Joe Savoldi
Encyclopedia
Joseph Anthony Savoldi Jr., more commonly known as Jumping Joe Savoldi (March 5, 1908 - January 25, 1974) was an Italian
-born, American
football player
and professional wrestler.
Savoldi was born in Castano Primo
(Italy) and he spent his childhood in Castano Primo
and Bergamo (Milan, Italy). In 1920 the Savoldi family immigrated to America to settle in Three Oaks, Michigan
. Giuseppe Savoldi anglicized his first name to "Joe" and became a star athlete in high school
. After graduation from Three Oaks High, he enrolled at the University of Notre Dame
, where beginning in 1928 he would play football for the legendary Fighting Irish
teams coched by Knute Rockne
.
The All-American fullback
was nicknamed "Galloping Joe" or "Jumping Joe", earning the latter nickname for a play made in a 1929 game against Carnegie Tech when he scored a touchdown
by jumping across the goal line, a novel move at the time.http://www.irishlegends.com/Pages/outofbounds/outofbounds55.html Other career highlights for Savoldi came on October 4, 1930 when he scored the first ever Notre Dame touchdown at the newly-opened Notre Dame Stadium
, and one week later when he scored three touchdowns against Navy
.http://football.ballparks.com/NCAA/Independent/NotreDame/index.htm His career came to a sudden end on November 17, 1930 when he withdrew from school after divorce
papers were filed and his secret marriage became public knowledge.
Upon Savoldi's expulsion
from Notre Dame, he went professional, signing with the Chicago Bears
of the NFL
, for which the Bears were fined $1,000 for signing a player before his college class had graduated. The Bears started Savoldi at the halfback position opposite Red Grange, and in his first game (only ten days after leaving Notre Dame) he scored the only touchdown in a 6-0 victory over Ernie Nevers' Cardinals. After helping the Bears win their final three games of the season, Savoldi was invited to re-join his fighting Irish team mates in a Notre Dame All-Star vs West/South All-Star game in the Los Angeles Coliseum. During the 20-7 victory, Savoldi scored three touchdown, was named the game's MVP, and caught the eye of two famous spectators—wrestling promotor Billy Sandow and former world champion Ed "Strangler" Lewis. Sandow and Lewis promised Savoldi more money in a single wrestling match than he would make during the entire following season with the Bears.
As a wrestler, Savoldi became known for his finishing move, the flying dropkick (the pro wrestling move known today as simply the "dropkick
"). At the time Savoldi was often credited as having invented the move, but today that attribution is disputed between him and Abe Coleman
.
Interpromotional wars were raging at the time, and on April 7, 1933 at Chicago Stadium
, Savoldi was involved in a double cross
on heavyweight champion Jim Londos
. After a tangle by the ropes, referee Bob Managoff declared Savoldi the winner by pinfall and awarded him the title. Vigorous arguments were waged over whether Savoldi had truly won the match, and whether Londos' title had even been on the line. As a result, Savoldi and Managoff were suspended in some territories and the title change was not universally recognized. Londos continued to bill himself as world champion, while Savoldi went to the New York
area claiming the same, until he was defeated by Jim Browning on June 12 at Yankee Stadium
. After peace was made between rival promotions, a Londos/Savoldi rematch was held at Chicago Stadium on January 31, 1934. Londos won the contest in front of 20,200 fans, one of the largest crowds to ever watch a wrestling match up to that time.
Savoldi continued his wrestling career throughout the decade, touring New Zealand
in 1936, appearing in Hawaii
and Australia
in 1937, and spending a lengthy time in Europe
shortly before World War II
. In 1941, he attempted to bring a new soft drink
to market, called Dropkick, The Drink For "All Americans". The business venture quickly fizzled, however, after the United States entered the war, and the ensuing sugar
rationing
was too much for production to overcome.http://dropkick.com/pages/2/
As the conflict continued, Savoldi was approached by the U.S. government about joining the war effort in an espionage
role, owing to his fluency in multiple dialect
s of Italian
.http://www.irishlegends.com/Pages/outofbounds/outofbounds55.html Thus he became an OSS
secret agent operating in and around Italy, where he passed easily for a local. Among the missions in which Savoldi participated was a series of secret meetings held behind enemy lines in July 1943 between an OSS team and members of the Italian Resistance.http://www.osssociety.org/pdfs/oss_summer_05.pdf
Savoldi resumed his wrestling career before war's end, but his ability to move around in the ring would begin to diminish due to the onset of arthritis
. He tried promoting in the Chicago
area for a while between 1946 and 1948, and gave Bobo Brazil
his start in the wrestling business.http://web.archive.org/web/20091028044927/http://www.geocities.com/percivalafriend/friend120202.htm Savoldi returned to the ring for a couple more years, wrestling his final match in 1950. He then went back to university to work towards earning his qualifications for a teacher's degree, and eventually came to teach science
at Henderson County High School
in Henderson, Kentucky
. Joe Savoldi died in 1974 at the age of 65, and is buried in Henderson.
He is unrelated to the New Jersey
-based professional wrestling family of the same last name, which includes Angelo Savoldi
and son Joseph
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
-born, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
football player
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and professional wrestler.
Savoldi was born in Castano Primo
Castano Primo
Castano Primo is a city and comune in Province of Milan, in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 35 km northwest of Milan.Castano Primo borders the following municipalities: Lonate Pozzolo, Vanzaghello, Magnago, Nosate, Buscate, Cameri, Turbigo, Robecchetto con Induno, Cuggiono...
(Italy) and he spent his childhood in Castano Primo
Castano Primo
Castano Primo is a city and comune in Province of Milan, in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 35 km northwest of Milan.Castano Primo borders the following municipalities: Lonate Pozzolo, Vanzaghello, Magnago, Nosate, Buscate, Cameri, Turbigo, Robecchetto con Induno, Cuggiono...
and Bergamo (Milan, Italy). In 1920 the Savoldi family immigrated to America to settle in Three Oaks, Michigan
Three Oaks, Michigan
Three Oaks is a village in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,829 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Three Oaks Township.-Geography:...
. Giuseppe Savoldi anglicized his first name to "Joe" and became a star athlete in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. After graduation from Three Oaks High, he enrolled at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, where beginning in 1928 he would play football for the legendary Fighting Irish
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
teams coched by Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
.
The All-American fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
was nicknamed "Galloping Joe" or "Jumping Joe", earning the latter nickname for a play made in a 1929 game against Carnegie Tech when he scored a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
by jumping across the goal line, a novel move at the time.http://www.irishlegends.com/Pages/outofbounds/outofbounds55.html Other career highlights for Savoldi came on October 4, 1930 when he scored the first ever Notre Dame touchdown at the newly-opened Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame Stadium is the home football stadium for the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team. The stadium is located on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States, just north of the city of South Bend....
, and one week later when he scored three touchdowns against Navy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
.http://football.ballparks.com/NCAA/Independent/NotreDame/index.htm His career came to a sudden end on November 17, 1930 when he withdrew from school after divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
papers were filed and his secret marriage became public knowledge.
Upon Savoldi's expulsion
Expulsion (academia)
Expulsion or exclusion refers to the permanent removal of a student from a school system or university for violating that institution's rules. Laws and procedures regarding expulsion vary between countries and states.-State sector:...
from Notre Dame, he went professional, signing with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, for which the Bears were fined $1,000 for signing a player before his college class had graduated. The Bears started Savoldi at the halfback position opposite Red Grange, and in his first game (only ten days after leaving Notre Dame) he scored the only touchdown in a 6-0 victory over Ernie Nevers' Cardinals. After helping the Bears win their final three games of the season, Savoldi was invited to re-join his fighting Irish team mates in a Notre Dame All-Star vs West/South All-Star game in the Los Angeles Coliseum. During the 20-7 victory, Savoldi scored three touchdown, was named the game's MVP, and caught the eye of two famous spectators—wrestling promotor Billy Sandow and former world champion Ed "Strangler" Lewis. Sandow and Lewis promised Savoldi more money in a single wrestling match than he would make during the entire following season with the Bears.
As a wrestler, Savoldi became known for his finishing move, the flying dropkick (the pro wrestling move known today as simply the "dropkick
Dropkick
A dropkick is an attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as he or she jumps so that when the feet connect with the opponent one foot is raised higher than...
"). At the time Savoldi was often credited as having invented the move, but today that attribution is disputed between him and Abe Coleman
Abe Coleman
Abe Coleman, born Abbe Kelmer, was a Polish-American professional wrestler who was, at the time of his death, believed to be the oldest member of his profession in the world. His wife, June Miller, who he married in 1939, died in 1987...
.
Interpromotional wars were raging at the time, and on April 7, 1933 at Chicago Stadium
Chicago Stadium
The Chicago Stadium was an indoor sports arena and theater in Chicago. It opened in 1929, and closed in 1994.-History:The Stadium hosted the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL from 1929–1994 and the Chicago Bulls of the NBA from 1967–1994....
, Savoldi was involved in a double cross
Shoot (professional wrestling)
A shoot in professional wrestling is a term that refers to any unplanned, unscripted or real-life occurrence within a wrestling event. Contrary to popular belief, the name does not originate from "shooting in" for a takedown, as in amateur wrestling - rather it is a carny term shortened from...
on heavyweight champion Jim Londos
Jim Londos
Christos Theofilou or Christopher Theophelus better known as "The Golden Greek" Jim Londos, was a professional wrestler who was one of the most popular stars wrestling offered during the Great Depression.-Career:Jim Londos was born Christos Theofilou in 1897 in Argos, Greece. as the youngest of...
. After a tangle by the ropes, referee Bob Managoff declared Savoldi the winner by pinfall and awarded him the title. Vigorous arguments were waged over whether Savoldi had truly won the match, and whether Londos' title had even been on the line. As a result, Savoldi and Managoff were suspended in some territories and the title change was not universally recognized. Londos continued to bill himself as world champion, while Savoldi went to the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
area claiming the same, until he was defeated by Jim Browning on June 12 at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
. After peace was made between rival promotions, a Londos/Savoldi rematch was held at Chicago Stadium on January 31, 1934. Londos won the contest in front of 20,200 fans, one of the largest crowds to ever watch a wrestling match up to that time.
Savoldi continued his wrestling career throughout the decade, touring New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 1936, appearing in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1937, and spending a lengthy time in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
shortly before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1941, he attempted to bring a new soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
to market, called Dropkick, The Drink For "All Americans". The business venture quickly fizzled, however, after the United States entered the war, and the ensuing sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
rationing
Rationing
Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, or services. Rationing controls the size of the ration, one's allotted portion of the resources being distributed on a particular day or at a particular time.- In economics :...
was too much for production to overcome.http://dropkick.com/pages/2/
As the conflict continued, Savoldi was approached by the U.S. government about joining the war effort in an espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
role, owing to his fluency in multiple dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
s of Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
.http://www.irishlegends.com/Pages/outofbounds/outofbounds55.html Thus he became an OSS
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
secret agent operating in and around Italy, where he passed easily for a local. Among the missions in which Savoldi participated was a series of secret meetings held behind enemy lines in July 1943 between an OSS team and members of the Italian Resistance.http://www.osssociety.org/pdfs/oss_summer_05.pdf
Savoldi resumed his wrestling career before war's end, but his ability to move around in the ring would begin to diminish due to the onset of arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
. He tried promoting in the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
area for a while between 1946 and 1948, and gave Bobo Brazil
Bobo Brazil
Houston Harris was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Bobo Brazil. He is credited with breaking down barriers of racial segregation in professional wrestling...
his start in the wrestling business.http://web.archive.org/web/20091028044927/http://www.geocities.com/percivalafriend/friend120202.htm Savoldi returned to the ring for a couple more years, wrestling his final match in 1950. He then went back to university to work towards earning his qualifications for a teacher's degree, and eventually came to teach science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
at Henderson County High School
Henderson County High School
Henderson County High School is the only high school in Henderson County, Kentucky and is among the largest high schools in Kentucky, with more than 2000 students attending grades 9 - 12 each year. More than 100 teachers are employed by the school...
in Henderson, Kentucky
Henderson, Kentucky
Henderson is a city in Henderson County, Kentucky, United States, along the Ohio River in the western part of the state. The population was 27,952 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Evansville Metropolitan Area often referred to as "Kentuckiana", although "Tri-State Area" or "Tri-State" are more...
. Joe Savoldi died in 1974 at the age of 65, and is buried in Henderson.
He is unrelated to the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
-based professional wrestling family of the same last name, which includes Angelo Savoldi
Angelo Savoldi
Angelo Savoldi is an Italian-American former professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently the world's oldest wrestler at the age of 97.-Professional wrestling career:...
and son Joseph
Joseph Savoldi
Joseph Fornini, known by his ring name "Jumping" Joe Savoldi is an American professional wrestler and the son of wrestler Angelo Savoldi...
.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Missile dropkick
- Signature moves
- Diving tackle