Ferdinand Gadow

From The Great Outdoor Fight

Ferdinand Gadow (b. 1918, d. 2001), 1949 Fight Champion, was a WWII veteran who had taken part in the occupation of Japan. While stationed there, he applied himself to the study of karate and jiu-jitsu, which he used to great effect on the Acres.

A stout, stocky fighter, Gadow was known for a fighting style which, in the words of Young Jude Surrency, "didn't look like much, but gets the job done." Gadow's careful footwork and fast striking allowed him to conserve his energy, eliminating weaker opponents with a minimum amount of movement. He proceeded through Day 1 at a pace that seemed almost leisurely, casually pummeling and tossing aside lesser fighters. His no-nonsense style appealed to many fighters, and by the end of the day he had accumulated an army of twenty-some of the best fighters on the Acres.

Gadow's most spectacular moment came when he eliminated the much larger Roger "Haybale" Henderson with what could be considered a variation on the infamous "Devil's Milkshake." Henderson, assuming that Gadow had merely acquired his reputation by cherry-picking the weakest fighters, openly taunted the champion. Gadow ducked under a looping right overhand and spring up with a simultaneous palm strike using both hands, ramming the heels of his palms into Henderson's liver and spleen, respectively. Henderson covered Gadow with a shower of vomited blood and promptly lost consciousness.

The combination of Gadow's languid demeanor, contrasted with the blood covering his head and shoulders, had an intimidating effect on the remaining fighters. Once all opposition to his army had been quelled, Gadow directed his followers to pair off into one-on-one fights. The result of this impromptu round-robin tournament left Gadow facing Bo Delmer Keister, whom he knocked unconscious with a judo throw that landed Keister on his head. Keister would go on to become the 1951 Fight Champion.

After his victory, Gadow returned to his regular job teaching boys' physical education. In his spare time, he continued to teach his martial arts schools to a small group of dedicated students.