353. Joe Savoldi

Published in WWE
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Joe Savoldi had a claim at one time as the World Heavyweight Champion, which was a long way away from his humble beginnings in the hills of Italy. Savoldi immigrated as a pre-teen to Michigan and would later play football under the famous Knute Rockne at Notre Dame. Savoldi fell into Professional Wrestling and was praised for his dropkick, a unique move at the time. Under the guidance of Billy Sandow, he beat Jim Londos in controversial fashion (perhaps a double-cross) in 1933 and was recognized in some circles as the Heavyweight Champion. He would lose that claim in a match to Jim Browning but had high profile rematches against Londos to huge crowds. He couldn’t beat Londos again but he was a draw for a decade and a half to come.

The Bullet Points

Billed From: Bergamo, Italy
Key Championships Held:
Heavyweight Champion (disputed)

Rocky Mountain Heavyweight
Why they will get in: He was a significant name in wrestling.
Why they won't get in: There are many ahead of him from that era.
Five Greatest Matches/Moments:
1. Beat Jim Londos to claim the World Heavyweight Title 4/17/33.
2. Lost that claim in a match against Jim Browning at Yankee Stadium 6/12/33
3. Unsuccessfully challenged Londos for the World Title in Chicago 1/31/34
4. Again tried to compete against Londos for the World Title, this time in Toronto 11/22/34
5. Lost to Ed Don George in a 2 out of 3 Falls Match in Honolulu 8/18/36.