis, Everette Marshall, George Zaharias, and Hans Steinke. On August 23, 1929 Dick won the World Heavyweight Championship title after beating reigning champ Jim Londos in a match at the Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the wake of this victory Shikat went on to defeat Rudy Dusek on February 18, 1930 in Miami, Florida and pinned Gino Garibaldi in a match in Springfield, Massachusetts on April 29 of that same year. However, Londos took back his title after beating Shikat on June 6, 1930. Shikat eventually reclaimed the championship title from Londos after pinning Londos in a rematch on May 6, 1934. Dick scored another major triumph when he dethroned Danno O’Mahoney of his Unified World Title in a match at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 2, 1936. Shikat subsequently lost a match to Ali Baba on May 5, 1936. Dick continued to wrestle into the 1950’s and died in 1968.
