{{short description|American wrestler (1905–1985)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox professional wrestler | name = Ed Don George | image = File:Ed Don George.jpeg | image_size = | alt = | caption =George in 1938 | birth_name = Edward Nye George Jr. | birth_date = {{Birth date|1905|6|3}} | birth_place = Java, New York, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1985|09|18|1905|06|03}} | death_place = Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. | death_cause = | residence = | alma_mater = | spouse = <!-- {{Marriage|NAME|DATE}} or {{Marriage|NAME|DATE|ENDDATE}} --> | children = | family = | names = Ed Don George | height = 6"1 | weight = 216 lbs | billed = | trainer = | debut = 1929 | retired = 1942 | website = <!-- {{URL|google.com}} --> }} '''Edward Nye "Ed Don" George Jr.''' <ref>[http://fultonhistory.com/newspapers%20Disk3/Poughkeepsie%20NY%20Daily%20Eagle/Poughkeepsie%20NY%20Daily%20Eagle%201932.pdf/Poughkeepsie%20NY%20Daily%20Eagle%201932%20-%200931.pdf THE POUGHKEEPSIE EAGLE-NEWS Friday, March 11, 1932 ]</ref><ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/personalities/lewis_ed/bio/lewisbio22.html wrestling-titles.com]</ref>(June 3, 1905 &ndash; September 18, 1985) was an American amateur and professional wrestler, and wrestling promoter. A former Olympic freestyle wrestler, George competed in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics and turned pro shortly after. He was two-time AWA World Heavyweight Champion.

==Career== George was born in North Java, New York. He wrestled for both St. Bonaventure University and for the University of Michigan.<ref>University of Michigan Hall of Honor 1981 inductee Ed Don George- Wrestling</ref> He also represented the United States in freestyle wrestling at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, placing fourth in the heavyweight class (87&nbsp;kg).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://users.skynet.be/hermandw/olymp/spwremf0.html |title=Wrestling - Freestyle - heavyweight<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=June 20, 2007 |archive-date=February 8, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208224733/http://users.skynet.be/hermandw/olymp/spwremf0.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> During the years 1926–29, Ed Don George attended the University of Michigan, with his concentration of study in engineering.<ref>University of Michigan alumni office communication</ref> Later on, in 1929, at St. Bonaventure University, he graduated with a college degree.<ref>The St. Bonaventure University Athletics Hall of Fame list (1975 inductee)</ref>

Quick and powerful, he took on the name "Ed Don George" and began his professional career shortly after returning from the Olympics. He captured the AWA World Heavyweight Championship on December 10, 1930, from Gus Sonnenberg. Double-crossed by Ed "Strangler" Lewis in Los Angeles on April 13, 1931, George dropped the title to the Strangler. George refused to wrestle Lewis in a shoot contest, admitting he would lose to Lewis in a real match. However, promoter Paul Bowser maneuvered it back to George, who held it for nearly four years, finally losing it to Danno O'Mahony on June 30, 1935. George remained one of the top box office draws of the 1930s, and on April 5, 1937, defeated Al Perreira in Paris to capture the European version of the world title.

In March 1942 he joined the US Navy.<ref>letter from the National Archives and Records Administration</ref> There he taught hand-to-hand combat to naval air cadets. In December 1945 he left the navy with the rank of Commander.<ref>letter from the National Archives and Records Administration</ref>

During the late 1940s through the 1950s he promoted numerous wrestling matches in the United States. In the mid 1950s he found himself promoting wrestling at the casinos in Havana, Cuba until Fidel Castro came to power.

In 1949, George bought a {{convert|375|acre|km2|adj=on}} parcel just east of North Java, New York where Camp O'Ryan was situated.<ref>Records of the Wyoming County Clerk's Office, New York State, Liber 262, page 204, recorded on 2nd day of June 1949</ref> He then very soon afterwards leased this land for 25 years to the federal government, which built, in conjunction with New York State, a New York National Guard training site.<ref>"National Guard Has Rifle Range in Wethersfield", Wyoming County Times, Warsaw, NY 1949</ref>

George died in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on September 18, 1985, and his body was buried in the village of North Java, New York. He was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1996. In 2006 he was inducted posthumously into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame.

==Championships and accomplishments== *'''American Wrestling Association (Boston)''' **AWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times) **World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (original version) * '''California State Athletic Commission''' **California State Athletic Commission World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.prowrestlinghistoricalsociety.com/casac-world-heavyweight-championship.html |title=Title Lineages: CASAC World Heavyweight Championship - the Home of Historical Wrestling |access-date=2017-03-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511033112/http://www.prowrestlinghistoricalsociety.com/casac-world-heavyweight-championship.html |archive-date=2017-05-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref> *'''George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame''' **Class of 2002 *'''Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards''' **Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996) *'''Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum''' **(Class of 2006)

==See also== {{Portal|Biography}} *University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{commons}} * {{Professional wrestling profiles}} * [https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/misc/hohalpha.htm University of Michigan Athletics History] * [http://www.e-yearbook.com/yearbooks/University_Michigan_Michiganensian_Yearbook/1928/Page_364.html University of Michigan 1928 Yearbook] * [https://flickr.com/photos/9720826@N06/2253704092/ Ed Don George in the ring wrestling]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:George, Ed Don}} Category:1905 births Category:1985 deaths Category:20th-century American male actors Category:American male professional wrestlers Category:American male sport wrestlers Category:Wrestlers at the 1928 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic wrestlers for the United States Category:People from Wyoming County, New York Category:Professional wrestlers from New York (state) Category:Professional wrestling promoters Category:Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Category:St. Bonaventure University alumni Category:United States Navy officers Category:Michigan Wolverines wrestlers Category:20th-century American sportsmen