Remembering Firpo

The anniversary of the murder of Firpo Zbysco passed without much fanfare,  as it always does. A big, walrus-like man who spent more time in Arizona as a referee rather than a wrestler, he had his peculiarities, but was beloved by those  who knew him. He liked to drink his beer hot and could drink anyone under the table. He also knew his stuff in the ring.

As a wrestler Firpo traveled the USA for decades, sometimes in a main event and sometimes on the undercard. he had feuds with Wild Man Zim, The Comancheros and The Satin Medic, with his last hurrah as a wrestler being against these last three in Phoenix. he was, for the sake of trivia, the first opponent a very green and later legendary Rocky Johnson faced in the ring.

Firpo was knifed in a Phoenix bar when he stepped between tow drunks and tried to break up a fight. One of the drunks fatally stabbed him and he died on the operating table.

He was buried in his wrestling gear.