Inducted in 1967. Jim Londos was a world renowned wrestler who held the world proessional championship for fourteen years during a thirty-four year career (1912-1946).
Nicknamed “The Greek Adonis”, the long time Escondido resident won the World Title in 1930 from Dick Shickard in an eighty- nine minute match.
After holding the title for five years, he lost it to Don O’Mahoney, then regained it in 1937 by pinning football star Bronko Nagurski in eighty-seven minutes.
Londos wrestled in more than two thousand matches over his lifetime.
One of his greatest was a victory over the Russian Kola Kowriani in Athens, Greece, his native land, before 100,000 adoring spectators in the Olympic Stadium. 50,000 more fans were unable to buy tickets.
