Jim Londos
| Jim Londos | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Birth name | Christos Theofilou |
| Born |
January 2, 1897 Argos, Peloponnese, Greece |
| Died | August 19, 1975 (aged 78) Escondido, California, United States |
| Cause of death | Myocardial infarction |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Jim Londos |
| Billed height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Billed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Debut | 1917 |
| Retired | 1946 |
Christos Theofilou or Christopher Theophelus (Greek: Χρήστος Θεοφίλου; January 2, 1897 – August 19, 1975), better known as "The Golden Greek" Jim Londos, was a Greek American professional wrestler.
Londos was one of the most popular stars on the professional wrestling circuit in the 1930s and 1940s.
"What a man!
What an artist!"
Jim Londos was born Christos Theofilou in 1897 in Argos, Greece, as the youngest of thirteen children. 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. 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 were as "The Wrestling Plasterer" Christopher Theophelus, a gimmick that saw him coming to the ring in overalls. After a number of years, he dropped this in favour of wrestling under the name Jim Londos and being a no-nonsense professional wrestler.
To compensate for his lack of wrestling ability, Londos traded on his good looks and well-muscled physique. He capitalized on this by having himself matched up against the ugliest opponents he could find. This worked very well and Londos became one of the most popular wrestlers in the 1930s and early 1940s.
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.
Londos retired in 1953. He spent the rest of his life working for charitable organizations. His favorite charity was Greek war orphans of World War II. He was honored by both United States President Richard Nixon and King Paul of Greece for his philanthropic efforts.
Londos died of a heart attack August 19, 1975 and is buried at Oak Hill Memorial Park in Escondido, California.
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