Ed Don George

In addition to his 1928 Olympic performance, where he just missed winning a medal, Ed George was AAU Champion in 1928-29 as a heavyweight wrestler. During college he wrestled for the University of Michigan and St. Bonaventure University, graduating from St. Bonnie’s in 1929 with an engineering degree. He turned professional in 1929 and quickly became one of the top pro wrestlers, usually using the name Ed Don George. He won the National Wrestling Association (NWA) professional title in 1930, but then lost it in 1931 to Ed “Strangler” Lewis. George regained the title, however, and held in thru 1935, losing it to Danno O’Mahony. In 1937 George won a European version of the world professional title.

George joined the US Navy in March 1942, where he taught hand-to-hand combat to naval air cadets. He retired from the Navy in December 1945 with the rank of Commander. After the war he became a wrestling promoter, mostly in the United States, but also in Havana, Cuba through the 1950s, until Fidel Castro came into power. He was later inducted into both the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006.