Ivan Poddubny, born on September 26, 1871, in the village of Bohodukhiv, Poltava Governorate of the Russian Empire, passed away on August 8, 1949, in Yeisk, USSR. He was a renowned Russian professional wrestler, athlete, and circus performer, hailing from the Zaporizhian Cossacks. Poddubny is considered one of the greatest wrestlers in history, having won multiple world championships in classical (Greco-Roman) wrestling among professionals, including prestigious competitions in Paris in 1905 and 1908. Although he suffered defeats in individual matches, he did not lose a single championship or tournament over his 40-year career.

Since 1897, Poddubny performed in circuses as a weightlifter and wrestler, starting with Russian belt wrestling and switching to classical (French) wrestling in 1903. He toured cities in Russia and abroad, visiting about 50 cities in 14 countries across 4 continents.

One of his most famous matches was against the French wrestler Raoul Le Boucher. In their first encounter, Le Boucher won by using an unfair tactic, covering himself in oil, which allowed him to evade Poddubny's holds and win by a judges' decision that noted his 'beautiful and skillful escapes from sharp moves.' This decision caused public outrage, and Poddubny was so upset that he considered leaving the sport. However, the support of friends and colleagues convinced him to stay, and at a tournament in St. Petersburg, he avenged himself, forcing Le Boucher to remain in a kneeling position for twenty minutes under the whistles and jeers of the audience until the judges awarded Poddubny the victory. This defeat caused Le Boucher to have a severe fit of hysteria.

After the revolution, Poddubny remained in Russia. During the war, he lived in the German-occupied Yeisk, a resort town on the Sea of Azov. He refused to go to Germany to train German athletes, stating: 'I am a Russian wrestler. I will remain one.' In the post-war years, Poddubny lived in extreme poverty and was forced to sell all his awards for food. Ivan Maximovich Poddubny died in Yeisk on August 8, 1949.