23 Facts About Jim Londos

Christos Theofilou, better known as "The Golden Greek" Jim Londos, was a Greek American professional wrestler.

Jim Londos was born Christos Theofilou in 1894 in Koutsopodi, Argos, Greece as the youngest of thirteen children of Theophilos Theofilou and Panagoula Bimbos, though six died between the births of Londos and his next youngest brother.

Jim Londos worked on the family farm, tending to chores and was a middling student and not particularly young man.

Jim Londos sailed for three weeks in steerage class aboard a steamship before landing at Ellis Island on October 10,1909.

Jim Londos worked his way across the country by riding the rails.

Jim Londos worked on a railroad in Utah before relocating to San Francisco, where his cousin lived.

In San Francisco, Jim Londos worked a succession of odd jobs as a railroad boy, an electrician's apprentice, and a bus boy.

Jim Londos joined the San Francisco YMCA and quickly became one of the top amateur wrestlers on the West Coast, winning AAU and regional championships.

Jim Londos decided to turn pro in 1914 despite rejection from his father, who considered professional wrestling to be undignified and cut off communications with his son.

Jim Londos immediately started selling out the Garden, drawing 20,000 against a variety of opponents.

Jim Londos became the greatest drawing card wrestling had ever seen.

Jim Londos was an active and popular champion who introduced the sleeper hold into wrestling and popularized the airplane spin as a finishing move.

Jim Londos was the victim of a double-cross in a 1933 match with Joe Savoldi that cost him his championship claim in some jurisdictions when a referee counted him down even though his shoulder was off the mat.

Jim Londos went to Greece later that year to see his ailing father and wrestled Kola Kwariani at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens before one of the largest crowds in sports history to that point, an estimated 70,000 inside the stadium and 20,000 on the hillside.

Londos regained near-universal recognition as world champion in 1934 when he defeated Jim Browning at the Madison Square Garden Bowl on June 25.

Jim Londos finally pinned Lewis after years of chasing him before 35,625 fans paying more than $96,000, both North Americans.

Jim Londos regained a version of the world championship from Bronko Nagurski at Convention Hall in Philadelphia on November 11,1938 and never lost another match; though he continued to be known as world champion, various state athletic commissions and associations simply started to recognize other champions.

Jim Londos wrestled there occasionally, most notably against Gorgeous George in 1949, and trained wrestlers such as Dr Jerry Graham.

Jim Londos traveled to Greece a final time in September 1956 and concluded his career with a charity tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1959 where his opponents included Stan Kowalski.

Jim Londos was honored by both United States President Richard Nixon and King Paul of Greece for his philanthropic efforts.

Jim Londos is considered one of the most influential wrestlers in history because of the way he injected mild showmanship into the sport and attracted record numbers of ethnic and female fans.

The Jim Londos family relocated to Escondido, California, where they settled on a 10-acre site nestled in an avocado grove.

Jim Londos died of a heart attack August 19,1975, and is buried at Oak Hill Memorial Park in Escondido, California.