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1933 professional wrestling championship w/ photos...+
1933 professional wrestling championship w/ photos...+
Item # 724707
January 27, 1931
THE NEW YORK TIMES, Jan. 27, 1931
* Jim Londos "The Golden Greek"
* Early professional wrestling match
* World Heavyweight title defense
* vs. Jim McMillen - NFL football star
* From the city where it happened
The top of page 27 has a banner headline: "22,200 See Londos Retain Wrestling Title by Throwing McMillen in Garden" with subheads and photo of Londos. (see images)
Complete with all 48 pages, rag edition in nice condition.
background: The January 26, 1931, showdown at Madison Square Garden was a masterclass in Depression-era sports showmanship, pitting the charismatic Jim Londos against the rugged former football star Jim McMillen. In front of a capacity crowd of roughly 20,000 fans—who paid a staggering $60,000 gate despite the economic climate—the two grappled for nearly an hour in a display of scientific wrestling and high drama. The match reached its fever pitch when the combatants spilled out of the ring and into the laps of front-row spectators, requiring a chaotic reset by the referee. Londos eventually secured his World Heavyweight Title defense by hoisting the powerful McMillen into his patented airplane spin, whirligigging him until the challenger was incapacitated enough to be pinned. This victory didn't just maintain Londos's championship status; it solidified his reputation as the "Golden Greek" and a massive cultural icon capable of out-drawing the era's biggest boxing stars.
Category: The 20th Century
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$62.00
