Jim Londos

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Jim Londos
Birth nameChristos Theofilou
Born(1894-01-02)January 2, 1894[1]
Koutsopodi, Argos, Greece
DiedAugust 19, 1975(1975-08-19) (aged 81)[2]
Escondido, California, United States
Cause of deathMyocardial infarction
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Jim Londos
Billed height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[1]
Billed weight200 lb (91 kg)[1]
Debut1912
Retired1959

Christos Theofilou (Greek: Χρήστος Θεοφίλου; January 2, 1894 – August 19, 1975), better known as "The Golden Greek" Jim Londos (Greek: Τζίμ Λόντος), was a Greek American professional wrestler.

Londos was one of the most popular stars on the professional wrestling circuit in the 1930s and 1940s.[3]

Career

Jim Londos was born Christos Theofilou in 1894 in Koutsopodi, Argos, Greece as the youngest of thirteen children of Theophilos and Maria. Before arriving in the United States, in his native Greece young Londos was a shepherd. His father, Theophilos was an amateur wrestler of considerable reputation, and is credited with having instructed his young son in some of the fundamentals.[4] At age thirteen he ran away from home and eventually emigrated to the United States. Working whenever he could, Theofilou took several odd jobs including cabin boy, construction jobs, and posing nude for figure drawing classes.[5] Theofilou landed a job as a catcher in a carnival acrobatic act. It was during this period that he was exposed to professional wrestling and began training.

Londos' first matches, from 1912,[6] were as "The Wrestling Plasterer" Christopher Theophelus, a gimmick that saw him coming to the ring in overalls.[5] After a number of years, he dropped this in favour of wrestling under the name Jim Londos and being a no-nonsense professional wrestler.

Londos became one of the most popular wrestlers in the 1930s & early 1940s while continuing to attract large crowds until 1959.

Just before his retirement he married Anglo-American woman Arva C. Rochwite (1912-1998), who was born in Clayton, Missouri. At the time of their marriage, Rochwite was described in press reports as a "St. Louis Aviatrix." The couple had three daughters: Diana, Demetra, and Christina. The Londos family moved to Escondido, California, where they settled on a 10-acre site nestled in an avocado grove. There, Londos quietly managed his orchard and other investments; he devoted the rest of his public life to charity.

Londos was considered a national hero in Greece. When he traveled there, one of his matches drew a crowd estimated as nearly 100,000 fans.[1]

Retirement

Londos retired in 1953.[7] He spent the rest of his life working for charitable organizations. His favorite charity was Greek war orphans of World War II.[1] He was honored by both United States President Richard Nixon and King Paul of Greece for his philanthropic efforts.[1]

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

Championships and accomplishments

Footnotes
  1. Slagle, Steve. "Hall of Fame Inductee: Jim Londos". WrestlingMuseum.com. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  2. "Mat Champion Jim Londos Dead". Classic Wrestling Articles. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  3. Hornbaker, Tim (2016). "Londos, Jim". Legends of Pro Wrestling - 150 years of headlocks, body slams, and piledrivers (Revised ed.). New York, New York: Sports Publishing. pp. 23–24. ISBN 978-1-61321-808-2.
  4. Hackett, T: Slaphappy: Pride, Prejudice, and Professional Wrestling, page 36. HarperCollins, 2006.
  5. Hackett, page 37.
  6. http://wrestlingclassics.com/.ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=003280#000000
  7. "Profile: Jim Londos". WrestlingData.com. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-05-11. Retrieved 2017-03-21.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. https://twitter.com/CACReunion/status/1189280315807817729
  10. Namako, Jason (May 22, 2015). "Kurt Angle reception set for 2015 National Pro Wrestling HOF". Wrestleview.com. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  11. http://www.prowrestlinghistoricalsociety.com/mdsac-world-heavyweight-championship.html
  12. Gary Will and Royal Duncan (2006). "(United States: 19th Century & widely defended titles – NWA, WWF, AWA, IW, ECW, NWA) National Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  13. Gary Will and Royal Duncan (2006). "New York: New York State Athletic Commission World Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  14. Malnoske, Andrew. "Jim Londos". Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on August 20, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  15. "Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  16. https://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=116599
  17. Gary Will and Royal Duncan (2006). "(California) Los Angeles: World Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  18. Gary Will and Royal Duncan (2006). "(Maryland): World Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  19. Gary Will and Royal Duncan (2006). "(Minnesota) Minneapolis: World Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  20. Gary Will and Royal Duncan (2006). "(United States: 19th Century & widely defended titles – NWA, WWF, AWA, IW, ECW, NWA) World Heavyweight Title (first)". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
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